I'm not a comic book fan, and so I admit I'm ignorant of the history and nuances of specific superheroes like Spiderman. I do know that Spiderman is among the more human of the lot, and since Spiderman 2 invests a lot of time in exploring the conflict between Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) and his web-spinning alter-ego, I can see how Spiderman 2 might be one of that rare breed of sequels that are superior to the original.

But I still can't help feeling a bit disappointed when I take in a flick with "Spiderman" in the title, and get a moody, character-driven romance-slash-drama.

True, there are explosions and fights and expensive special effects. But the fact that those things were not the star of the show is a good thing — they weren't up to the task, anyway. As for the stars themselves? They seemed to be trying really hard to make a play for an Oscar despite being trapped in a popcorn flick.

Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of depth to Peter's character, and that of Harry Osborn (Peter's friend and son of the Green Goblin ), and there may even a little bit of meat in mentor-turned-nemesis Dr. Otto Octavius' story. All in all, there are lots of internal conflicts, complex motivations, strengths and weaknesses at play here. But instead of skillfully hinting at this depth, the players were apparently told to pound the living daylights out of their roles. The melodrama is, at times, simply embarassing.

Why didn't someone sit down with Alfred Molina (Chocolat, Identity) and remind him, "You're a mad scientist with mutant robot arms, not Macbeth."

Director Sam Raimi (A Simple Plan, The Quick and the Dead) has the talent to tell a serious story, no doubt, but he didn't need to turn both barrels on Superman 2. When Peter Parker's aunt May (Rosemary Harris) launches into an overwrought soliloquy about heroes, I half expected an American flag to drift through the frame as an eagle passed overhead.

Peter Parker's dysfunctional love life is a central theme in Spiderman 2. But his love interest, Mary Jane Watson, is so vapid and unappealing, you're left wondering why he's so obsessed with her. (This flick, at least, adds to Kirsten Dunst's impressive list of movies in which she gets wet, half naked, or both.) Meanwhile, Peter is also given ample opportunities to prove himself weak and unreliable, and you also wonder why Mary puts up with it for so long.

We also see that Peter Parker's long hours spent saving the city are hurting him physically, emotionally, and academically, but in emphasizing the downsides, we're left with little to explain why he's compelled to be Spiderman in the first place. Being a superhero doesn't seem to be much more compelling or interesting than being a mailman.

Of course, that's the point, and soon enough, Peter Parker tries to give up the spidey suit. It is here that the real appeal and emotion of the story comes through. He sees a wrong being committed, and turns his back. He tries to do good, but it isn't good enough. He realizes he can't win, and just in case we don't get it, we're treated to an ethereal recitation of that famous line, "With great power comes great responsibility."

Somehow, thankfully, Raimi and Maguire play it right here. Unfortunately, these scenes have to be bookended with cheesy dialogue and effects, and a surprisingly weak climax where Spiderman doesn't really save the day at all, and where the romantic resolution seems so forced, you can almost hear the test audience scribbling away on their clipboards.

I also wonder if there was more to Peter's brief flirtation with his landlord's daughter, Ursula (Mageina Tovah, who was actually born in Hawaii). As a faint light that appears when Peter's world is at its darkest, she carried a lot of potential that seems to have been left on the editing room floor.

Like Spiderman, the movie Spiderman 2 is trapped between two identities. Superhero flash versus everyman drama. One or the other may have worked better than trying to have it both ways.

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