More than a few critics hailed
Spider-Man 2 as "the best superhero movie ever," and there's no compelling reason to argue--thanks to a bigger budget, better special effects, and a dynamic, character-driven plot, it's a notch above
Spider-Man in terms of emotional depth and rich comic-book sensibility.
Ordinary People Oscar®-winner Alvin Sargent received screenplay credit, and celebrated author and comic-book expert Michael Chabon worked on the story, but it's director Sam Raimi's affinity for the material that brings
Spidey 2 to vivid life. When a fusion experiment goes terribly wrong, a brilliant physicist (Alfred Molina) is turned into Spidey's newest nemesis, the deranged, mechanically tentacled "Doctor Octopus," obsessed with completing his experiment and killing Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) in the process. Even more compelling is Peter Parker's urgent dilemma: continue his burdensome, lonely life of crime-fighting as Spider-Man, or pursue love and happiness with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst)? Molina's outstanding as a tragic villain controlled by his own invention, and the action sequences are nothing less than breathtaking, but the real success of
Spider-Man 2 is its sense of priorities. With all of Hollywood's biggest and best toys at his disposal, Raimi and his writers stay true to the Marvel mythology, honoring
Spider-Man creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, and setting the bar impressively high for the challenge of
Spider-Man 3.
--Jeff Shannon
Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) gives up his crime-fighting identity of Spider-Man in a desperate attempt to return to ordinary life and keep the love of MJ (Kirsten Dunst). But a ruthless, terrifying new villain, the multi-tentacled Doc Ock, forces Peter to swing back into action to save everything he holds dear.
1 A GOOD SEQUEL
Most sequels are lousy, but this one was pretty good.
It wasn't quite as good as the first, but still very good!
2 Another Failed Sequel
I don't know if I've ever seen a sequel that was actually good. The low-key opening third of the film in which Parker's character and situation is explored and revealed is quite engaging. Maguire has a soft, laid back approach that is quite appealing. This feels like a real film with real characters. The surrounding characters are a little over-blown, but seen as a film about a real person living in a comic-book fantasy, they work well, and there is a healthy, knowing tongue-in-cheek intelligence about the film that pulls me in. But at some point in the middle when the action film section really gets going I realized that I had become bored. The film had lost the art-house feel of the opening, had become yet another Hollywood No Brainer with big action sequences, no character development, no surprises, just the usual crash scenes. It was hard to stay focused, and I wondered why and where exactly the awareness of the intelligent viewer had been dropped. Certainly Molina plays the villain with wink-wink, thigh slapping gusto, and there is enough humour and drama in the ending to make most readers forget the tedium of the the middle third. But considered as a whole, the film failed for me.
3 What is this?
They say never to mess with a winning formula. Spider-Man made a HUGE ammount of money in theaters, and set quite a few records. People really loved this movie, (myself included.) It had all the action it needed, characters were well-developed, and it was just like a comic book. It was even very funny and enjoyable.
Why, then, did they mess this up with Spider-Man 2? All the fun of the first movie is gone, instead replaced by endless sappy conversations. Other reviewers have mentioned all the crying that goes on in this movie. I agree, there was way too much of it. In almost every scene, characters are always in tears. This was not what I expected from a sequel to one of the best ACTION movies of 2002! This one tries way too hard to be dramatic, and it was simply boring.
The plot was not fun, either. Essentially, Spider-Man distances himself from all his friends, and they're all upset about that. There you go. Oh yeah, and there's a scientist who installed tentacles onto himself and is now on a violent rampage.
Compared to the plot of the first movie, this one is simply laughable. There is also almost no action scenes in this movie. Maybe 2 or 3 big action sequences, but the rest of the movie is simply one "crying scene" after another.
The action scenes, by the way, aren't really as much fun as in the first movie. Sure, they are bigger and more explosive, but they are too violent to be fun. Now, violence is not a problem for me in most cases. I really like many movies and video games that people considder violent. But it seemed so pointless and out of place in Spider-Man 2 that it drained all the fun out of the action scenes. Endless close-ups of people SCREAMING at the camera before being killed is not only very violent, but it's also cheesy. (What is this, a B-movie?)
A big scene showcased on the trailers and commercials "Let's see who is behind the mask!" Is not nearly as cool as it seems. They wanted you to expect this to be a huge deal, and this whole scene ended up falling flat.
Overall, Spider-Man 2 was simply a dull, tear-filled sequel to one of the coolest movies of 2002. Obviously, you should see this if you were a fan of the original simply to see where they're going with the story, but overall....this movie just doesn't even come close to what the first movie offered.
4 Spider-Man No More
Spider-Man 2 is alot better than the overrated 2002 'Spider-Man'. I say that because the film itself has a generous story that's very realistic. Tobey Maguire as usual was good as Peter Parker/Spider-Man (despite his 5'7 frame)>>>>>no pun intended. Throughout the film Peter Parker is struggling w/ his own personal problems and appears to be a recluse to MJ, Aunt May & Harry Osbourne.He's so involved w/ being Spider-Man he ignores the little things in life. By the way, he's still in love in MJ........which leads to the Superman 2 plot (spoiler). For the villain of the film, we have Dr. Octopus (Alfred Molina). He's pretty good in the role, though his screen time is limited. Viewers get a dose of good action scenes involving Spider-Man vs Dr Ock (though not alot of scenes)........Kirsten Dunst was so-so as MJ (not my 1st casting choice in the role)......she basically whines off & on about Peter not being true to his feelings about her ( Maguire/Dunst have bad chemistry, not as bad as Reeves/Moss in Matrix). James Franco improved(acting-wise) in the film. Franco in Spider-Man 1 was too dull, but in Spider-Man 2 we can see the darkness that lies within him, but I'll admit, the scenes with Peter/Harry were highly amusing and badly scripted at the same time. Oh, and for all you Willem Dafoe fans, he's in Spider-man 2 as well (in a unexplained ending). Yeah................I think Raimi should've nixed the whole Norman Osborn taunting Harry scenario if he's not going to be the villain in Spider-man 3...............All & all I loved the film alot, a few things could be changed (like most films)>>>>>>>I hope my review helps
5 THE BEST
I think Spiderman 2 is one of the all time best movies. It is full of both action and adventure, based on the old superhero comics and cartoons. The effects used in this movie obviously took a long time to develop and administer. A large-budget movie with a large-budget profit.
I saw this on the big screen several times, and not once did I loose my interesting. I think my favorite part about this movie-and there are a lot-is the criminal. This one is so much more original and developed than the green goblin, which was used in the first Spiderman movie.
The third Spiderman movie is due out May 2007. While my hopes for that are high, I firmly believe that Spiderman 2 will be better simply because I know the basis of the plot for the next movie.
Spiderman two takes the viewer into the depths of the main character, Peter Parker aka Spiderman. Very strongly developed. I think one of the main reasons this film was such a big success, other than from the past fame, is that it was relatable. Many people who saw it could relate to the pain that he felt and the utter hopelessness for success and for the woman he loves.
This movie is also one of those rare films that are rated PG-13 for a questionable reason-stylized action violence. Because of this, it is acceptable to be viewed by most ages of the audience.
To summarize it all, Spiderman 2 is a great blockbuster movie full of action, adventure, and suspense. It will keep the reader to the seat, and at the end of the film, awaiting the day when the third movie will be released.
I own a copy, and you should too.
6 Far superior to the original
As children, most of us grow up wishing we could become gravity-defying super heroes, flying around the world, battling villains, rescuing the innocent, and fighting for truth, justice and the American way. But what if the burden of such a calling turned out to be too much for us? What if saving the world became a 24-hour-a-day/seven-days-a-week occupation that prevented us from leading a normal life and finding happiness with our one true love?
That is the dilemma Peter Parker faces in "Spiderman 2," a deeper, richer, more psychologically nuanced follow-up to the rather innocuous "Spiderman" from 2002. Most of the major players from the original have returned, including director Sam Raimi and stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. What's different this time around is that the filmmakers have chosen to emphasize the inner conflict Parker is undergoing between needing to fulfill the awesome responsibilities that go along with being a crime fighting super hero and wanting to chuck it all in order to win the heart of the literal girl-next-door. Parker finds that being Spiderman keeps him from fulfilling the mundane, run-of-the-mill, day-to-day commitments one needs to in order to have successful relationships with other people - most especially the girl he loves. When the conflict becomes too much for him, Peter has to decide whether or not he is going to continue to lead this double existence or return to the simplicity of life as a mere mortal. It is this added intellectual dimension that gives "Spiderman 2" the thematic heft that "Spiderman 1" lacked.
The plot, involving a brilliant scientist who inadvertently becomes a killing machine when one of his experiments goes awry, is reasonably entertaining and interesting, though it pales in comparison to the love story and the complex internal conflict taking place in our superhero's overtaxed psyche. The special effects seem vastly improved over the original, with Spiderman's movements through the air appearing considerably more graceful and natural than they did the first time around. A spectacular scene involving Spiderman attempting to arrest a runaway train racing uncontrollably through Manhattan is the action highlight of the film.
As Parker, Toby Maguire provides the emotional gravity the story needs to be effective. His shy, self-effacing demeanor draws us to the character and makes him a believable, sympathetic figure whom the audience can relate to and root for all the way through. The sweet, vulnerable, yet eternally self-assured Kirsten Dunst makes for the perfect romantic counterpart to this young man who's all thumbs and who seems perpetually tongue-tied when he isn't donning his webbed designer jumpsuit.
I wasn't a big fan of the first "Spiderman" movie, but "Spiderman 2" has an intelligence and charm that make this particular installment awfully hard to resist. Raimi may have struck out the first time around, but he has managed to hit a homer - or at least a solid triple with the bases loaded - this time at bat.
7 Awesome movie
I'm a loyal spider-man fan and I really loved both of these movies. This one had incredible special effects. The acting was at it's best and the story-line is very well done. Just enough action, just enough drama. No superhero movie could ever top Spider-man 1&2.(except maybe the third spider-man movie) If you get a chance do check this movie out. I know I wasn't into superhero flicks but when I saw the first spider-man movie I was completely blown away, and I'm sure once you see it you'll be blown away too. It will feel like your reading the comics again!!!
8 Great Comic Book Flick
Spider-Man 2 is one of the best comic book films ever made. The story is well crafted and executed with great force by the director, visual effects advisors, and the strong cast. Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst are given more material to work with and give superior performances than in the first film. And Alfred Molina gives a great supporting performance as Doc Oc.
This is definitely a film that should be looked at as more than comic book adventure and more of a well written and well made film.
9 Doc Ock steals the show.
Wow, I really loved this movie. The actors do a much better job than they did in the first one, and the villian isn't so damn cheesey this time around.
Speaking of the villian, Doc Ock is truly the most memorable charcter in comic book movie histyory since Jack Nicholson's Joker. Two things are to thank for this. First are the special effect. A mix of CGI, puppets, and animatronics, the tentacles on Doc Ock look so real, and not just in looks. The way they move is incredible, you really can't tell if they are CGI or not in all of his seens. They are that good. The other thing, or person, to thank is Alfred Molina. He gives this character so much emotion, so much inner conflict, that I was rooting for him to win. I wanted to see the villian win, really badly. In a way he does, but I don't want to spoil it for you.
Check this flick out. The only flaw is that the good doctor does not get enough screen time, but when he is on screen, damn is he awesome.
5/5
10 Brilliant, Better Than the 1st
A rare sequel that surpasses the original in brilliance, Spider-Man 2 is one of the best superhero movies I have seen. Don't get me wrong. I liked the X-Men films, Hulk, Spider-Man 1 but this is a hell of a movie not just for a superhero movie but for any genre. The visual effects are stunning to look at, Sam Raimis direction is truly spectacular. There are times in the movie where it begins to slide off track, but then it quickly regains it's strength. Two years after the events of the 1st film, Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is still Spider-Man but struggles as Peter. Trying to balance delivering pizzas and taking classes at a university. He also chose the path of a superhero instead of choosing Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst). Mary Jane has moved on, but Peter is still suffering on behalf of his decision. To add on to all his problems, scientist Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) in a freak accident had 4 metal arms welded onto his body transforming him into Doctor Octopus. As well as his best friend Harry (James Franco) hunting Spider-Man and his Aunt May having her house foreclosed. One of the most undestated actors in the movie is JK Simmons as Daily Bugle editor J.Jonah Jameson. He gives the best performance in the film and he's absolutely hilarious. A+.
