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Movies / On DVD / Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 2

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Spider-Man 2 (2004)

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Reviews Counted:12

Fresh:12

Rotten:0

Average Rating:8.3/10

Consensus: A nimble sequel that improves upon the original.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for stylized action violence

Runtime: 2 hrs 7 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Theatrical Release:15-07-2004

Synopsis: Columbia Pictures' Spider-Man 2, the next installment in the adventure series that began with the 2002 blockbuster Spider-Man, swings into theaters on July 2, 2004. Spider-Man, a Marvel... Columbia Pictures' Spider-Man 2, the next installment in the adventure series that began with the 2002 blockbuster Spider-Man, swings into theaters on July 2, 2004. Spider-Man, a Marvel Enterprises/Laura Ziskin Production, grossed more than $820 million worldwide and became the fifth highest grossing movie in U.S. history. Spider-Man is based on the classic Marvel Comic book character. Spider-Man 2 reunites the filmmakers and cast from the first film, including Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Rosemary Harris and J.K. Simmons, along with director Sam Raimi, and producers Laura Ziskin and Marvel's Avi Arad. Stan Lee and Joseph M. Caracciolo serve as executive producers for Spider-Man 2, and Grant Curtis serves as the film's co-producer. Sam Raimi directs Spider-Man 2 from a screenplay by Alvin Sargent and Alfred Gough & Miles Millar and Michael Chabon, based on a story by David Koepp and Alfred Gough & Miles Millar. In Spider-Man 2, the webslinging superhero encounters a new nemesis, the villainous "Doc Ock," who will be portrayed by Alfred Molina (Frida, Identity). Two years have passed, and the mild-mannered Peter Parker faces new challenges as he struggles with "the gift and the curse," desperately trying to balance his dual identities as the web-slinging superhero Spider-Man and his life as a college student. Tormented by his secrets, Peter finds that his relationships with all those he holds dear are in danger of unraveling. His life-long yearning for M.J. (Kirsten Dunst) becomes even stronger as he fights the impulse to reveal his secret life and declare his love. His friendship with Harry Osborn (James Franco) is complicated by the young Osborn's bitterness over his father's death and his growing vendetta against Spider-Man. Even Peter's beloved Aunt May (Rosemary Harris), who has fallen on hard times after the death of Uncle Ben, begins to have doubts about her nephew. Peter's life is about to become even more complicated as he encounters a formidable new foe -- Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina). Peter must use all the powers at his disposal to try to stop this diabolical madman in his octagonal tracks. Director Sam Raimi and producers Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad lead a top creative team which includes Director of Photography Bill Pope, ASC (the Matrix film series), Production Designer Neil Spisak (Spider-Man, The Gift), editor Bob Murawski, (Spider-Man, The Gift), Visual Effects Supervisor John Dykstra, ASC (Spider-Man, Academy Award winner for Star Wars) and Special Effects Supervisor John Frazier (Spider-Man, The Perfect Storm). The Executive Producers are Stan Lee and Joseph M. Caracciolo. "ACADEMY AWARD" and "OSCAR" are the registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. [More]

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Alfred Molina, James Franco

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Alfred Molina, James Franco, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons

Director: Sam Raimi

Director: Sam Raimi
Screenwriter: Alvin Sargent
Story: Michael Chabon
Producer: Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad
Composer: Danny Elfman
Studio: Columbia Pictures

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Spider-Man 2

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1 - 12 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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All in all, this sequel is a blockbuster with both a heart and a brain.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Dave Calhoun
Dave Calhoun
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Raimi has once again crafted a blockbuster that thinks as hard as it thwacks -- in a word, amazing.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
07/20/04
Dan Jolin
Dan Jolin
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A mind-boggling piece of showboating and the most rigorous fairground ride of the year

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
07/15/04
James Christopher
James Christopher
Times [UK]
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Raimi weaves a wonderfully seductive web of arachnid action, human drama, and wink-nudge comedy.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
07/12/04
Stella Papamichael
Stella Papamichael
BBC
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Confident, exciting, funny and crafted with real heart.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
12/15/03
Matthew De Abaitua
Matthew De Abaitua
Channel 4 Film
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Every bit as good -- if not better -- than the original.

Full Review Source: CNN.com | comment Comment
06/29/04
Paul Clinton (CNN.com)
Paul Clinton (CNN.com)
CNN.com
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The best superhero movie since the modern genre was launched with Superman (1978).

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
06/29/04
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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Doc Ock grabs this film with his quartet of sinisterly serpentine mechanical arms and refuses to let go.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
06/28/04
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
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A big Hollywood machine that's unexpectedly full of wit and -- dare we say it? -- intelligence.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
06/28/04
Richard Schickel
Richard Schickel
TIME Magazine
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Spider-Man 2 is full of bright colors, emphatic noises and elaborate special effects. That much is to be expected. But its distinguishing features, I'm happy to report, are strong characters and honest feelings.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
06/28/04
A.O. Scott
A.O. Scott
New York Times
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Crackerjack entertainment from start to finish.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
06/23/04
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy
Variety
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Production values exceed those of the earlier film in creating a comic book world with design, costumes, cinematography and CG effects that deliver the 'wow' factor in spades.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
06/23/04
Kirk Honeycutt
Kirk Honeycutt
Hollywood Reporter
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1 - 12 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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