A spectacularly entertaining summer movie.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:231
Fresh:216
Rotten:15
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
Reviews for Spider-Man 2
From great powers come itchy costumes, bad wall-climbing days and bill collectors. Who knew?
This is a textbook definition of the “perfect” summer movie. I had a smile on my face for two days after seeing this, and I can give it no higher praise than that.
In an amazing breakthrough, it’s been discovered that it pays to make good sequels; and that bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better.
[M]ust be quite the most tenderly tragic comic-book movie ever made...
Tough to watch without getting bored in the middle - it's a two-hour-plus film that easily could have shed half an hour - and not imagining how it could have been better.
I think Sam Raimi can loosen his tie and kick off his shoes. He done good.
Rosemary Harris gives so much heart to this project, her importance cannot be overstated
Spidey and gang are back in Spider-Man 2--perhaps in need of some therapy--but ultimately bigger and better than ever.
Maguire...doesn't overplay Parker's meekness or Spider-Man's cleverness; he's just right.
Its predecessor's equal in pure popcorn entertainment, Spiderman 2 adds moral complexities to daunt even the most intrepid of webslingers.
Few movies have so mastered motion. Raimi is all but re-inventing cinematic story-telling before our delighted eyes.
Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is back burning up the big screen with the best super hero movie I have seen so far.
Not since The Empire Strikes Back or Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, has a sequel been so darn satisfying... Films don't come any better.
The bottom line is that Spider-Man 2 is a summer movie for people that don't ordinarily enjoy summer movies.
It isn't all action, or all laughs, or all drama. It's an ingenious combination of the three. It's some of the most fun I've had in a theater in a while.
Expect less of the one-liners and more of the biting the inside of your cheek so you won't start bawling in front of your date.
'Spider-Man 2' is that summer rarity - a big-budget blockbuster that actually lives up to the considerable advanced hype.
Spider-Man 2 deserves every nickel its bound to make. It's what happens when filmmakers focus on "let's make a good movie" instead of "let's make a sequel".
Latest News for Spider-Man 2
October 31, 2007:
Spider-Man 4 Script On Its Way
The questions of who will be directing and starring in it remain unanswered, but Spider-Man 4 just got itself a screenwriter. More...
July 31, 2007:
Early Production Underway for Spider-Man 4
Yep, just a little more vague mumbling about what might happen on Spider-Man 4, but when Sam Raimi has something to say, it's usually worth listening to. More...
July 13, 2007:
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The Hogwarts posse is back with the highly anticipated launch of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", the fifth film in the blockbuster wizard series which has... More...
July 12, 2007:
"Harry Potter" Conjures Up Box Office Records
Four years after "The Return of the King" set the $8 million record for a midnight screening, cinemagoers have boosted the latest "Harry Potter" flick above... More...
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