11 Spider-Man II
Spiderman II is not your typical superhero movie, and for that I am most grateful. It goes beyond its required realm and delivers on many levels. The viewer is allowed to follow Peter Parker during his trials and struggles, giving use a sense of humanity and humility not offered by similar films. The villain (Alfred Molina) in this picture is also better than the original; it portrays him not as just a monster, but as a man overcome by his great technological achievement and success. Sam Raimi offers us some stunning sequences of action (particularly the hospital) were we are reminded of his great earlier films of minor budgets. Special effects are better than the first and are seamlessly integrated into the picture. One of the best films of 2004!
12 The Troubled Hero
I will not review plot material that is already much-covered by other reviewers. I will add some simple comments about this movie.
Firstly, the beginning of the movie seemed to dwell on the "troubled hero" issue for a very long time. While some of this was undoubtedly central to the character of Pete, I felt that it was dragged out for too long. It became somewhat monotonous in the end.
However, once the action started, the movie really entered its own league. THe villian, Doc Ock, was awesome and well-played by Alfred Molina, bringing his own sense of internal conflict to the plot.
The visual effects are astounding and greatly add to the overall feel of the movie. Also, as a minor point, the Editor provided some nice comic relief, as always. He was not uproariously funny, but he was amusing in his own stingy, opportunistic ways.
Overall, a good film with some minor issues not mentioned. For a sequel, it is a good follow-on, and exceeded the first installment in the Spiderman saga.
13 Great Sequal....
This is another great sequal made in the movie industry. the first addition seemed alittle dry and the acting was not at it's hight. this movie, toby put on a much better preformance and did an excellent job as spider man. the one bad thing i didn't like about this film was the way Peter Parker(main character) has suc terrible luck for the first part of the movie. but overall a very good film and is suited for all ages........
14 WOW!! What a movie!!
The original film was not to my liking. This film is much, much better. The difference is there is more character development. You know and care about who they are. Technically, this film is a masterpiece. The is a culmination of Director Sam Raimi's career. This has all the elements of movies he previously directed. If you have a surround sound system, crank it up! The sound is worth the price of the DVD. The acclaims are justified. This is probably the best comic book movie of all time.
15 Flawed - But Who Cares?
I would call the follow-up to the hugely popular Spider-Man movie a masterpiece did it not possess numerous boneheaded gaffs. For instance:
Dr. Otto Octavius becomes the evil Doctor Octopus as a result of his attempts to create a fusion reaction, an artificial sun. The key ingredient in this experiment is "precious tritium," a substance so rare "there's only 25 pounds of it on the whole planet," presented as a gold-colored metal. I truly, deeply wish they'd chosen a different substance. In real life, tritium is (a) a gas, not a solid, (b) so common and inexpensive it's used - because it glows in the dark - in mass production firearms night sights.
Doc Ock is sent by Harry Osborn to capture Spider-Man. In order to do this, he's told to question Peter Parker. (Harry believes Peter has entered into an arrangement with Spider-Man to take pictures of him, thus Peter must have some means of contacting the wallcrawler.) Then Ock, to get into the cafe where Peter and Mary Jane Watson are having a heart-to-heart talk, throws a car through the front window. If Peter hadn't - barely - been able to fling himself (and MJ) to the floor in time, Ock would have squished the person he needed to talk to, needed alive to take a message to Spider-Man - which makes him seem hideously incompetent. Peter was sitting right at the front window, Ock had to see him there....why nearly kill someone he needed alive by tossing a car at him? Come to think of it, how did Ock know Peter was in that particular cafe? Did he use his Octopus sense? Maybe he staked out Peter's apartment, then followed him to the cafe? But then why didn't Ock jump Peter before he reached the cafe? Why did he wait the entire time Peter and MJ were talking? The more you think about it, the less sense this entire scene makes.
We're told that J. Jonah Jameson has "turned the entire city against Spider-Man." But every time we see the citizenry they're cheering him as he swings past, singing songs about him, treating him like a rock star.
Late in the film, Peter unmasks himself while saving a train. Exhausted afterwards, his bleeding and unconscious form is carried into the train car by the passengers, from hand to hand over their heads until he's finally laid gently and reverently on the floor. The Christ-being-pulled-from-the-cross imagery is not lost on me; it's a beautiful scene. When Peter wakes and realizes, oh, 50 people have seen him without his mask, a little boy solemnly informs him, "We won't tell nobody." All I could think was how unlikely it was, in our media-obsessed culture, out of 50 random New Yorkers not one of them would run to the National Enquirer screaming, "Give me a million dollars and a sketch artist, quick! I can show you what Spider-Man looks like without his mask."
As in Daredevil, the hero in this movie is unmasked entirely too often. Three times, actually. Twice Peter unmasks himself in front of others (great job maintaining the ol' secret identity there, Pete) for reasons that seem to me wholely insufficient. By the time SM2 is over, not only has an entire train car of New Yorkers seen Spidey without his mask, but Doc Ock, Harry Osborn and Mary Jane Watson all know that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. In the case of Doc Ock that strikes me as extremely shortsighted - it's going to be a real problem if they ever want to bring back the character.
And so on. Believe me, I could continue but I only have 1,000 words here.
So the movie has problems. And yet....while you're watching it, they don't really matter. Spider-Man 2 is based loosely on an old Stan Lee story from the 1960s titled "Spider-Man No More" in which Peter Parker tosses his Spidey outfit in a trashcan and tries to have a real life. The movie works - mostly because of Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker. From his first second on-screen in the first movie, Maguire totally inhabited this character, he's utterly believable as the achingly decent, slightly geeky young hero with an overdeveloped sense of responsibility. I'm less enthusiastic about Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson; she's a tolerable actress but somewhat miscast. James Franco as Harry Osborn is, eh, okay. On the other hand, Rosemary Harris makes a wonderful Aunt May; her speech to Peter about why the world needs heroes like Spider-Man literally had me crying. J.K. Simmons is absolutely perfect as J. Jonah Jameson; every second he's on-screen is magic. Alfred Molina, a fine actor, as Doctor Octopus looks like the comic book character come to life, and his tentacles are believable. Stunning, actually, Through a combination of expert puppeteering and CGI, these inanimate objects are almost characters in their own right. The story pulls you along with a pace that makes Raiders of the Lost Ark seem slow....which is a good thing because it gives you less time to think about its many glaring logic flaws.
16 Best movie ever
Tobey Mcguire is awesome as spiderman. Best movie ever, even better then the first one.
Has a lot of action in it, but that's not all the movie focuses on. The movie really shows Spiderman's internal struggles, how it's not always so great to be a hero. You see Spiderman as this everyday person who does these great things because he chooses too, not because he has too.
17 It's more of a chick flick than an action movie!
I really wanted to see this one badly after I saw the trailers to it but when I saw it I didn't get anything but a huge romance flick. I enjoyed the first one the most but the second one was bad. It only showed 20 minutes of action. The movie was just a complete failure. Peter was too whiny in this one and it was really irritating me. The raindrops scene was corny. The acting was horribly bad. The special effects were amazing and the Doc Ock scenes were pretty cool. During the half of the movie I was about to walk out because Peter was being annoying and whiny and he was trying to get to MJ and he couldn't till the end of the movie. I was expecting to see Spiderman through the whole movie and not seeing how much Peter Parker's life sucks. But anyways the first one is way better this one is not worth it. The only thing that's good about this movie is the special effects and the Doc Ock scenes but the rest of it was just boring.
18 Oh, So It Wasn't Just Me
What a relief! I was wondering if I was the only person in the world that thought this movie was terrible, but I guess not!
Honestly, this is a boring movie. Right up there with The Horse Whisperer, which I watched for what felt like about six hours, and never got more than halfway through. Look, I like seriousness and depth to my story, I do. But moping about and complaining A LOT is not depth. Spiderman is supposed to be a hero...why does he spend the whole movie crying!?
If I'd wanted to see a chick flick, I would not have gone to see a Spiderman movie. However, a chick flick is what I got. Where is the fun, witty humor of the first movie? Watching Peter's comical discovery of his new powers was fun and realistic. His sudden happiness in the second because he's back to being a wimp...not so realistic. People do more in life than cry and drink tea together, but you couldn't tell by watching this movie. Because that's what it was...a bunch of long, drawn out, teary tea-drinking scenes.
I went to see it with my mother, who'd also loved the first one. When we came out of the theater, we were both wondering if we could have possibly seen the same movie other people were raving about.
And the ending! What in the name of all that is holy was THAT!? You stick a minature sun into the ocean and it doesn't so much as fizzle!? Not even some steam!? I find that hard to believe. That ending capped it off for me. The great big climax failed to climax, putting a fine edge on my disappointment.
And so now they want to come back for a third with an incredibly predictable revenge storyline? Ugh. The first Spiderman was hands down the best comic book based movie ever made. The second one was even worse than The Hulk. Next time, I'm going to the theater packing pesticide.
19 A big surprise.
Sequels are usually not as good as the first but this isnt either but it comes very close. It continues the story of the first with more action and some romance. perfect for action movie fans. DOC OCK IS AWESOME!!!
20 Come on! It's Spider-Man!
I am seriously surprised to see some of the negative reviews on here. I can't understand it.
I liked Tobey Maguire a lot more in this one than I did the first movie. He just seemed better for the role. I don't even know exactly why. He just looked, and acted the role so much better. I guess it's that it's his second go at it and doesn't need to get into the character anymore.
Kirsten Dunst, again, was awesome. I liked the hair colour more in this one. It looked realistic, like a red head should look. It fit her much better. I guess they could always say that her hair was dyed in the first movie. That would make sense to me.
Alfred Molina was a welcome addition to the cast. I felt he did the part of Doctor Octopus justice. I believe it's always hard to play a character that people already know. The character has a good 40 years of background and I feel that Molina played it to perfection. He stayed true to the character and gave it his own flare.
And it was great to see Jameson with a bigger role this time. I think that J.K. Simmons is an amazing actor and got to play with his hilarious character more.
The special effects were pretty awesome. I'm not usually one to praise a movie for it's special effects, but really, it was spotless. And it wasn't overused. Sam Raimi wanted to make sure that when it was possible to use animatronics for Ock's arms, he would. I can understand some of the action sequences needing computer animation to pull it off. How else would they do that battle on the train?!
Some people I found complained greatly about the lack of action and the copious amounts of romance. I didn't feel that was the case. Being someone who follows the comics, I found it to be true to the Spider-Man stories. It was showing that Peter was having a tough time, and it could only be emphasized by showing his relationships with his family and friends. If this wasn't to happen, we would be stuck with a film starring a protagonist that no one really cares about that much. I, for one, will not stand for that.
Besides, how is he supposed to fight when he doesn't have his powers for half the movie?
The action that was present was just amazing and surpassed the first movie in every way. Seriously, the visuals of Doc Ock and Spidey duking it out can't be beat! It just can't!
My only big complaint was the whole idea that Doc Ock's arms were alive. They squeaked at him and stuff. That's just a little too cheesy for my liking. The arm's designs were awesome, but I think it would just have been better to have him go crazy from the accident like in the comics. I'm sure they could make it work.
All in all, a terrific film. I can't wait to see the next one because I know there will be a next one.
21 Spidey 2 Rules!
Great action flick with a decent love story. Liked it even more than the first one, and that one was very good. If there is to be a Spiderman 3, it will have to be spectacular. This one will be a "hard act to follow". One of the best of its genre. 4 solid stars.
22 SPIDER-SAP
I didnt buy into the hype when this released in theaters so I didnt go see it. despite all the great reviews. I thought the 1st one was OK. Spiderman 2 though redeems itself. A more interesting plot this time, with Doc Ock being the highlight. Good paceing and great effects make it enjoyable. Although I seeing the dough-eyed spiderman make all googly eyes over Mary Jane so many times was too much. It made my manhood shrivel up and nearly drop off. But I enjoyed it and it was worth the rental.
23 a good movie to watch, no matter how many arms you have.
Spider-Man 2 is better than ever and this time the villan has four mechanical arms. Dr. Otto Octavious is a normal man until his experiment goes wrong, kills his wife, and welds the the intelligent arms to his body and he has to go through a tug-of-war of who controls what because the inhibitor chip gets broken. he then becomes Doc Ock and fights Spidey until almost the very end of the movie where he decides to sacrifice himself and his creation. at the end, the hero gets the girl.
