Of all the better-known superheroes, Spider-Man is the most human. Superman, despite his “normal” upbringing on the Kansas plains, is still a god among men who can move mountains on a whim. Batman is probably least human of all these champions, but with limitless intelligence and wealth at his disposal, he never faces the hardships of true human interaction.

More than any of the other superheroes, audiences connect with Spider-Man. “Spider-Man 2” exhibits Spider-Man dealing with things that most of us cope with in our own lives. Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire dazzle us again with corny dialogue and the inevitable agony one experiences when trying to date a superhero.

This time around, Peter Parker is struggling to find the right balance between a normal life and his destiny as Spider-Man — as if the events of the first Spider-Man movie weren’t enough to crush any dreams of a “normal” life. Reaching into the vast gallery of Spidey-lore, director Sam Raimi chose Doctor Octopus as the nemesis of Parker in the sequel.

In “Spider-Man 2”, Raimi has put less light on Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson’s budding relationship and focuses instead on the obvious hurdle standing in their way of a healthy relationship. The story is tighter than the first and leaves a lot more space for animated action sequences. In the trailers, every frame is full of movement and action. On the big screen, those same scenes are awe-inspiring for both creativeness and scale.

“Spider-Man 2” shows a plethora of emotions for our hero. Parker’s life is a whirlwind of secrets and lies, love and hate — all coming down on him at once. Mary Jane is the apple of his eye and at the same time, forbidden fruit. The continuing love story brinks on heartbreak for the hero. His Mary Jane is engaged to be married. Her heart was his to take, and he never embraced it out of fear. What she doesn’t know, and what he won’t tell her, could be their undoing. Even if average guys with superhuman powers didn’t exist in their world, the movie would still be a love story. Dunst delivers her role as Mary with great warmth, making her role serve as a reflection of the conflict facing Peter.

There is potential for great tragedy for every decision Peter ever makes. But Raimi adds dashes of humor through situation comedy. What if Spidey can’t use webbing? He has to take the elevator, just like anyone else. Remember that Dr Pepper commercial with the idiot kid swinging down and smacking into the building? That can happen to a superhero too. All this isn’t without purpose, however. Peter’s body stays intact while his mind is fraying.

Despite all of his suffering for affairs of the heart and periodic abuse by people with death on the mind, Peter Parker will always be “Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.”