Below are movie revies of "Spider-Man 2" and "The Clearing."

Spider-Man 2
As anyone familiar with the kitschy theme song to the old animated "Spider-Man" series can attest, "Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can." But can "Spider-Man 2" (Columbia) do what its predecessor did? The answer is a resounding yes.

Director Sam Raimi once again spins popcorn magic, buttressing a solid story with thrill-ride effects, resulting in a sequel twice as fun as the original. Based on the Marvel Comics' character, who first appeared back in 1962, this movie is simply marvel-ous.

It has been two years since the bite from a genetically altered spider transformed mild-mannered Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) from a nerdy high school senior into a costumed crime fighter, endowing him with an array of arachnid abilities including superhuman strength and agility and precognition "spidey sense," as well as the power to crawl up walls and shoot industrial-strength webs from his wrists.

But since then, his life in Lycra has not been without its problems. Swinging around New York City thwarting felonies has caused his grade-point average to plunge along with the crime rate. It has also made for some awkward moments with his vengeance-obsessed best buddy, Harry Osborn (James Franco), who blames the web-slinger for the death of his father. Worst of all has been its effect on his love life. When we last left our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, Peter had made the difficult decision of walking away from longtime flame Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), valiantly choosing self-imposed loneliness over running the risk of putting her in harm's way.

Of course superherodom does have its upside. For one thing, you get to meet lots of interesting supervillains. This time around, the dastard du jour is Dr. Otto Octavius (the gleefully malevolent Alfred Molina) -- Doctor Octopus, or "Doc Ock" for short -- a brilliant but appropriately mad genius who wreaks havoc in the city after a failed experiment with nuclear fusion appends him with four mechanized tentacles -- giving new meaning to "armed and dangerous."

The visual effects are much improved over the first installment and are sure to keep viewers' collective spidey sense tingling. This is especially true for the gravity-defying brawls between the wall crawler and Doc Ock. The film contains a few intense scenes -- including one in a hospital operating room -- which reflect Raimi's horror roots and which merit the film's A-III classification, but parents may deem it appropriate viewing for older teens.

As in the first film, "Spider-Man 2" has plenty of heart, even while it keeps yours racing. The tent-pole theatrics never get in the way of the story or detract from its inherent human drama. Underneath its exhilarating effects sequences is a tale about a guy viewers can identify with. Unlike Superman's indestructible boy scout or Batman's brooding dark knight, Spidey is an Everyman hero -- conflicted by all-too-human doubts and insecurities. He struggles to cope with "the gift and the curse" of his powers, wrestles with the impulse to abandon his mission and declare his love for M.J. and is wracked with guilt over the death of his beloved Uncle Ben (who warned him, "with great power comes great responsibility"), killed in the original.

Raimi once again leavens the film with dollops of camp and self-conscious humor, including a scene where Peter is in a late-night Laundromat washing his spidey suit, only to find out that its colors have bled onto the rest of his clothes.

Building on themes established in the first movie, "Spider-Man 2" plumbs deeper in its exploration of the emotional web in which Peter finds himself entangled. It raises moral questions concerning identity, responsibility and sacrifice. Peter is faced with the classic conundrum of choosing between love and duty. However, Raimi conveniently opts for the easy -- and least satisfying -- way out, which, in addition to leaving the door open for a pre-ordained third film, suggests that Peter can spin his web and have it too!

Due to much comic book violence and a few scary scenes, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

The Clearing
A wealthy businessman savvy in the art of deal-making finds himself negotiating for his life in the lukewarm thriller "The Clearing" (Fox Searchlight).

Producer Pieter Jan Brugge's maiden voyage in the director's chair seems, at least on paper, like a recipe for an engaging 91 minutes: a first-rate cast, complex characters and best-film Oscar nomination for 1999's "The Insider." And yet after mixing all these ingredients together what results is a cinematic souffle that, though soundly crafted, fails to engage viewers on a sustained emotional level.

Robert Redford stars as Wayne Hayes, a self-made millionaire who built a highly successful car rental business from the ground up and sold it at a handsome profit. But his road to the American dream has been paved with personal potholes, including a strained marriage with his wife, Eileen (Helen Mirren), and an extramarital affair.

Willem Dafoe plays Arnold Mack, a recently unemployed working-class stiff who snatches Wayne from his tony driveway at gunpoint and holds him for ransom in a secluded wilderness. Mack tells Wayne he has been hired by some unidentified third party to kidnap him and deliver him to a remote cabin hideaway. Along the way, Wayne uses his persuasiveness to connect with Mack, who seems uncomfortable in his role as kidnapper.

Meanwhile, Eileen experiences a similar sense of captivity as a cadre of FBI agents takes over her home and begins to pry into her private life while frantically trying to secure her husband's release.

Brugge seesaws between the two story lines, maintaining a shroud of mystery and uncertainty by keeping viewers off-balance concerning the chronology and elapsed time of each parallel track.

Though "The Clearing" has all the trappings of a conventional abduction film, as the narrative unfolds it becomes clear that the story is really an introspective autopsy of a decomposing marriage. Much of the movie involves captor and hostage trudging through the woods, their high-stakes tete-a-tete taking on deeper meaning as Wayne begins to contemplate the choices he made in life and mourn the emotional casualties incurred.

The kidnapping similarly forces Eileen to take inventory of their relationship. Their separate soul-searching dovetails in the film's poignant final scene. Somewhere along the road to success they lost sight of what truly mattered: their love for each other.

The movie's timberland title can be read as a play on words -- the clearing of each character's conscience.

Though peppered with moments of apprehension that echo "The Vanishing" (produced by Brugge), the film's overall tension is thinly spread, thanks to restrained direction and subdued acting.

Due to brief violence and sporadic rough and crude language, as well as profanity, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.

David DiCerto is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.