24 Sam Raimi is the one to thank!
Spider-Man 2 is better than most other superhero movies you have seen, not because the comic and hero makers are still alive to help carry Hollywood through those taxing story hurdles, but because director Sam Raimi is at the helm, period. If Spider-Man 2 suffers from anything, then obviously it is a restricted budget (seen in the budget CGI effects of the first outing) because Raimi was a relatively unknown director with only a big list of unknown films (Evil Dead movies) behind him. If anything blame the studios for throwing an extra 30 million in the direction of 10 Direct to DVD moves you never watched last year.
Spider-Man 2 takes off from where the first one almost left off, Mary Jane is still the love Peter Parker can not have, the new Green Goblin/ Hobgoblin is in the making, Aunt May copes with the loose of her husband and we learn some new things about her life and where it is going, Dr. Octavius is in town for a science class and more of The Daily Bugle means Spider-Man 2 is almost like watching a re-run of the first, with the side story that when Parker becomes depressed he looses he powers. Thus when the bad guys start winning more, Parker starts to loose his powers more. It is a very good new character development in Spider-Man's abilities to fight crime.
I quite like the character of Dr. Octopus. What Raimi does with his character towards the end is very interesting. Most Superhero movies are about bad vs good. Here Raimi does fallen good guys vs mutant good guys. The CGI effects in this opus are a notch up or two from the last one. It is just such a shame that Spider-Man is not getting the credit that the studio should have given it from the start.
25 Brilliant movie, now my favourite
It's been two years and Peter Parkers' world is crumbling around him as he struggles to meet the demands of everyday life. After two years nothing has gotten any easier. Bashed by the Daily Bugle, tormented and miserable because of secrets he can never reveal, and forced to give up the girl he loves, at times his gift and curse of being Spider-Man is too much to bear. As more aspects of his life become unbalanced and miserable, Peters' stress begins to give him mysterious web-failures, a very dangerous thing to happen when he's web-swinging more then 300 feet up high in the air. What's even worse is that his idol Doctor Octavius is turned into a madman now dubbed 'Doc Ock' as the result of a failed experiment.
Unable to cope as his life turns to crud and more of his powers begin to leave him, Peter snaps and throws away his costume for good. Thus giving up being Spider-Man, and determined to get his life back on track. Living a fantastic dream that can never be, Peters' life seems much better for a short while. Very soon his dream fades away into darkness and everything goes wrong again when Peter is unable to help citizens in pearl, upsets his Aunt by revealing the truth about Uncle Bens' death, and when Doc Ock snatches Mary-Jane right in front of Peter's eyes. Now Peter must hope that his powers return, re-think his choice and learn the true meaning of responsibility. With many lives in danger, above Manhattans magnificent skyline, Spider-Man must face his fiercest enemy, his destiny, and himself.
I saw this movie the first day it opened in movie theaters. I loved this movie so much; it's now my favourite. I found it to be so much better then the first in many ways. It was all about a selfless man deciding to become selfish, then having to learn that he has to give up the thing he wants the most, even his dreams. Tobey Maguire was perfect as his portrayal of both Spider-Man and Peter Parker, he really showed Peters' character and essence. Kirsten Dunst couldn't have been better; once again she nailed it right on the head with her portrayal as Mary-Jane Watson. James Franco and Rosemary Harris were also fantastic as Harry Osbourne and Aunt May. Alfred Molina was awsome as Doc Ock, he gave a perfect performance.
The special effects were brilliant, now that web-swinging has been perfected. The music was so full of excitement and vibrant energy, I remember getting so excited when I saw the trailer for this movie. The movie was suspenseful, action-packed, and very entertaining.
This movie is a great buy you surely wont regret.
There are few movie sequels that are better then the first, this is truly one of them.
26 Snivel, snivel, snivel
Let me sum up the Spider Man 2 movie. It pretty much goes snivel, snivel, snivel, brief moments of action, snivel, snivel, some quick special effects, snivel, snivel and so on. I gave it one star because, admittedly the special effects for Doctor Octopus are pretty cool and the humor of Jameson is fairly amusing as well. Spidey's character is nothing more than a sniveling loser. Whenever two of the main characters in the movie get together, with the exception of Doctor Octopus, you can feel free to go to the fridge because of good 15 minutes of sniveling will undoubtably ensue. There is Spidey sniveling, MJ sniveling, Aunt May sniveling, Spidey and MJ sniveling, Spidey and Aunt May . . . you get the picture. There is even a part where Spidey starts to lose some of his powers because of all his sniveling and what does he do . . . he snivels about it. If I were Spidey, I would be embarrassed to be such a loser. The battle of Spidey vs. Doctor Octopus actually takes a backseat to Spidey's endless whiny "self discovery". My advice is to skip this one. I got it out of the library and am still bitter about the time I wasted watching it.
27 Go web!!!!!
The best super-hero movie!!!Spider-Man's costume is much cooler,Dock Ock's a much better villain since he was a great person before he becomed...well...freaky,Mary Jane looks really beautifull with her hair like that in the beginning of the film(hey,don't lauph,I'm writing about the movie and that's on the movie as well! :) ),Sam does a much better job then in the first film(meaning brilliant!),the action scenes are far better as well,and Peter Parker's dimension is much better explored.
It's one of the only films that the word ''hero'' is greatly explained,too.
28 not very Amazing
Sure Doc Oc was done very well and the scene where Spidey stops the subway train was a thrill ride, but once again the slow, Peter Parker scenes just dragged the action to a screeching halt far too many times. I get that a superhero action movie needs to establish the humanity of the character, but does he have to be such a dull dimwit? As far as "best superhero movie ever" goes, I'll still stick with the first Superman and Batman movies and perhaps even Daredevil. When not in costume, the hero needs to avoid being pathetic or at least be interesting and amusing enough to overcome that state. In his first two big budget movies, Peter Parker has been neither interesting nor amusing while being far too pathetic to engender any sympathy.
Better luck next time.
29 The rare sequel that is better than the original
It's an odd circumstance when a sequel surpasses the original in most every way, and it is perhaps even more so when the original was nothing to scoff at to begin with. Nonetheless, director Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man 2" is in every way a superior film to the original. Don't get me wrong, I loved the original "Spider-Man", but in this follow-up Raimi has really found his stride, and explores themes that are awfully sophisticated for what could have easily succeeded as a vacuous summer thrill-fest.
Specifically, it is in Raimi's on-going exploration of the everyman hero that is Peter Parker where the film shines. As the story progresses, Parker begins to realize that there is a price to be paid for his abilities, and that perhaps heroism isn't quite what its made out to be. This facet of the super-hero is nicely realized by Tobey Maguire, who, while he may be a rather leaden actor, nonetheless carries himself with a certain dignity that nicely suits the role. In sharp contrast is the superb Kirsten Dunst, who once again steals the film as the vibrant Mary Jane. Finally, Alfred Molina offers an outstanding performance as the erstwhile villain, Doctor Octavius.
As I indicated, this film is more than adequate as a typical Hollywood blockbuster. The special effects are nicely handled, and those surrounding Doc Ock's mechanical arms are particularly impressive. While Spider-man occasionally looks a little too perfect, he nonetheless offers some remarkable visual treats. However, it is the deeper elements which really set this film apart.
Above all, this is a New York movie, and more specifically, a New York movie informed by 9/11. While the original was released after the tragedy, it was filmed almost entirely prior, and as such, it didn't really reflect its impact. In "Spider-Man 2", Raimi takes the perspective we all gained as a result of that day, and applies it to his film. Cops and firemen aren't heroes because they are cops and firemen, they are heroes because they choose to do the jobs that most of us don't want. It is this element of choice that Raimi explores in his perfectly conflicted Peter Parker.
Parker didn't ask for his powers, and it is only as he begins to lose them that he realizes being a hero has nothing to do with ability, and everything to do with subsuming one's desires to the greater good. Once he steps outside of his own self interest, he begins to realize the totality of his gift. This transformation is nicely illustrated in a series of scenes that parallel events in the original movie. In particular, a fire scene links the two movies together in a very effective way.
Conversely, the portrayal of Doc Ock as a truly conflicted villain provides the perfect counterpoint. He's not evil per se, and his acts are as much a result of circumstance as ill intent. He reveals the latent dark side in all of us, and displays the all too ready dangers of hubris. At this same time, early scenes create a character with tremendous pathos, and as such this is a villain that you don't want to root against out of disgust.
Exciting, funny, original and deeply thoughtful, "Spider-Man 2" is a unique film. While there are elements that need to be taken with a grain of salt, one can't deny that Raimi has striven to rise above the ordinary action movie clichˇs. While it can be enjoyed as the mega-hit that it was, there is a lot going on under the surface, and as such, this film stands apart. "Spider-Man 2" is a real treat, and definitely not to be missed.
Jake Mohlman
30 What was Raimi thinking?
After all the raves, I never expected such a terrible disappointment. This film is badly plotted, poorly scripted, self-indulgent, over-stuffed and under-edited.
It did have its moments. J.K. Simmons is a joy to watch as he nails the J. Jonah Jameson character -- his scenes are the best in the movie -- and the Doc Ock role could not have been more perfectly cast. The action scenes did the best job I've ever seen of capturing the feel of comic book action sequence. Unfortunately, much of the writing was equally true to capturing the feeling of comic book thought balloons -- and in a movie, that's a bad thing.
Worse, much of the plot made no sense at all, the Doc Ock resolution was insipid at best, and the entire first hour was painfully dull. Everything in it could have been fully established and better done in 30 minutes -- 40, tops.
Sam Raimi's usually deft touch with humor was painfully absent. The broad humor was overdone, highly repetitious and delivered with a sledge hammer. At the end, I felt I'd just watched Spiderman Meets Abbott and Costello, with poor Tobey Maguire being forced to play Spiderman and Abbott and Costello.
I love Sam Raimi's work as a rule. Commercially, he has another hit here. But for any viewers who watch with their brains engaged, this one's a turkey.
31 So overrated it hurts
Wow, we've really been conditioned to settle for less, haven't we? This is a dumb comic book movie with fake special effects, corny acting and that geek Tobey Maguire. For a real comic book movie, check out George Clooney in the awesome "Batman and Robin."
32 Pretty good entertainment!
Let me just be honest and say that I didn't really expect much from a Superhero Movie sequel. The first Spiderman was ok, but I wasn't really impressed by it. Spiderman 2 actually surprised me, in that I truly did enjoy it.
In this movie, I LOVE the fact that he is actually at a sort of war with himself over whether to follow true love...and live a normal life...or continue his life of responsibility as Spiderman. He's also fighting with knowing that he killed Harry's father, and Harry desperately wants revenge against him, not knowing of course that he's Spiderman.
I never would have thought an action movie like this could intertwine such a good plot, but Spiderman 2 does it pretty well. It all comes together pretty well at the end, and of course, the option of another installment of Spiderman is left open.
Not a TERRIFIC movie, but definitely NOT bad. If you're missing the true action movies that are missing any sort of plot, then you'll probably enjoy this one too.
33 Possibly the best superhero movie so far
"Spider-Man 2" is a great action movie, one which rises above the usual superhero movie. The acting, the dialog and the camera angles were all great, something that cannot be said for most movies of similar background. The ONLY flaw I found with this movie was with Spider-Man's inability to keep his mask on during the second half of the picture. At one point, I thought everyone in New York would get to see Peter Parker's face in the Spidey suit. Other than that, what more can a viewer say but, "Bring on the next sequel!"
34 this is a good movie, way better than the first
Some people say that this movies sucks and is way worse than the first. Let me tell you something. Nobody cares. This is a very good movie. The first movie was a flop, boring action sequences, and the action sequences took up the whole thing. Spiderman was a flop. Spiderman 2 was a hit. It showed deeply Peter Parker's (Tobey Maguire) hard life. But I was sort of embarressed when my mom cried at those parts. It is powerful is a superhero kind of way, as it wasn't meant to be a dramatic movie, more of an action adventure movie, but it steps it up a whole notch.
Doc Ock, or Doctor Octavius (Alfred Molina) is a great villain, but to tell you the truth, the best villain is Johnny Depp in the Pirates of Carribean. Nevertheless, Alfred Molina did a fantastic job. Tobey Maguire nearly flawlessly did Peter Parker as his troubled self, yet I hardly saw any hard personality facts about Peter Parker's love interest, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), she is a shallow character I would say. The action is way more realistic, as the first Spiderman was as I saw it, floppy animation, as Spiderman 2, a man with eight limbs is a lot more interesting than a man dressed up in a plastic green costume. Awesome movie.
