Better than the first film. This sequel succeeds at making a superhero and his alter ego equally interesting. The first half of the film takes a long time to develop characters, at the expense of pacing. The action sequences, when they do arrive, are top-notch, and the CGI Spidey sequences are far superior to the 2002 effects. Tobey Maguire is letter-perfect as Peter Parker, Kirsten Dunst is reliable, and James Franco is steadily improving. It's good to see a superhero movie that's about something, with, ya know, themes and stuff. Hulk (which I saw on the adjacent screen at Fenway a year ago) tried to be meaningful but bored everyone instead. (AMC Fenway)2022 Re-Watch: The leisurely pace takes getting used to, but it's only 127 minutes! I think it feels leisurely because I'm used to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where most movies spend time knitting together ancillary stories and character arcs that are (at best) not directly relevant to the movie. With no Marvel-style maintenance of the Cinematic Universe included, it feels almost Spartan in its purity. Fun to spot Emily Deschanel and Joel McHale in one scene cameos. I did notice the director's affection for casting a tall busty extra in most scenes. If he needs a rando civilian to scream at the sight of Doc Ock, she's probably 5'10" and built like an swimsuit model.