2005: Batman Begins

Does what it says on the label - childhood and death of parents, education, development of gadgets, etc. - in a thoroughly professional/predictable way. Too long, although not by as much as The Dark Knight, the visual acumen of which it lacks. I haven't used my stopwatch, but got the impression this might well win a competition for similarity of scenes' length in blockbuster movies. (6.5)

2004: Spider-Man 2

Let's talk about the special effects first: At times it seems director Sam Reimi was aiming to create a comic-like look, but these elements don't mesh well with the more realistic-looking elements. The animated Spider-Man's movements look stop-motion and the back-projections look ca. 1969. Apart from that, this may be the most formulaic story I've seen for quite a while. Which means that the film didn't get boring. (6)