35 Angst so thick you could cut it with a knife
"Spider-Man" was one of the best superhero movies ever made; perhaps somewhat short of movies such as "Superman" and "Batman," but worthy of being grouped with these two movies. "Spider-Man 2" is even better than "Spider-Man" and raises the superhero movie bar.
Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is now in college, trying to hold a part time job as a pizza delivery boy while also being a superhero and still taking the occasional photograph for J. Jonah Jameson (played to perfection by J.K. Simmons). Threaded through all this is his deep love for Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst). Unfortunately Peter is failing at nearly everything, even the superhero part. Because Peter feels as though he must be a superhero first, he often delivers pizza late. He is often late to class, and he still is unable to tell Mary Jane that he loves her. To add insult to injury, Peter's powers are on the fritz from all the stress he is under. In short, Peter's life is a disaster in slow motion.
In addition to all the other stress Peter is under, Aunt May is being forced to move from her home. Perhaps the single biggest reason for that is the death of Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson), which was partially Peter's fault and for which he continues to feel guilt.
Peter is getting near a low when he goes to a demonstration by Doctor Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) of a new technique for creating fusion. As part of his technique, Dr. Octavius has created a unique set of arms that allow him to directly manipulate the fusion process. The arms have their own built in artificial intelligence that will enable Dr. Octavius to more easily control them. Dr. Octavius is asked how he will keep the artificial intelligence (AI) from controlling him once the arms tap into his nervous system. He explains that there is a specially designed chip that blocks the AI from taking over his brain.
Dr. Octavius begins the experiment, which goes horribly awry, killing his wife Rosalie (Donna Murphy), and nearly killing Harry Osborn (James Franco), who was saved, barely, by Spider-Man. However, Harry still hates Spider-Man and what he did to his father Norman Osborn, aka Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), and once the AI arms take over Dr. Octavius's brain, Harry agrees to provide Doc Ock, aka Dr. Octopus (his new improved name with the extra limbs), with tritium in exchange for Doc Ock bringing Spider-Man to him. The reason that Doc Ock needs the tritium is to create another fusion generator. Unfortunately, the fusion generator needs a lot more perfection, and if he succeeds the design has the potential of destroying far more than the city.
As you can perceive, there is a significant amount of complexity in this movie. However, Director Sam Raimi manages to keep the elements coherent and believable. While there was a point where I wondered how much lower Peter Parker could go before losing it all together, and I started to get a little frustrated with the constant depression he faced, the deep angst provided an excellent contrast as Peter slowly overcame his problems. It is the depth of character development that makes this movie different from "Superman" and "Batman." While "Superman" touched on Clark Kent's difficulties in being a person as well as a superhero, the focus of the movie was on his powers. "Batman" did a much better job of character development, but even then the principal focus was on the one event in Bruce Wayne's life that caused him to become the Batman.
In "Spider-Man 2" we see someone a lot like us, a person that has not only bad days, but perhaps bad years, where nothing seems to go right. But we also see Spider-Man figuratively pick himself up, mentally challenge himself to overcome his problems, and do exactly that. While Peter's life will never be perfect, for a superhero and a human, it may be somewhat normal.
I am typically ambivalent regarding special feature versions on DVD that contain two discs because the second disc is often not worth the price. However, in the case of this release there are a number of interesting features worth watching for those who appreciate the technology behind the special effects. I was particularly fascinated by how the Dr. Octopus's arms were animated. The blooper reel (which had a few funny moments but also had a number of not-so-funny moments) showed Alfred Molina trying to take a drink provided by one of his mechanical arms; a good trick once perfected sufficiently to appear in the movie. There are numerous other features to show how some of the more interesting effects were created.
Historically, it has been difficult to bring comic book heroes to life. Technology has been one of the biggest barriers, and has made it easier to create animated characters than live characters. Now that technology has overcome much of that hurdle, the next difficulty is to make the characters human. This movie has focused significant effort on developing Peter Parker as a young adult with all the normal problems of a young adult, with the added difficulty of being a superhero. While some may cringe at how real life is for Peter, with the incredible angst created by all his problems, others will applaud the excellent translation from modern comics to the big screen. Tobey Maguire, Sam Raimi, and the excellent supporting cast have made Spider-Man seem real. In the process of making Spider-Man real they have also created a sequel greater than the original, and created a movie worthy of joining "Superman" and "Batman" was a landmark superhero movie that is destined to become a classic.
36 Extremely Satisfying
Sam Raimi's love for the material really shows through in these films. The contrast in product between these and the films Ali and The Aviator, in which, neither director (Michael Mann and Martin Scorsese, respectively) didn't care at all for their projects and it really, really showed. It's obviously in the studio's best interest to make sure they choose a director that has a real appreciation for the story and characters.
37 Big Fat Letdown
After the amazing Spider-man, which was full of action, adventure, and intrigue, Spider-Man 2 falls flat. The commercial and ads make it look like it's another Spider-Man, but be warned, it's not. The action scenes you see in the commercials are the only scenes with anything interesting shown in them, and most of the movie is just Peter Parker sitting in his aunt's house drinking tea, and/or hanging out with Mary Jane, who has a more boring character than she did in the first one. This movie has the audacity to call itself an action movie, but it is more of a teen angst drama, with one or two scenes of action. In fact, I do not see why this movie got a PG-13 rating for violence. It's closer to a G. This movie is a BIG letdown after the first one, and it will not be on anyone's future list of favorites (or at least, I hope not).
38 A bit of a letdown
I guess I am in the minority. I thought the film was entertaining but I certainly don't think it deserves all the hoopla that's been going around. Visually, it didn't offer anything that was new. The plot was very different from the first but what I liked about the first one was the character development.....getting to know who these people are. In Spider 2, it seemed that there were so many maudlin moments that were unnecessary. Constantly telling the audience that things are bad. Alrgiht. I got the point. Move on. I thought the acting was very forced also. Too many tears for a comic book character. In fact, every character had some tears to shed at various points, even the bad guys, the supporting actors and the EXTRAS!!! C'mon. This is NOT heavy drama and could NEVER be construed as such so why throw it in so many times?
39 Aw plueeese...
I was unfortunate enough to see this trash with my teenage son. I couldn't stand it and neither could he (and he adores super-hero movies).
Please ignore the hype: This is a dreadful, horrible, useless film.
Tobey Maguire is exactly the same as in the first movie (i.e. his face appears to be lacquered into one expression only). He certainly displays the full range of his acting ability in this one (all the way from A to B).
Kirsten Dunst's performance was similar to that of a tailor's dummy with lip sync either dubbed on or phoned-in afterwards, and what is with that constant slapped-face expression of hers?! Is this raw emotion? Aw, Plueeese....
The only glimmer of light in this entire schlock-fest is Alfred Molina's performance (how the mighty are fallen eh? He obviously needed the money) which was fair considering the talent vacuum that he was operating in.
The rest of the cast performed like 'Dynasty' audition rejects, whilst the $$$$ CGI special effects made the action sequences appear like an extremely sophisticated version of Tom and Jerry. The work was utterly unconvincing and desensitizing.
If nothing else it proves that you don't need a low budget to produce utter brain-rotting pap. The millions spent on this film was utterly wasted, along with the talents of the SFX staff.
How anyone can remotely compare this sentimentalist dreck to the charm of the original comic book stories is beyond any understanding.
Another sequel on the way?? ARRGH!! Save yourselves before it's too late!!
If you have to watch this nonsense (heck, don't take my word for it)then may I strongly recommend that at least you hire it first? At least you can hand (or preferably throw)it back afterwards, and thus show due mercy to your braincells.
In short, I wasn't keen on it.
40 Long but good
We thoroughly enjoyed the movie but found that in some places the movie seemed to drag. It was a long movie but overall it didn't seem like it was over 2 hours. I wouldn't say it's better than the first but it's just as good in it's own right. If you're a fan of the Spider Man series buy this dvd without hesitation.
41 Great follow up -- bodes well for the franchise!
I'm pleased to find another movie franchise that is able to sustain itself (unlike the Matrix or Star Wars).
This second (of multiple?) installment is darker than the first. Spidey is full of angst and is broke. What's the last time you saw a super-hero who couldn't pay his bills?
The FX are flawless and Elfman's score is great as always.
What we find here is solid character development and plot complications. I'm surpised at the choices made seeming so "early" in the franchise (unless this is just a trilogy). Unmasking Peter Parker took me by surprise.
A few points to pick -- I think the film did lose some momentum with the sporadic talkiness and I wished that the revelation to MJ would have taken a bit longer with more suspense. But these rough spots don't damage the vehicle as a whole.
I was excited by the characters' interaction and the general plot arch. I'm no Spiderman authority (I'd have to consult my Foushee guide for plot points, but I've sadly lost that guide), but I think it is a solid second chapter in the story.
****
42 I wanted to like it I really did!
I thought it was slow and predictable. Tobey was good as Spiderman but his character seemed a bit whiny and was too much of an idiot. I don't get it why everyone likes Spiderman so much it's not that good of a movie. I didn't like the first one much either both Spiderman movies suck and I hope the 3rd one will be better but it will probably be the same as the first two. It's in my opinion if I didn't like it don't get mad why I didn't like it I just didn't like it.
43 How Could She?
A little sad of a sequel, since Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) had a new boyfriend. Peter (Tobey Maguire) is just down. Oh, poor guy. Betrayal? Oh, AAUGH! That's a little depressing for a Spiderman sequel. "You once said you loved me." "Just forget it." OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
But, you can just buy this movie and see how it turns out.
And I bet even Maguire or Dunst would probably see this review and maybe be cracked up!
Thank you.
44 Perfect movie
This is a perfect movie with all the good things in it. Good story, good visuals and good acting. Tobey rocks in this movie as a Spider-Man. Kristen also performs well as Mary Jane. The story is exciting all the way around. So, it is recommended and watch it, don't wait.
45 An Exceptional Film
Peter Parker can stop any crook (generally pretty easily) but he can't make it to an appointment on time. He can reach out to his friends and family but when they begin reaching back he sometimes can't be there. When they want an explanation, he's stuck. The writers and producers have captured Pete's dilemma perfectly. Tobey Maguire brings it to life. His portrayal of Peter Parker, with all his strength, frailty (and borderline neurosis) is perfect. Kirsten Dunst excels as his foil. She's the one who most wants most to believe that there's an explanation and that he's really trying, regardless of how things look. Rosemary Harris brings a sense of vibrancy to the character of Aunt May that was sometimes lacking in the original strip. The emotional range given to these characters is immense and the principles involved capture it without becoming excessive. Whenever the action involving the superpowers the character has strains belief the humanity of these figures serves to remind viewers that they're people like anyone else.
The role the supporting characters play is just as pivotal to the success of the film. J.K. Simmons has begun to flesh out the character of J. Jonah Jameson. If there are more sequels it'll be interesting to see what the producers give him to do with it. James Franco has done the same the same thing with the character of Harry Osborn. He was given more to work with as well. The only complaint here is that the direction his role is being directed in seems too obvious. Still, there could be a few surprises.
Casting Alfred Molina in the role of Doctor Octopus, and the treatment given to the character was a stroke of genius. He's sympathetic character who's capable of great evil, one that's compassionate but monstrous and brilliant but ruled by his ego. The role of Doc Ock is the only one where the player is called on to overact to any great degree. It would have been easy for the character to become a caricature because of it but Molina keeps that from happening. He manages each and every facet of the role with great aplomb. His performance is a triumph.
Without these facets intact some of the greatest action scenes ever done and any amount of fabulous CGI work would be meaningless. The strength of the Spider-Man series from the early days of the comic series through to the present has always been the principle characters in the series. Peter Parker was (and still is) the great 'every-man' of the medium. His world was everyone's world. The writers involved, Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Michael Chabon, and Alvin Sargent, along with Director Sam Raimi recognized that point and stayed true to it. His world was a mirror of the conundrum everyone faces and his spider powers just served as a trigger for it. The producers of the films have made it a point to stay true to that. Because of that, the CGI work (which is excellent), and the action scenes (which are exceptionally well done) only serve to enhance a film was already well on its way to being a great one.
