An incredible film. Not without its own flaws, as all movies are. Spider-Man 2 takes all the heart and action from the first film and amplifies it while also providing an excellent character study for Peter Parker.
One thing I don't think is any coincidence is how these first two Spider-Man films and the Nolan Batman films are my favorite comic book films because, unlike focusing on trying to expand the universe like the modern comic book films, they focus on the character themselves, on developing them, and giving somewhat realistic takes on what their lives would be like in the real world- our world, and that's what I think gives them the edge.
Definitely the best film based on a Marvel character.
I remember the day this came out. I'd been waiting all summer to see it... Hell, really since I saw the first film. My dad was off work that week for the 4th, and we went to go see the movie opening day at the first matinee. We got there early, expecting a crowd. When we got there, we saw few cars and people going to the ticket booth only to turn back and leave. I'm from a small, more rural area, so the theater was small and they only had one print. Well, turns out the film broke during a test-screening or something and they weren't getting a new one until a day or so later. The manager told us there was a theater about 20 minutes away playing it at the same showtime. Determined, we kicked it into high gear and made it there in time. This theater was memorable; a small, two-screen theater that, while updated for modern standards, was built in the 70s and still had that atmosphere and aesthetic to it. I think it's closed these days, and this remains the only film I ever saw there. Just a fond memory.