WHAT'S IT ABOUT?: Just as he's decided to give up his web-slinging ways and returns to being plain old Peter Parker, up pops Dr Otto Octavius to sidetrack him from his spiralling personal problems and give him something else to think about.

WHO'S IN IT? Tobey McGuire is Spidey once again, Alfred Molina is superb as Dr Otto Octavius (Doc Ock) and Kirsten Dunst is as gorgeous as ever as the love interest, Mary Jane Watson.

BEST SCENE: Probably where Doc Ock fluffs his fusion project to become a mechanical octopus of a villain .

TO BE HONEST: The proliferation of shaky sequels that ran throughout the summer of 2003 are all but forgotten as Spider-Man 2 takes up where the original left off. Strong characters allow the story to develop while the action builds, the special effects take over and reality becomes a blur. Alfred Molina is clearly having a great time playing Doc Ock and the story rumbles on. Comic book stuff, but then that's what it's all about. Brilliant.