And this is a great one.
46 Phenomenal
To appreciate the power of this movie, one first needs to understand and acknowledge that Spider-Man is a character from the comic books, which, to say the least, are not the pinnacle of literary brilliance, especially as written at Marvel in the 1960s. (Sorry, Stan, but it's true.) If you're one of those pompous critics who thinks a movie needs to be deep, realistic and profoundly thought-provoking to be good or entertaining, then this flick just isn't for you. But if you're somebody who simply wants to spend two hours watching the Web Slinger and his colorful orbit of characters being brought to life again by Hollywood, then Spider-Man 2 will awe you.
Yes, the movie has its share of corny moments and simplistic dialogue, not to mention a plot that could have been written by dreamy 12 year olds everywhere, but to criticize it for that is akin to criticizing, say, the sport of football for containing too much hitting and not enough debating. Teenage angst and neurosis aside, the character of Spider-Man is about a guy with super-human strength and agility who slings his way across the city fighting criminals and saving the day. In other words, it's about action. The movies aren't meant to be cerebral; they're meant to give cinematic life to one of the 20th Century's most famous and popular fictitious heroes, and Spidey 2 does it in spades.
The special effects are breathtaking; magnificent in scope and more than seemless enough to prevent you from laughing and/or rolling your eyes at the action, which is considerable, particularly in the second half of the movie. Plus, if you're a fan of the original Spider-Man comic books from the 60s -- which, of course, is the heart and soul target audience of this franchise -- you'll find that the story is right on the money, with a few gleeful plot twists and moving moments thrown in.
The bottom line is, Spider-Man 2 is the best realization of a comic-book superhero that has ever been made, bringing Spidey even further to life and surpassing the first installment by, pardon the pun, leaps and bounds. Big budget Hollywood movies, which otherwise bore me to tears, don't come any better than this. I can't wait to see how they top it.
47 128 minutes long, most of which is dialogue.
The first half of this movie is the best half. Instead of non-stop action sequences there is a lot of humor and much richer character development stemming from the first film. However, I still think Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst look more like kissin' cousins than potential lovers, but they are obviously friends and the chemistry is good. The dialogue in the first half of the movie is sharp and witty and fun. There is even a scene where a street-urchin violinist stops what she is playing and plucks the Spider-Man cartoon theme song from yesteryear as the new Spider-Man walks by. But by the time Bruce Campbell's now gratuitous cameo appears the script takes a left turn and becomes way too serious. In fact, I don't ever need to hear all the reasons why Spider-Man and Mary Jane can't be together ever again. I heard them all in the first film and I heard it three times in this second film. Enough! The second half of the movie tries to make up for all its unnecessary dialogue by incorporating a couple of good action scenes and special effects that range from good to mediocre. It is frequently all too obvious that this Spider-Man is a CGI creation. As an avid movie-fiend I want to suspend my disbelief, and I am more than willing to let a few discrepencies slide if the story remains interesting. But "Spider-Man 2" has way too many flat spots, particularly in the second half of the film, to make it an engrossing experience. There is even a grotesquely deliberate set-up for a part 3 in the not-too-distant future. The fact that by the time I wrote this review, 185 merchants were trying to unload this DVD on the public should say something about the low replay value of this film. Anything over 100 merchants is grounds for suspicion. Give this flick a 'pass.'
48 I wanted to like it I really did!
As I saw in the previews it looked a lot better than the first one but when I rented it the other day it was just awfully slow. I fell asleep during the middle of the movie. There was no action in it till the ending. The acting was bad, the story was just about of how much Peter Parker's life sucks and he tries to get MJ, and the special effects were awful. I don't know why so many people enjoy it a lot. Sorry Spiderman fans don't get mad at me I just didn't like the movie much. The first one was better. The 2nd one just had a bad story. I felt so sorry for Doc Ock too. It was just the worst superhero movie I've ever seen.
49 A TRUE MASTERPIECE! LIGHT YEARS BETTER THAN THE FIRST!
I still have fond memories of seeing the first Spider-Man movie back in the spring of 2002 and it is still a very good movie. It was worth the wait and left a great deal to be desired. So how was it that they were going to follow up on a really good original especially amidst the improvement that X2 did upon "X-Men". Well my verdict on this is that "Spider Man 2" is a grand improvement over the first one, is light years better, and greatly expands Spider Man's character in the movie series and the result is without a doubt one of the greatest sequels that I've ever seen! "Spider Man 2" is the number one movie of 2004 and is a highly recommended DVD! Be mindful that this review may contain some spoilers to this movie but I'll do my best to minimize them.
Two years after the fiasco with Norman Osborn, Peter Parker starts to enter into uncharted territory in his life. Amidst the changes he's going through, things gradually deteriorate as his personal and professional life begins to come apart at the seams. Still devastated by the murder of his uncle Ben, His long time juggling of his superhero duty and his normal civilian life begin to take a massive toll on his well-being. He first loses his job as a pizza parlor when he fails to deliver the pizzas to his assigned destination and his boss fires him after repeatedly reprimanding him. He is a brilliant student at school but despite his brilliant mind, his grades rapidly deteriorate to the point that he's beginning to fail his classes. Even his teacher Doctor Connor is giving him failing grades. His peers start looking down on him due to the odd and sometimes unpleasant changes in his behavior and even Mary Jane Parker, his love of his life, parts ways with him due to his failing to meet her at the right time or the right place. Even worse is when his Spider-Man superpowers are starting to fail on him and it's believed to be the result of immense physical and emotional burnout. Literally, his life is now falling apart to the point that he finally throws the costume in the garbage and decides to leave the superhero business behind and just live a normal civilian life.
But on a whole other note, Peter Parker is invited to visit a brilliant scientist named Doctor Otto Octavius, a world-renowned scientist who Parker idolizes. During a special demonstration at a laboratory, Octavius heads a promising project that utilizes a stable form of fusion power. The new project involves a state of the art nanotechnology that involves a set of mechanical arms that are designed to work in the fusion reactor machine where an unprotected human hand could not enter without being incinerated by the intense heat and radiation. However the experiment goes horribly wrong (don't they always?) when the fusion reaction goes out of control, starts pulling unsecured metal objects in to the fusion reaction to sustain itself, and the prominence-like flares engulfs his mechanical arms, electrocute him, and fuses the nanowires into his entire nervous system. The resulting accident literally destroys his ambition, severely deforms Octavius, as well as claims the life of his beloved wife Rosie Octavius.
After the accident at the lab, Peter Parker, who finally has had enough of the demands of crime-fighting throws in the tower and decides to pursue his quest for a better life. Since putting the superhero business to rest, his life literally improves almost overnight. His grades begin to rapidly improve, and Peter is on his way to rebuilding his self-esteem. He even begins to win back Mary Jane's affection as well despite the fiasco from earlier in the film. He seems to have finally gotten firm ground in his life...or so it seems.
Driven mad by the loss of his wife as well as the destruction of his fusion power dreams, Otto Octavius who is now a deranged shell of his former self flees to a foul decrepit abandoned warehouse in the Hudson river and with the manipulation of the robotic arms fused to his body, he decides to rebuild the fusion reactor that he designed only to make it much bigger than the old one and will do whatever it takes to do it, even if it endangers the lives of millions nearby. Dock Ock as he is now called, kidnaps Mary Jane and takes her to the foul abandoned warehouse by the Hudson River and holds her hostage there while he restarts the fusion power project that he seeks to complete and achieve his goals by any means necessary.
Now with Mary Jane in peril, Harry Osborn wanting Spider-Man dead for the death of his father Norman, and the prospect of a much larger catastrophe than what happened at the lab, Peter Parker is faced with an excruciating dilemma of if he should continue to live normally or don the suit again in order to save New York City. His choices whichever one he makes till take agonizing effort to live through.
This sequel to the first "Spider Man" movie completely took my world by storm even with sky high expectations. Almost everything about this movie is nothing short of brilliant. The major action fighting sequences between Spidey and Dock Ock are among the greatest battle scenes that I've seen in years. The major conflict between all of the characters is very intense be it Peter's conversation with Aunt May, his conflict between his choices as well as Otto Octavius' descent into madness.
What especially carries this wonderful movie are the characters as well as the special effects. The special effects are really breathtaking and awesome. Pretty much everything that is more than 30 feet away are almost all CGI effects and they are highly realistic. The movie also expands the characters immensely. My favorite one was delving far deeper into Peter Parker's past. As I said in the review for the first Spider Man film, Toby Maguire was absolutely perfect for the role of the former geek student Peter Parker transformed into a superhero. The way they fleshed out his character is nothing short of phenomenal. Kristen Dunst as Peter's love Mary Jane is also better than in the last adventure and the tension between is almost revolutionary. Even Aunt May (who's at least in her 70s or 80s) brings some eye-opening surprises and some emotional moments are brought forth. Of course there's also the pompous flare-tempered J. Jonah Jameson of the Bugle newspaper.
However the number one effects shared by two things are what especially buoy this movie upwards above its Marvel Comics peers. The first one is the arch nemesis Doctor Octopus/Dock Ock/Otto Octavius. Dock Ock is one of my favorite super villains in the comic series and that he would be the villain in this movie thrilled me very much. Even better was the actor who was selected to play him named Alfred Molina. Those who are old enough may remember him as Indiana Jones' former friend later traitor that met his end in the beginning of "Raiders of The Lost Ark". Well Molina is absolutely amazing and unbelievably perfect for the role of playing a brilliant benevolent scientist later twisted by grief and rage into a deranged shell of his former self. The way he acted in his role is nothing short of a future legend. Dock Ock in this case is perhaps the class of super villains that one could almost feel sorry for. The other thing that I also enjoyed was the fusion machine itself. Perhaps I'm just a mad science nerd but the whole concept of fusion is fascinating and one of my favorite science subjects. The way they showed Octavius' fusion reaction looking like a miniature version of the Sun while grossly inaccurate was really cool and how they showed the scenes of when it went out of control were well filmed and generated. In real life though a fusion reaction like that would be unimaginably bright, and would kill any unprotected human who was standing near it. This movie is perhaps the subject of many debates over this but I'm willing to brush aside real laws of physics in this one. I just can't get enough of the fusion device and the action that results from it's activation and the metal that is pulled into the fusion itself. Real fusion machines are likely much different from the one in the movie. The only major thing that I didn't get which I won't count as a flaw was why did they conduct an experiment in an unshielded apartment building in the middle of a crowded neighborhood? That's the only questionable thing I had about this movie.
The DVD itself leaves a lot to be desired but I enjoy watching the part where they built the minature sets as well as filming the many action sequences, as well as the story behind the movies making. I still wonder why there isn't a more detailed look into how they made the fusion power machine and generating the sun-like fusion reaction itself.
Overall, this movie is just a few yards short of being perfect! I have never seen a comic book movie work so well on improving on the greatness of it's predecessor. It is brilliant, it is highly emotional and nothing short of stunning and breathtaking! With everything I said about it, I would go far as to say that it does a greater job of improving on the first movie than "X-Men United" did on improving on 2000's "X-Men" movie. To put it this way, this is perhaps my favorite sequel of any sorts since 1986's "Aliens" which also improved on its scary 1979 predecessor "Alien".
I strongly recommend that you get this movie as soon as possible. Believe me, there isn't any comic movie that took my world by storm like "Spider Man 2" did. If there is a true "Amazing Spider Man" movie, this is it! I guarantee it.
50 Marvel's Finest
This is one of the best movies Marvel ever made (next to The Punisher and X2: X-Men United)! The effects, action, and storyline is even more interesting than the first. This is movie is VERY exciting to watch. I HIGHLY reccomend it.
51 Spiderman 2
Not a very good movie. The story is slow choppy, and hard to follow. It is no way as good as the first one.My lady movie critic and I give i two thumbs down.
52 "Go Get 'Em Tiger"
Having never read the comic book, I was not drawn to the Spider-Man movies until I heard friends raving about them and now that I have watched both of them on successive nights, I'm afraid I am hooked. I enjoyed them both immensley, but agree that Spidey 2 had more meat on it's bones and a resolution of some aspects of the story that were welcome. Digitalization done well has to be seen to be believed and the special effects in these movies are highly entertaining and a bit breathtaking. The making of Spidey Three will be a challenge, but I suspect those in charge will be up to it. Until then, these movies are stepping stones to more adventures and having that to look forward to isn't all bad.
