Spider-Man 2 still stands as one of the best superhero films ever made. It may not have the maturity of The Dark Knight or far reaching aims of The Avengers, but its emotional heart and universal themes mean it's lost little relevance in the decade since release, dating less in ten years than The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has in six months. It even gets a cheesy music sequence right. On the whole it does everything a good sequel should do, expanding the world while staying true to its central ethos. And, not hampered by ideas of being a grand super-franchise, it manages to put some effort into a continuing story without pulling the focus from the now; Harry discovering the identity of both Spider-Man and Green Goblin, setting up what could have been a great movie, is the perfect level of tease. The sense of progression is certainly a real strength, but unlike the three movies that have followed, the development was character based, rather than narratively motivated. Through this film alone Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker is irreversibly changed, rather than just the world around. Compare that to Andrew Garfield's version; even though he's been through a lot, the new Peter's character hasn't matured all that much. What's so amazing about this film is how it deftly blends multiple plot threads in a way that seems effortless. Aside from the central plot drive of Doc Ock's experiment, you have Mary Jane's relationship with John Jameson, Harry's anger at Spider-Man over his father's death, Peter's on-going guilt over Uncle Ben's murder, as well as a perfect realisation of landmark issue Spider-Man No More. In less adept hands these could have simply been rammed together in an episodic manner, but in Spider-Man 2 they each feed off each other, making a cohesive story that further puts subsequent movies to shame. What do you make of our ranking? What order would you put the Spider-Man movies in? Let us know in the comments below.
