4 1 ▁critics , ▁indicating ▁" univers al ▁acc laim ". ▁Aud ien ces ▁pol led ▁by ▁Cinema Score ▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁an ▁average ▁grade ▁of ▁" A – " ▁on ▁an ▁A + ▁to ▁F ▁scale . ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁placed ▁at ▁▁ 4 1 1 ▁on ▁Empire ▁magazine ' s ▁top ▁ 5 0 0 ▁mov ies ▁list . ▁ ▁Chicago ▁Trib une ▁Mark ▁Car o ▁stated ▁that ▁Alfred ▁Mol ina ▁was ▁a ▁" ple asing ly ▁complex " ▁villa in , ▁and ▁the ▁film ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁" im pro ves ▁upon ▁its ▁prede cess or ▁in ▁almost ▁every ▁way ." ▁Kenneth ▁Tur an , ▁of ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times , ▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁ 4 ▁out ▁of ▁ 5 ▁stars , ▁and ▁con cur red ▁with ▁Car o ▁when ▁he ▁stated , ▁" Doc ▁O ck ▁gra bs ▁this ▁film ▁with ▁his ▁quart et ▁of ▁sin ister ly ▁ser pent ine ▁mechanical ▁arms ▁and ▁ref uses ▁to ▁let ▁go ." ▁Roger ▁E bert , ▁who ▁had ▁given ▁the ▁first ▁film ▁two ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁stars , ▁gave ▁Spider - Man ▁ 2 ▁a ▁perfect ▁four ▁out ▁of ▁four ▁stars , ▁calling ▁it ▁" The ▁best ▁super h ero ▁movie ▁since ▁the ▁modern ▁genre ▁was ▁launched ▁with ▁Super man ▁( 1 9 7 8 )", ▁and ▁pra ising ▁the ▁film ▁for ▁" eff ort lessly ▁[ com bin ing ] ▁special ▁effects ▁and ▁a ▁human ▁story , ▁keeping ▁its ▁parallel ▁plots ▁alive ▁and ▁moving ." ▁He ▁later ▁called ▁it ▁the