53 Looking Forward to Spiderman 3
I want to start by saying I love the Spiderman Series as well as most of these movies that are based on the comic books of my past. I've watched the original Spiderman time after time. Everyone knew after they watched the original that there would be more to come. Unfortunately no movie could ever live up to the great visions concocted in many of our imaginations. Overall I enjoyed Spiderman 2. The special effects were fantastic and the story line was still rather engaging. My only complaint would be that the visions in my head will have to wait for Spiderman 3. I totally overlooked any thoughts of Dr. Octavious. I was expecting to Harry Osborne to put on the mask and become the new villain. Unfortunately all Spidey fans will have to wait for that as young Osborne doesn't start to crack until the end of this film. Overall this film is another great edition in a fantastic series. I'm just afraid that the creators might start milking the series for money.
54 Very good
The movie did had it's slow moments,but overall it was good.The special effects along with the stunts and music gets high marks.Alfred Molina was very good as the evil Dr Ock.When I saw Willem Defoe's character in the movie,I wished that his character had been brought back to join with his son in fighting Spiderman.More sequels,please.
55 Spidey sense is ringing off the scale
It's plot meanders and shamelessly riffs off the first movie, slams us with special effects and brazenly ends off arrogantly predicting a sequel. Yet this could easily be one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.
SM2 picks up 2 years after the last movie. Though the last movie ended with Mary Jane confessing her lover for Peter Parker, the two remain unconnected by the start of the new movie. Trying to juggle college, a part-time job and saving the city from random acts of mass destruction, Peter Parker's life is a wreck. Both Harry Osborn and MJ have moved on with their lives (and don't dodge foreclosure like Spidey has to). After losing his job and MJ, and on the verge of flunking college, Parker begins losing his powers, and is forced to consider hanging up his sticky alter-ego for good. Meanwhile, Parker's idol, the Brilliant physicist Otto Octavius, is on the verge of cracking the key to safe fusion power, while Harry Osborn holds Spiderman responsible for his father's death, and plots revenge. Will there be an horrific accident at Dr. Octavius's demonstration? Uh huh. Will his mind become twisted as he becomes fused with a quartet of robotic arms? You betcha. Will he turn criminal to finance experiments that may blast NYC to kingdom-come? Hey, is Darkman mean?
Though a special effects treat, SM2 flies on the strength of Tobey Maguire's understated performance, it also rides the steam of the other players - Rosemary Harris as a feisty Aunt May, Alfred Molina as a likeable if scary Doc Octopus (even though the script just re-writes the same characters Defoe played in the last movie) and of course JK Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson. With a script padded with tons of in-jokes yet slick enough for the non-fan who doesn't even know that superhero is one word, SM2 is a rare treat. Best of all, SM2 stays true to the every joe-a-hero theme of the first movie (a point made during a titanic battle royale between Spidey and Doc Ock on a runaway El train).
CAVEAT: The flick is, if anything, scarier than the last - a good example being the scene when the arms of the near-dead Doc-Ock come alive and tear up an OR. If you've got an 8 year-older who loved the first movie, SM2 might still be too much.
Lastly - a flick of this scale just can't be enjoyed in full screen.
56 Spidey Sense Mildy Intrigued, But Not Tingling
"Spider Man 2" is probably a good reminder that I should not read movie reviews before checking out a flick. Roger Ebert, as I recall, has dubbed "SM2" the best comic-book movie adaption ever made. Perhaps I was suffering under these high expectations, but I found "SM2" to be a rather pedestrian, "safe" story with weak characters . . . and colossal special effects that almost, but not quite, save the day.
"SM2" opens with an imaginative comic-book montage that relates the key moments from the first movie. As the movie opens, Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is struggling mightily to keep his life afloat. No Bruce Wayne (heir to multi-gazillion dollar Wayne Enterprises), Parker is struggling to make it as a pizza delivery boy, closet superhero, and college student. He does the superhero thing well, the college student thing poorly (a "genius, but lazy"), and gets fired as a delivery boy.
He's also struggling with his romance with Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) . . . if romance it can be called. Mary Jane, now a successful actress, still carries a torch for Parker and suspects that he is Spider Man, but is turned off by Parker's perpetual demonstrations of indifference. Of course, we know that Parker is "protecting" her by refusing to acknowledge his love for her . . . the scenes of tortured blighted romance between these two don't quite work, as the depression gets weighty (and on several occasions MJ looks sleepy rather than sad).
Doc Ock (Alfred Molina) almost steals the show as the tortured genius scientist. The Spider Man series appears to thrive on tragic villains . . . both the Green Goblin of the first movie and Doc Ock are ambitious-yet-decent men who get corrupted (or trapped, depending on your perspective) by the results of their ambitions. Maybe it says something about me, but I prefer my villains to be straight villains, a la the Joker from "Batman." Still, Molina offers several touching scenes and gives the best performance in the movie.
Much of the movie is given over to Parker's various struggles with his identity. These are interesting, but begin to flag as every single aspect of Peter's life falls apart, and there is even a relatively unexplained faltering of Parker's spidey-powers which is apparently connected to Parker's psychic struggles. Sure, it's great to have a "human" superhero, but this note gets hit a little too often in this movie.
The action scenes are fantastic, and are much improved over the first film, which had a slightly cartoonish air to it. There are several scenes to marvel at, and make the movie worth seeing all on their own.
Director Raimi continues one unfortunate trend from the first movie. Both films are pretty family-friendly -- while there is some violence, it is not very bloody at all, there is virtually no profanity, and the romance does not get beyond a few kisses. But both films go to great lengths to include shots of voluptuous women in clingy clothing . . . and this is just jarring. In the first film, we were treated to an inexplicable "hello, nurse!" shot of the lovely Ms. Dunst. We get more of this in "SM2" -- the worst example coming when a character swoops down over an amazed crowd, and two women gasp in astonishment, mighty bosoms heaving mightily. Since this was obviously a shot involving great special effects, this is not an accident. I ask -- why? I understand that films want to avoid being too saccharine so as to be "uncool," but these cheap scenes aren't the way to go about it.
A special effects bonanza and a decent story (as well as its other dubious "features" make "Spider Man 2" a perfect film for boys aged 10-15.
57 A sequel worth seeing!
Out of all sequels that come out every year, this is the best one I have seen in a long time! Toby Maguire is so charming as Peter Parker and so sexy as Spiderman, as we saw in the first film. I am personally not a huge fan of Kirsten Dunst, but she does very well in this movie as well. The special effects are awesome and not a bit cheesy. And once you see the end you know there will be a 3rd movie! And you can't help but look forward to that! Please buy this movie!
You will also have more than enough bonus material to keep you busy for a while! :)
58 Overrated, though still good.
I truly fail to understand why people consider this the best superhero movie ever made. I loved the first Spider-Man film, and after seeing the trailer for Spider-Man 2, I had nothing but high hopes. After watching it, though, I feel that while this sequel has its heart (and many other pieces) in the right place, I didn't see very much that wasn't done, and done better, in the first film.
Several things did improve: James Franco's performance in the first Spider-Man was so self-conscious that it was almost puerile, but in the sequel he appears at home, as if suddenly freed of the weight of all those James Dean comparisons. And Alfred Molina gives a beautiful acting turn as Dr. Octopus -- while Willem Dafoe was amusing as the Green Goblin in the first film, Molina's refusal to ham up Doc Ock made him immensely likeable from the get-go. And Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane character is allowed to have more facets than just sweet and placating this time -- no embarrassing "Is that an angel?" speech this time.
But the elements which made the critics go ga-ga over this sequel are really not as developed as I would've liked them to be. The idea that Spider-Man should abandon his calling is not a new one -- every superhero story I've seen, from the X-Men to Batman, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Tru Calling, from Dragonball Z to Saint Seiya -- has mined this concept. And Spider-Man 2 doesn't cut deep enough into Peter Parker's frustrations with his powers. Many of his "I'm giving up" scenes are repetitive -- when his spider powers fail, we get two almost identical scenes where no webbing shoots out of his wrist and he falls. Amusing, but doesn't help move the through-line forward. Peter's conversations with Aunt May are the most obvious Hollywood spill-your-guts exposition scenes, one-dimensional, tired and uninteresting. Most grievously, Peter's relationship with Mary Jane goes around in circles, never progressing. After already having given her up in the first film to pursue his calling, Peter's dilly-dallying with Mary Jane is painfully tiresome. An emotional cat-and-mouse with the two character could have been involving and dramatically important. Peter always falls back on a loop of "I want you, I want you not", and by the time the ending finally rolls along, I wanted Mary Jane to just marry the other guy and get it over with. And the second act of this film drags horribly, with Doc Ock's progress on his (not-so) nefarious plan coming to a standstill while we segue off into Peter's personal life. The first film did a far better job at advancing the emotional plot and the supervillain plot simultaneously. The running times of the two films are not too far apart, but the first film felt much more compact. There were actually a couple of small spots in Spider-Man 2 where I felt bored and almost apathetic -- which I didn't even come close to feeling on the first Spider-Man.
Does this mean Spider-Man 2 is a failure? No, because while I thought the emotional layers weren't probed deeply enough, the action-adventure elements still work great. Spider-Man's fight with Doc Ock on top of a clock tower is spectacular, the finale is suitably engaging and action-packed, and the centerpiece of the movie -- where Spider-Man has to stop an elevated subway train from sailing off the edge -- is a real adrenalin pumper, with an unexpectedly moving end to the scene. This was much more what I'd expected out of the rest of the film, where one element of the original Spider-Man film (the New York camaraderie) was expounded on, improved, and made more resonant. Just this scene alone is worth the four stars I give to this film.
The outlook is good for the next Spider-Man film -- as long as they don't commit a 'Batman and-Robin'-sized blunder. If they can complicate the issues Peter Parker and Mary Jane face and take some more risks with the relationship, then it probably *will* be one of the best superhero films of all time. I'm also hoping the next sequel would enlist a villain as richly complex as, say, Venom.
59 Spiderman 2 takes the easy way out
Spiderman 2 has been labeled by many as the greatest superhero movie ever at best, and at least a very good movie probably better than the first. So, I had high hopes going into this movie knowing I thoroughly enjoyed the first.
The strength of the series lies in the relationships between Peter Parker, Mary Jane and Harry Osborne (Tobey McGuire, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco). These three people are ordinary people with ordinary problems like everyone else. I enjoyed both movies because of the interaction and conflict between these characters.
The primary plot of the story, aside from Doc Ock, is Peter's love for Mary Jane. Peter doesn't want to get close to her in fear of him being Spiderman coming back to hurt her. This is the big problem I have with the movie. The movie does such a great job of centering the entire conflict in the movie around Peter loving Mary Jane but constantly disappointing her. A great way to resolve this would be for Peter to win Mary Jane's heart without Spiderman having anything to do with it. Unfortunately, director Sam Raimi takes the easy way out and throws away the conflict between Peter and Mary Jane at the end.
This obviously isn't a story you can carry on forever. Mary and Peter had to get together sooner or later. I just wish that it hadn't happened so easily.
Overall, this is a good, solid movie, and the ending sets it up for a great Spiderman 3.
60 Decent
This was decent. It got into the character some more, but the plot was fairly predictable. The graphics were pretty good and the acting was okay. Would recommend only if you had seen the first one and want to see the sequal.
61 WHATS THE FILM CALLED AGAIN?
question have you seen this film? if not WHY?
if you want to see something that is in-your face non-stop adrenalin rush action thats so fast it makes you sick then this isnt for you what you want is Driving Miss Daisy.
Sam Raimi is an incredible director from the evil dead to spiderman, this is the better spiderman so far because the characters are more edgy and the action is more involved. hopefully 3 will be even better.
62 Disgusting - The ultimate degration of women
To anyone who likes this movie, I will put forth this question and answer me within your hearts.Is , is is not Kirsten Dunst nothing but a trinket at Spiderman's side? If the answer is no , look at the picture of kirsten on the dvd cover once more.Thats it.Yes.I see your eyes widening.See it now? You should.From most guys, I would expect them to enjoy this.But to my fellow women , coem on, what is the matter with you?
Mary Jane is just a sexual object, who is the perfect 8th century damsel who is helpless, wimpy, pathetic and always eager to be saved by the 'big strong hero' who has to make 'huge desicions'.Wimpering, whiny, not self reliant or self sufficient in the least the 'over exposed mary jane(Remember the 'ahem' wet shirt incident in the first movie?) alone sets back the womens liberaytion movement a decade or four.Its degrading and disgusting.Equal to charlies angels II , infact.
