In case you’ve been living under a rock, Spider-Man 2 opened last week and I plunked down my $6 today so see the Webbed One in action for a second time. To be fair, I will say upfront that I didn’t see the original Spider-Man until two days ago. I love Tobey Maguire…he’s so good with that whole “triumph of the human spirit” thing I saw him first tackle in Pleasantville and again in Seabiscuit. You actually buy him as the good guy!

Most critics have said the sequel is better than the original to which I have to say, yes, if we’re talking about the villain. Doc Ock is scarier and more evil than the Green Goblin any day of the week. I never really bought Willem Defoe as a villain…and really couldn’t for the duration of the movie since I couldn’t get the vision of him and Madonna in Body of Evidence out of my head.

Can I just say that I loved how Doc Ock’s hands/tentacles would hiss at him when displeased? Kirsten Dunst was just as luminous and innocent and lovely in Spider-Man 2 as she was in the original…I can almost forgive her for Crazy/Beautiful…ha ha. I won’t give any of the plot away for the three people who haven’t seen the movie yet this weekend, but I’m anxiously awaiting Spider-Man 3, which they so totally set the stage for! According to IMDB.com though, it’s slated for a 2007 release which will make me…yikes…old by the time they get around to premiering it.