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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: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

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Spider-Man 2

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161 - 180 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Spider-Man 2 is double the romance and one half the slam-bang action

Full Review Source: Washington Times | comment Comment
06/29/04
Christian Toto
Christian Toto
Washington Times

Maguire, with his dim eyes and his forlorn voice, gives the movie an emotional center utterly rare for this sort of thing.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
06/29/04
Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post

The rare sequel that actually improves on the original.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
06/29/04
Maitland McDonagh
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Spider-Man 2 has the cleanest emotional arc of any comic-book movie, ever. For all the simulation, it breathes.

Full Review Source: Slate | comment Comment
06/29/04
David Edelstein
David Edelstein
Slate

This is undoubtedly the most fun you'll have at the multiplexes this season, or maybe even this year.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
06/29/04
Moira MacDonald
Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times

Smart, fun entertainment made by people who took nothing for granted, including the audience.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
06/29/04
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle

The closest thing to an art-house action film since Tim Burton's original Batman in 1989.

Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
06/29/04
Joe Baltake
Joe Baltake
Sacramento Bee

A deeply satisfying and involving sequel.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
06/29/04
Carrie Rickey
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer

2 takes the Spidey idea of the humbled superhero and runs with it.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Daily News | comment Comment
06/29/04
Gary Thompson
Gary Thompson
Philadelphia Daily News

[Raimi pulls] off the amazing feat of one-upping the original.

Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger | comment Comment
06/29/04
Lisa Rose
Lisa Rose
Newark Star-Ledger

Sequels don't get much better -- or smarter -- than the action-, drama-, romance- and comedy-packed Spider-Man 2.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
06/29/04
Lou Lumenick
Lou Lumenick
New York Post

Spider-Man 2 is a perfect blend of summer action, a big movie with a deeply personal story.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
06/29/04
Jami Bernard
Jami Bernard
New York Daily News

Spider-Man 2 won't just grab your guts -- it will take your heart.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
06/29/04
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune

Best comic book movie ... ever.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
06/29/04
Glenn Whipp
Glenn Whipp
Los Angeles Daily News

Sensational enough for power-fantasy fans, it also tells a strong story that tugs agreeably on our heartstrings.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
06/29/04
Bruce Westbrook
Bruce Westbrook
Houston Chronicle

Director Sam Raimi spins an inescapable web of popcorn-munching perfection that's superer than the original.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
06/29/04
E! Online

Well worth seeing for comic and action fans, but let's hope for a lower hand-wringing quotient next time around.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
06/29/04
Tom Long
Tom Long
Detroit News

If the first installment of Spider-Man lived up to expectations, the new film surpasses them.

Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment Comment
06/29/04
Terry Lawson
Terry Lawson
Detroit Free Press

The best comic book-styled adventure since the 23-year-old Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
06/29/04
Philip Wuntch
Philip Wuntch
Dallas Morning News

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
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
161 - 180 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 >> >|
all

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