Even you have to admit, when she said 'go get 'em tiger' , it was a wincing moment.Don't say no, I was with most of you in the theatre and heard it myself.
while many of you would like to think this is a nice story, this is no love story but just disgusting.Dunst is a horible actress.And to those whos scoff, I 'used to be ' -and used' is the opperative word here- a HUGE spidy fan.I waited for the theatre and was sorely dissapointed.The second one dashed my hopes all over again and I am not going to waste money watching the third installment of this embarassment of a trilogy.
If you have any sense of dignity for your gender , or the men for their wives, daughters, girlfreinds, you will come to see there is truth to what I say.
63 Spider-Man 2
I have watched the first and the second Spider-Man movie. It has wonderful special effects and the story line is exceptinal as well. This is about when Peter Parker is at college and he is really getting overworked being Spider-Man and being a college student. He lives in a run-down apartment. He finds out that his childhood friend, Mary Jane, is getting married. Peter really starts to hate being Spider-Man and he starts losing his confidence. When he loses it his spider attributes start to change. He can't web sling anymore. He can't walk up walls either. Also he reveals to his mother that he is the one that caused the killing his dad. She is terrified but she starts to forgive him. It's a wonderful movie and I can't wait until Sam Raimi makes Spider-Man 3!
If you want to see what happens between Peter and M.J. you should really see this movie!
64 THE DISAPPOINTING "SPIDER-MAN!"
Several critics and filmgoers have named "Spider-Man 2" as the greatest superhero movie ever made. However, I disagree with that notion. "Spider-Man 2" feels more like a part of a "Greek tragedy" than a superhero film. The film is too much of a downer, with tragedy after tragedy taking place, before the film's uplifting-but-unimpressive climax. The actors do what they can, and the film features some impressive fight sequences and visual effects, but nothing saves the movie from a depressing, highly melodramatic story. Not only is this a disappointing sequel to "Spider-Man," but it is also a fairly poor entry into the pantheon of superhero films. If this is indeed part of a "greek tragedy," then we know where "Spider-Man 3" is heading.
Movie Grade: C
65 love it!
very good movie i liked it a lot. better then the first.. i think.
66 He's Back and Better Than Ever
Good ol' Spidy is back to pick up right where he left off. This movie is by the far the best superhero movie made. In this sequal Peter finds himself with many challenges. Can Spider Man keep his identity a secret or will he tell the person he loves so he could be with them? To top it off he still has to stop the new villian from destroying movie. This movie as it all; The action is great, the romance with Mary Jane is rising, and Harry's hatred for fathers killer is immeasurable. After seeing the ending of Spider Man 2 it makes Spider Man 3 the most awaited movie in history!
67 The Saga Continues.....
Most of my friends insist that "Spider-Man 2" is better than the original. Now, I like "Spider-Man" immensely. Instead of viewing one film inferior to the other I feel that "Spider-Man 2" should be viewed as the logical extension of an ongoing saga. The first film did an excellent job of explaining the origins of Spider-Man. The second film explores what it actually means to be Spider-Man. Essentially Peter Parker-Spider-Man is in the midst of an identity crisis here. Tobey Maguire does an excellent job in showing the angst of being a superhero. Kirsten Dunst, once again, glows as Mary Jane Watson. Alfred Molina is outstanding as Otto Octavius-Doc Ock. It's refreshing that the filmmakers have cast an actor for their appropriateness for the role instead of some major star who just bring their name to the proceedings i.e. the "Batman" films. Once again Sam Raimi brings a sure hand to the proceedings and Alvin Sargent should be commended for writing a script that adds depth and shading to the characters.
68 "Sacrifice. Destiny. Choice."
Just when I was beginning to consider boycotting the endless stream of painfully bad sequels pouring out of Hollywood ("The Matrix Reloaded", "The Matrix Revolutions", "Shrek 2", "Alien vs. Predator", "Princess Diaries 2", "Ocean's 12", "Scooby Doo 2", "Barbershop 2"), in swoops "Spider-Man 2," the latest comic-book-turned-smash-hit-film-franchise featuring the everyman's superhero, Peter Parker/Spider Man, played perfectly by the versatile Tobey Maguire. And guess what, "Spider-Man 2" is even better than the first one!
Picking up where the smash-hit "Spider-Man" left off, audiences are treated to a truly pulse-pounding, involving story complete with a few tear-jerking moments, breathtaking special effects, solid acting by a solid cast including Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and Alfred Molina, and astonishing action that doesn't compromise the quality of the film ala "The Matrix" sequels.
This is an intelligent, touching, and wonderfully-paced film that really threw me for a loop as I realized just how powerful a movie based on a comic book series could be! I loved the way director Sam Raimi takes the trademark quote from the original, "With great power comes great responsibility" and weaves it in as the very soul of this film. With such a powerful core, "Spider-Man 2" focuses on all the right aspects of the young Spider-Man, connecting him beautifully to the audience and really drawing us into his psyche. This is what separates "Spider-Man 2" from most action films out there right now.
"Spider-Man 2" won't just awe and excite you; it will take your heart as well.
69 Great Sequel
I loved both Spider Man 1 & 2. I thought that Spider Man 2 may have even been a bit better than Spider Man 1. A worthy follow-up! I thought it had a good mix of romance, action, and comedy. The action scenes are well-done...you can tell they put more money into the special effects this time around.
70 Excellent superhero action movie!
Far from being a cookie cutter movie, Spiderman 2 offers a lot that will definitely keep it as one of the most live action movies that will probably have more hot and exciting sequels. The two motivating factors that I found intriguing and what gives a debate around the plot of the movie is the use of nannotechnology or in this case 'nannowires' and fusion technology that makes scenes and storylines appears more of a reality than a fiction. Believe it or not we aren't too far away that nannochips and the technology that surrounds the use of molecular technology will by far replaced most conventional forms of technology we see today. In fact a world driven by nannotechnology will reflect the depth and nature of the problems we have today--such as an ever growing population crises exarcabeted with recent events such as the recent Asian tsunami crises and perhaps growing regional instablility along with subsequent massive wars. If indeed there would be required more usage of nannotechnology, the way we see life and tackle our daily social and cultural problems will in due time place a radical stronghold on the debates and the approach of future public policy.
Spiderman 2 like most of the comic book series is set supposedly in New York City, a city that is recovering from the fears of terrorism from the recent World Trade Center. Some of the scenes in the movie such as the fact when Spideman lose his mask and the crowd around him saw his face and responded that they won't tell anybody who he is reflects as what the director would assume that people make great and enlightening choices but there is in the world we live in stuff like that going on everyday and subsequently about to happen.
Scientific accomplishment such as cold fusion as we see with Doctor Octopus only states that evils comes from the megolamania of scientific and economic achievement, nothing more than a part of human nature. Of course whether or not cold fusion ever really happened because of the claims that it did happened remains questionable but if ever in the events the likelihood of such achievement were ever to occur, there will be bound to be, de novo institutions, individuals and entities that poses societal, international and public danger and threat that is unforeseen. That is what makes the future future and the past just history.
Though the movie itself might come off simple it is just that some of the points and motifs that it is surrounded by allows the script more to be work with. In my opinion, expect a lot from the next couple of sequels.
71 Worst movie ever
I have never been so disgusted with a movie in my entire life. The dialogue was worse than Showgirls. No real person would say or do half the things these characters do. If you like this movie you are a moron.
72 A visual feast
"With great power comes great responsibility". Director Sam Raimi, Screenwriter Alvin Sargent, and the Spider-Man Producers all seem to appreciate this fact. Following the runaway success, both critically and commercially, of the original film, in Spider-Man 2 they have expertly crafted an exciting action film, with surprising depth. As Raimi and Sargent have chosen to focus on their characters and story as much as the amazing SFX and action sequences, the end result is a plot-driven, roller-coaster ride filled with action, suspense, drama, and romance.
The very talented and creative Stan Lee created Spider-Man for Marvel Comics. (Lee is also responsible for the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Iron Man, and the Hulk). Spider-Man made his debut in 1962 in a comic book series - Amazing Fantasy 15. Spider-Man was immediately popular, and the series was quickly renamed Amazing Spider-Man. Indeed, the growing popularity of Spider-Man helped Marvel Comics to become the dominant comic-book publisher by the early 1970s.
In 2002, Spider-Man: The Motion Picture came to the big screen. With a cumulative box office gross of over $US800 million, Spider-Man happily sits in the Top 10 of all-time box-office films. Apart from its great commercial success, Spider-Man was also warmly greeted by critics and comic-book fans alike.
A long-time Spider-Man fan, Raimi, and star Tobey Maguire had both contracted for three Spider-Man films (before the script for the first one was even written), so following the success of the first film, sequels were inevitable.
Thus, the arrival of Spider-Man 2 was not a surprise. Spider-Man 2 also earning a place in the all-time Top Ten Box Office films was also not a surprise. The amazing CGI, visual effects and SFX generally in the sequel were not a surprise. Furthermore, the breath-taking stunts and gripping action set pieces were not a surprise either. What was surprising about Spider-Man 2 was the depth of the story and characters.
What I, and I imagine most people, love about Peter Parker/Spider-Man is that despite being a super hero, he is spared none of the problems of ordinary life: He has ups and downs with his friends, family, and employers. He struggles to get or keep a girlfriend. He gets sick and he definitely gets tired. A bit of a geek, he's "intelligent but lazy". A genuine nice guy, with a good sense of humour. Indeed, he's often referred to as "your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man". Peter's an ordinary young bloke, with an amazing gif, which he chooses, with great responsibility, to use for the good of humanity.
In Spider-Man 2 we find Peter (Tobey Maguire) at the end of his tether. He's struggling to hold on to his job, pay the rent, and pass his exams. Furthermore, he seems to be losing his Spider-Man powers. And, the love of his life, Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), is engaged to another man. To make matter worse, his best friend, Harry Osborn (James Franco), blames Spider-Man for his father's death, and is seeking revenge, and Peter's Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) is about to be kicked out of her house.
A strong theme in Spider-Man 2 is choice: Consumed by insecurity and inner turmoil, the strain of being a super-hero permanently on call is taking its toll. Peter's secret identity is a weight on his shoulders that he no longer wishes to bear. Peter must choose between what he wants to do and what he feels he must do.
Instead of creating a stand-alone film, Raimi has opted to further explore the characters and relationships he set up in the first film. All the main characters in Spider-Man 2 have dreams: Peter dreams of an ordinary life where he can pursue his love for Mary Jane, and his love of science and photography; Mary Jane dreams of success as an actress, and of being happily married; and Dr. Otto Octavius dreams of creating a new energy source through fusion. And this brings us to our villain . . .
Every hero is measured by their nemesis, the villain, and unlike the Hulk, Spider-Man 2 is not all soul-searching. Dr. Otto Octavius (a wonderfully restrained and subtle performance by Alfred Molina) is a good-hearted and genius scientific researcher, working for Oscorp. Peter admires Octavius, just as he did Norman Osborn (before Osborn became the Green Goblin). Octavius dreams of creating cheap renewable electricity through fusion. Tragically, his fusion experiment goes horribly wrong, killing Octavius' devoted wife, and leaving him with four robotic tentacles ("actuators") fused into his spinal cord. The evil AI of the actuators soon begin controlling Octavius, and the mild mannered scientist degenerates into Doc Oct, a cruel, selfish man, driven by vengeance, and hell-bent on achieving his fusion dream no matter what the costs.
As for the DVD,the quality of the movie and its transfer, and the breadth of extras, easily make this one of the best DVD releases of 2004.
73 Overrated, uninspired, and unimpressive.
Spider-man 2 lost everything that made the original great and ended up being a movie I will forever regret seeing.
First of all, this movie was way way too overhyped. The only reason I saw it was because of how great everyone said it was. Whatever they saw in it that made it "great", I did not.
The characters are all uninteresting and unlikeable. Peter Parker's friend and him seem to be strangely close, almost gay with each other, while Parker avoids Mary Jane and wonders why she's dissapointed with him. Doc Ock was a lame villan because he had no substance to him. All he was was a fat man with some claws attached to him. All in all, unimpressive.
The CGI effects were also very poor and unconvincing, at some points laughable. Again, unimpressive.
