Spiderman 2

When the first Spiderman came out a few summers ago, I was interested in the film but didn't really have it on my "To Watch" list. Amazingly, Heather and I did get around to watching the film, and we both found it entertaining. As the launch of the Spiderman sequel has drawn near, I've found myself really no more interested than last time. I've been expecting another above average summer blockbuster - an entertaining way to kill two hours. But not anything I would be too eager to see. (That's next year with Star Wars: Episode III and Batman Begins)

However, the reviews for the film are starting to come out today on the eve of the film's release. The New York Times likes it, Rolling Stone like it, and Roger Ebert loves the film. Ebert gives Spiderman 2 four stars and heaps on the praise: "It's a real movie, full-blooded and smart, with qualities even for those who have no idea who Stan Lee is. It's a superhero movie for people who don't go to superhero movies, and for those who do, it's the one they've been yearning for."

All the reviewers talk about the narrative maturity of the film and how Spiderman 2 is as much a love story between Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson as it is an over-the-top summer blockbuster. I must say, after reading the reviews today and the article in Newsweek last week, I'm moving this film up on the "To Watch" list.