KnockBack, Episode 222: Spider-Man 2 (Patreon)

At first blush, Sam Raimi wasn't a natural fit to direct a Spider-Man film, and yet his 2002 entry into the series did awesome at the box office and is much-beloved to this day. Two years later, he -- along with Tobey Mcguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, and others -- delivered Spider-Man 2, an even better film than the original that builds wonderfully on its themes, characters, and world. Spider-Man 2 also introduces an iconic villain in the form of Alfred Molina's Dr. Octopus, who many Spidey fans were glad to see reemerge, at least in passing, in the MCU. Made for an exorbitant amount of money even then ($200 million) and earning an obscene amount of profit (some four times its cost), Spider-Man 2 is still one of the most beloved superhero films ever, even if it hails from an era when the genre wasn't so well-worn and readily-accepted. So join us as we gush over and celebrate Spider-Man 2, and remember: With great power comes great responsibility... fair or not.