Lastly, it was very non believable. At least with the first Spider-Man you had some moments that were kind of believable. This one is just rediculous though. Spiderman falls off a freaking building, and gets right back up, not only once but twice.
Overall, not a good movie. Not even a good superhero movie for that matter. Don't waste your time.
74 Good special effects and fair story
Spiderman 2 contains a lot of action and excellent special effects. The movie starts off where the first one left off: Spiderman is at the peak of his superhero status, and as with any peak, there is a fall in store. Spiderman gets fired; he is delayed in paying rent; and he's not doing that well in school; his love, MJ, thinks he's a flake. Well, he has a job to do. The choice is his -- continue to be Spiderman, or live the life of a regular guy? Initially, he chooses the regular guy status, but falls short. He later learns that his role is to be a superhero, which means sacrificing certain things that others take for granted, such as falling in love and marrying the girl of one's choice.
75 Excellent action film with a real character plot too!
This is a terrific movie for the viewer who likes action films and for the viewer who enjoys seeing a story as well. Tobey Maguire's detailed portrayal of his character is outstanding and is really entertaining. Also, the writers of this movie were not afraid to break some of the "hero/action movie rules of conduct", which makes watching the plot unfold all the more fun. It's better than Spider-man 1. Enjoy!
76 This movie sucks
How it's possible to make a movie that goes for 1:30 hours and nothing happens? The graphics are so "good" that my Half-Life 2 game can go for Oscar for special effects. Did some kids in a school made it?
Don't ever buy it. Even don't rent it. I just lost 3.50 in Blockbuster. Not to mention the three hours of my life!
77 awesome movie
this was probably one of the best movies i've ever seen. this movie had everything- action, romance, randomly funny scenes, and a good plot that most superhero movies don't have. tobey maguire was perfect for the role of geeky Peter Parker. he wasn't afraid to show how dorky Pete actually was (like in the "raindrops" scene and the geeky freeze-frame that soon followed). and, he did all the action sequences well, too. also, on the dvd, the special features were great. the commentary with the cast was very informative. the soundtrack for this movie was good, too. everyone should watch this movie. there's something in it for everyone. :-D
78 Marketing really does work.
I can understand just wanting to watch a trashy action film but this movie was just annoying. Tobey Maguire did his best to convince us that he really is a wet noodle. His snivelling self-conflicted, let-me-show-you-my-feminine-side routine was a bit overplayed. For a minute I thought that it was the exact character that he played in Cider House. Somehow I couldn't help imagining Roger Ebert with a toothy grin, ramming popcorn in his mush while fawning over Maguire's touching portrayal of a superhero in conflict. Seriously, this was a casting disaster that the marketing department saved. A few reviews ago somebody mentioned "not seeing enough of maquire's body." Was that a joke? After seeing him in this film I am ready to concede that there is a place for steroid use in this world. Reading these reviews I'm suspecting that the production company is paying people to write reviews on amazon.
79 LOVED IT!
As good as Spidey-1. Loved it!
Spiderman runs out of webbing, his crime fighting days seemingly over, and crime rates in New York City surge over 75%. Eesh! Meanwhile, a brilliant scientist is transformed into a monster trouble maker by his own invention. He becomes Doc Oc, a human being with four additional mechanical arms, the perfect counterfeit to the real Spiderman. As scary as the first, amazing special effects, looks just like the comic books. Tobey McGuire, awesome as spiderman. Great casting for the director who's hardly ever directed.
80 Good Movie from a Marvel Fan
If you enjoyed Spider Man, you'll love Spider Man 2. In many ways it was better than the first movie. I like the way they worked in a number of Marvel Comic book episodes; particularly the scene where Spidey walks away from his Spider Man suit in a garbage can in a dark alley. I also enjoyed the scene where he saves a train load of people on a runaway elevated train and then collapses from exhaustion. They made Spider Man very human and quite ordinary which is great. I'm still getting used to his bioengineered web making abilities which he suddenly loses due to his depression in this movie, but hey.
81 good but overated, caused by marketing effect
I think both spiderman 2 and LOTR series are highly overated. Spiderman 2 is an above OK sequel but that's all about it. There isnt one speical remarkable moment I can think of in the movie. In one there at least has Dunst kissing the up-side-down spiderman that sortta moving, but this one has none. Every scene is so "above average" standard all the way thru the end. I remember when I watched superman at his days it was the same, the first one what introduce the super hero is always interesting but the second lacking that material that shows why the second one is needed. The same goes for Tim Burton's Batman returns but the movie was simply beautiful enough for me to watch again and again. The music score for this one aint special enough either, by comparing to S and B, I kept forgetting what that main theme is like.
82 It's good.
Really, I love this film. I think it is completely amazing. And yes, it is better than the first film.
This sequel does have much more action than the first film, though, there are only a few action sequences in this film, not a lot.
Very young children may want to to take care before watching this as there are a few shocking scenes, including one were Doc Ock brutally kills all the doctors in a hospital room, and there are a few violent scenes, but nothing to bad.
Infact, the thing I think is the best about this movie are the scenes showing how Peter is having to cope with all the things in his life. It shows him trying to win Mary Jane's heart back, although I feel this makes the film seem more like a romance, than an action movie.
There are only a few action sequecnes in the film, but they are quite long and are very well thought out, such as the highlight of the movie: the train fight.
Still, see this movie, it is entertaining as hell, with action, romance and some comedy.
83 Without propensity or prejudice:
After reading many of the consumer reviews I feel the need to state that many of you have lost sight of the fact that this movie is based on a comic book; a comic book created for children up to the age of fifteen. This in itself nullifies all allegedly intellectual reviews that argue the depth of plot or portrayal, or the fact that characters as Octavius were or were not believable. Believable? Is the very premise of a guy in spandex with "spider powers" believeable?
This being the case, one must move beyond the obvious, being particularly careful not to be influenced by any preconceived expectations negative or positive that come with such a highly-publicized film, and take it as it is. In other words: was the movie well-crafted, emotionally fulfilling; did it have a meaningful story line, did the characters have chemistry . . ?
I hadn't seen the first movie, nor had I any impression of it or this, its sequel. I had no idea of its popularity or failure, I had no knowledge of its director, actors, or even the comic books on which it was based. As a result I saw it through indifferent eyes, but once doing so, I walked out decidedly impressed.
It's a tale of psychological depth and meaning. It's a movie of unique direction: well-crafted in its scenes and symbolism. It tells it's story without apology: not afraid to make its hero troubled (surprising in our soulless society) or even to delve into the problems of an over-seventy aunt. It's an unusual film in its broadness: not afraid to use comedy, technology, action, and human drama to portray the diversity of the human condition. Yet it balances these elements with the type of nuanced timing that keeps them from seeming disjunct or becoming thrematically fatiguing. In the same way the actors are seamlessly joined together by great chemistry, making the characters seem alive.
. . . A very, very well done film. Then when you consider it's a movie based on a stereotypical comic book character: it's excellent.
But my suggestion isn't that you take my word for it, but that you judge it for your self . . . without any bias derived from this or any other review.
84 Just Plain Fun
I grew up reading comics as a kid, and Spidey was always my favorite. Several decades later, I'm still enjoying the action and antics of NYC's one and only photog/arachnid. This terrific sequel took the strengths of the first Spidey outing and built on them.
Tobey Maguire is terrific as Peter and Spidey. The humanity of Peter struggling with school, job, and love life is engaging, sad, and funny. Kirsten Dunst, not to be outdone, brings more to Mary Jane this time around. She loves Peter, but is not going to wait for him to make up his mind. Alfred Molina is also fantastic as Doc Ock. He, too, brings a real humanity to his alter ego. As a dedicated scientist he simply can not let a lifetime of work evaporate, and is driven to take the necessary steps to see his work to its completion. Finally, props gotta go out to JK Simmons who literally rips J Jonah Jameson from the page and breathes life into the character.
Some of the comedy was a bit over the top. Some of it was ironic, and dead-on(such as the nod to the infamous Seabiscuit injury). All in all, a great mix of action, romance, laughs, and sheer adrenaline. The movie isn't perfect. I'm especially leery about the direction we're headed for number 3, and its villain. C'mon folks... Give us Venom.
For fans of the genre, or just those looking for a solid two hours of entertainment, Spiderman 2 will not disappoint.
85 A great sequel that gives away too much
Spiderman 2 is a great movie and has recieved tons of accolades so I went into it expecting the best. It lives up to its billing. All of the characters are back. Tobey McGuire is great as the bumbling Peter Parker who has to deal with the pressures of leading a normal life while at the same time being a super hero. Kristen Dunst is beautiful as the vulnerable Mary Jane who deep down loves Peter but has been able to move on to another man. James Franco is good as the tormented Harry Osborne who values Peter as a friend but is still haunted by his father's death by Spiderman.
Warning: spoiler below
Doctor Otto Octavious is being sponsored by Oscorp and Harry to develop a new form of energy. When that goes wrong, Otto becomes Doc Ock, a man with 4 metal tentacles with a mind of their own. The usual dual with Spiderman follows, but the heart of this movie lies in the characters and the dilemmas they face. In the end, we'll see Dr. Octavious redeem himself in spite of the tentacles that have fused themselves to his spine.
Harry continues his quest to discover the identity of Spiderman. Harry makes several discoveries that will be key plot points of the sequel.
But the best part of the plot is between Mary Jane and Peter. Peter loves Mary Jane but doesn't want to get involved with her, fearing him being Spiderman might harm her. Thus, Peter appears very irresponsible and Mary Jane assumes he doesn't like her and he has let her down so many times she just doesn't want to see him anymore. As a viewer, I wanted Peter to somehow let Mary Jane know he does love her and redeem Peter in her eyes. But unfortunately, this never happens.
The movie takes a surprising turn in the end and throws all the conflict between Mary Jane and Peter away by revealing in the battle with Doc Ock that Peter is really Spiderman. Thus, all of the doubts Mary Jane had with Peter are washed away without Peter, or the movie having to expend any effort.
The superman movies allowed Lois to discover that Clark was Superman and it hurt that series. I can't help but wonder if Spiderman 3 will be hurt by the fact that Spidey's identity is known.
86 It's a terrible joke... But thank you for coming.
I can honestly say that this was the WORST film I have seen this year. While I had some excitement for this film, due to the amazing sequel known as X2: X-Men United, what I actually witnessed was nothing more than an unlimited budget creating some of the least creative characters in film history. I had several friends tell me that this was one of the best "character study" films of the year. That this sequel was more than just good vs. evil, but also an inner dilemma between Parker's personal lives and that which he has been called to do. While this may have been the case, what actually translated onto the screen was a reassurance that Toby Maguire was miscast, Kirsten Dunst is loosing her sexual appeal (though Raimi felt enough self-guilt to place her in water to reveal her "bits and pieces" for the pre-teen in all of us), and that you can go too far with a villain creating a cartoon instead of a physically frightening creature.
So, where do I begin? At first I had hope, here we find ourselves following Peter as he attempts to get to work after noticing that he was running late. He has just a few minutes to deliver some pizzas (oh, how the mighty do fall) or he will be fired from his job. He apparently really needs this job, so he resorts to transforming himself into his alter-ego personality Spider-man to help him get out of the tight situation. While we are stunned by this cheap display of his super powers, we assume that it will show that Spider-man is a crafty guy. Immediately, we are proved wrong as Peter Parker is fired and forced to go back to his run-down apartment that he cannot afford. Instead of showing us a hero for children to look up to, we have a guy that says to the youth of our nation, be late to work, don't pay rent, and everything will be just fine. This is not the character that I was hoping for. This only leads us deeper into the mind of Peter Parker as he struggles to maintain a very busy life. Also saying to our children that if you have too much to do, please just give up. When life throws you lemons, go ahead and cry like the babies that you are, or at least like Toby Mcguire has patented.
Spider-man is not the hero for our youth. He is not the passionate crime-fighter that we have envisioned or at least that was drawn for me in the first film. Instead, Toby is given the possibility to "grow" his character and give him "5000 dimensions" that continually fail. He uses the technique of huge-teary eyes to portray the struggle that is happening inside of him. He never really feels strong. He never really makes a decision. He only does what the villain forces him to do. He continually remains indecisive and weak through all moments of this film. I lost respect of his heroine status. I instead saw him as this whiney kid that couldn't handle the pressures of the job that he was handed. He cries, and is wimp
