If super heroes really did exist, we would take them for granted. That or we would submit them to non-stop genetic experiments to find out what makes them tick. Seems that Peter Parker is starting to figure all of this out in the incredible "Spiderman 2." It doesn't make for a bad DVD set either.

Plagued with the personal burdens of being Spiderman, Peter Parker (Toby Maguire) finds himself struggling between his life as a hero and his life firmly on the ground. Meanwhile, Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) is experimenting with a new form of energy. When something goes wrong during a demonstration, Octavius loses control of his tentacles and Spiderman must stop him before the city is taken out.

Roger Ebert very clearly states that "this is the best super hero movie I've ever seen." It's plastered all over the advertisements and the DVD case. What that quote doesn't tell you is just what a margin "Spiderman 2" has on its competition. Sam Raimi has crafted a thrill fest, one that ends up being unlike any other comic book translation to date.

Never has a super hero been so deeply studied like Spiderman is here. It's not his struggle with his adversary that makes the movie what it is, but his personal one. His love for Mary Jane, played again by Kirsten Dunst, just flat out works on screen while creating the cause for most of his problems. Maguire handles this role perfectly, making it all the more convincing.

Adding to his trouble is of course Doc Ock, a venerable opponent if there ever was one. At some points, you can actually believe that he is invincible. The CG in this sequel is a marked improvement over the first one and the tentacles of this villain are the highlight. Spiderman takes an incredible beating and the special effects make sure you can feel every blow.

Of course, this is a Sam Raimi movie and the cameos are many. Stan Lee is easy to spot this time around and it wouldn't be a Raimi movie without Bruce Campbell. They blend in just fine as the story moves along, giving the director's fans something to cheer about.

>From the brilliant opening credit sequence, through all the breathtaking action to the final few frames, this is an exhilarating film. The pacing is spot on throughout and the way this character is portrayed is just amazing. It's going to be a long time before "Spiderman 2" will have a challenger to relinquish its crown. (***** out of *****)

Raimi chose to use a wider frame for this film due to the tentacles and every section of this 2.40:1 widescreen canvas is used to the fullest. People, if you're not watching this movie in widescreen, you are NOT watching this movie. Sadly, this transfer is a little off. Most notably is the contrast level, which almost blinding at a few points. Flesh tones are completely washed out at a few points. Grain is pretty bad from the start, though it is toned down as the film moves along. Scenes without the whole blinding problem look fantastic (minimal if any chroma noise, edge enhancement almost non-existent), but it's a far too obvious problem. (****)