There's no question that with a great blockbuster in 2002's "Spider-Man" came the great responsibility to deliver an amazing sequel. But rest assured, star Tobey Maguire has done whatever a spider can to spin another engaging tale of Peter Parker and his web-slinging alter ego with "Spider-Man 2."

Heck, he was even happy to get tossed around by the menacing Doc Ock, who has four more limbs (and making things worse, mechanical ones made of titanium) than his last nemesis, the Green Goblin. Thankfully the good doctor's tentacles didn't put Maguire in too much of a pinch: well, most of the time, anyway.

"There was a time when one grabbed me around the throat we had to make sure it was padded because there are some little pointy things in there," Maguire gleefully explained to me in a recent @ The Movies interview. "Otherwise it was fine."

Set two years after the first film, "Spider-Man 2" continues Peter's quest to find the balance between his great power and the great responsibility that goes with it.

But time hasn't made things easier: while exhausting himself catching the bad guys, Peter has fallen behind in college and the demands have also taken a toll on his personal life.

To start, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), while still in love with Peter, is just about ready to give up on him; his best friend Harry Osbourne (James Franco) is still seeking revenge on Spider-Man, thinking he was responsible for his father, Norman's (Willem Dafoe) death; and even Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) is having her doubts. To compound his troubles, there's Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), who begins to wreak havoc upon New York City after a tragic accident turns him into the maniacal Doctor Octopus, a.k.a. Doc Ock.

Like the first film, Maguire took on a strict dietary and exercise regimen to tone himself for the physical rigors of the role. From a character development standpoint, it was his maturation as an actor from the first film to the second that complemented the growth of the character on-screen and vice-versa. In fact, he believes the entire production glommed on to the story's characters and its values.

"The maturity everybody gained from the first movie as artists, filmmakers, actors and crewmembers adds to what we do in this film," Maguire explained. "It benefits from our experience and we benefit from where the characters have gone to. We get to learn and grow from that."

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A gifted actor who previously made waves with memorable roles in "Pleasantville," "The Cider House Rules," "Wonder Boys" and "Seabiscuit," what's great about Maguire is that he clearly is a team player who understands that the craft is just as much about reacting as it is acting. Not surprisingly, he credits many of his co-stars for raising the level of his game.

"I'm fortunate to have worked with a lot of people who I consider to be brilliant actors, so I always feel like I have to bring my best game and they're making me better -- Kirsten is in that category, as is James, Chris Cooper, Jeff Bridges, Michael Caine, Delroy Lindo -- they've all definitely helped me," Maguire said.

For "Spider-Man 2," Maguire also reveled in the opportunity to share scenes with Molina, whose Doc Ock is a bit more devious than his recent Tony-nominated role as Tevye in the Broadway revival of "Fiddler on the Roof."

"I think Fred is awesome in this movie," Maguire enthused. "I thought that from reading the comic books before making the first movie, 'Wow, Doc Ock will be the best villain for Spider-Man in these movies,' and he is. He delivers those juicy villain lines with despicable evil intent, yet great humor. I think Fred played him great. He's a villain that also has heart and dimension."

The brainchild of writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, Maguire is well aware of the comic book fans' concerns that the film adaptations of "Spider-Man" protect the integrity of the original character (director Sam Raimi weathered fan controversy for changing Spider-Man's web-shooting capabilities from mechanical to organic). Maguire said he gives feedback when asked, but is very confident in Raimi's knowledge of the character and decisions.

"On the first movie, if I were asked about things like the web-shooter issue, I would weigh in on it and if there's something directly related to my character that needs to be addressed, I'll talk about it," Maguire said. "Otherwise, I think Sam covers things pretty well. He's very thorough and thoughtful and ultimately, he understands the fans of Spider-Man better than I do. I read the first four years of the comic books in preparation for the first film so I am pretty familiar with the character -- but he was a fan of Spider-Man as a kid."

Speaking of kids -- if you have any of your own or merely sat by them in the theater, you very well know what it was like to watch the first "Spider-Man" movie with them. There is nothing more exhilarating than to watch the film through their eyes, witnessing that childlike sense of wonder emerging through their reactions to the story of Spider-Man unfolding onscreen.

But kids don't have the market cornered on that precious attribute: Maguire, who is just about to turn 29, said it is what helps drive his performance -- and more -- in "Spider-Man 2."

"I think it's important to be in touch with that perspective with life in general," Maguire told me." Working on the movies was pretty amazing and fun and I'm excited that I get to do what I get to do. My thing is, I was not really a big superhero guy when I was a kid. Not that I wasn't into them, I was -- but I was more into movies, filmmakers and actors. So I get that childlike sense of wonder myself now just from working with great people."