Critic Reviews
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Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
A lot of talent to lavish on a single movie, but the result is uncommonly smart for the genre, and not just smart but tremendously enjoyable.
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Dave Calhoun, Time Out
All in all, this sequel is a blockbuster with both a heart and a brain.
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Peter Rainer, New York Magazine
It improves on the first one: better action, better comedy.
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Anthony Lane, New Yorker
Like the first installment, refreshingly perverse in its intent.
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Julien Lapointe, Chicago Reader
Raimi is good with the details.
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Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
Spider-Man 2 is much more a grown-up love story than its predecessor.
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Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy
It hits the ground at ramming speed and, slightly over two hours later, collapses in blissful exhaustion.
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Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
A popcorn pleasure with heart, soul, and insight.
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Nathan Rabin, AV Club
Simultaneously funnier, darker, and more emotional than its forebear.
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Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
There are plenty of surprises in this compelling Hollywood cartoon-inspired movie that tops everything else in the genre.
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Garth Franklin, Dark Horizons
Overall it's a solid superhero movie with some memorable moments.
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Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed
One of a kind.
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Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
There are awesome effects, explosive action, wry humour and an emotional heart that pulsates loudly and steadily throughout.
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Mark Halverson, Sacramento News & Review
The biggest current bang for your popcorn buck is the IMAX presentation of this exhilarating adventure.
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Joe Lozito, Big Picture Big Sound
Mr. Raimi, working at the top of his game, reunites the entire cast of the first film, and by this point they feel like family.
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Kam Williams, EURWeb
Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man wrestling with demons, literally and figuratively!
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Kam Williams, Princeton Town Topics
Spider-Man wrestling with demons, literally and figuratively!
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Russ Breimeier, Christianity Today
Hands down the best comic book franchise on film.
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Jason Zingale, Bullz-Eye.com
Spider-Man 2 is not what you expect from the typical summer blockbuster, but you'll still eat it up like a bag of popcorn.
Read all 19 critic reviews
Featured Audience Ratings
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An exceptional sequel led by a superb cast and filled with a fantastic direction/script. Spider-Man 2 takes a deeper toll on the masked vigilante with an emotional as well as physical toll. With the addition of Alfred Molina as the famed villian, the film is a spin of fun. 5/5
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Even more pointless mayhem than in the first one. Spider-Man the sequel just makes me once again ask a question "what the hell happened to director Sam Raimi!?".
I mean is this the same guy who gave us Evil Dead 1 & 2 with their innovative camerwork and pitch perfect… More
Even more pointless mayhem than in the first one. Spider-Man the sequel just makes me once again ask a question "what the hell happened to director Sam Raimi!?".
I mean is this the same guy who gave us Evil Dead 1 & 2 with their innovative camerwork and pitch perfect atmosphere mixing just the right amounts of horror and comedy together. All that Spider-Man 2 has to offer for audiences is weak screenplay with weak performances from the whole cast. There is also cheesy dialogue with awkward moments of comedy which does not work and finally there is this extremely bad looking use of CGI.
To be honest, this film is nothing but a waste of time and piece of crap.
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more effective than the first in character design. some of the sequences of the first were a tad better, but overall they are about equal in quality. i liked a lot about this film, but a great spiderman film is yet to be made.
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Taking a huge leap forward in technology and storytelling, "Spider-Man 2" is not just your average superhero film, but it is a piece of super-heroic art to own for a lifetime that should be cherished upon, and never given up! There is still cheese in this film, just like the… More
Taking a huge leap forward in technology and storytelling, "Spider-Man 2" is not just your average superhero film, but it is a piece of super-heroic art to own for a lifetime that should be cherished upon, and never given up! There is still cheese in this film, just like the first time around, but the characters have so much depth and the consequences actually come into effect. I do not see why anyone in their right mind would not like this film, because to me, it is "THE" greatest superhero film of all time! The shots are very impressive, the acting is good enough for a fictional flick, the writing is on another level of great when it comes down to the considerations that it is a superhero film, and the action scenes are not something you can just walk away from. "Spider-man 2" is a movie that I will love forever! From the humour to the sad emotional moments, this film is brilliant in it's own way! It may not follow the comics to a "T," but honestly, we knew that going in. Forget that, and you have a masterpiece of a superhero film!
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The sequel to the superb 2004 entry, Spider-Man 2 is bigger and is more emotional. Tobey Maguire reprises his role as the web slinger. This time, he is to confront a new and improved villian. Personally, the main focus of this film should be Alfred Molina; who's portrayal of Dr… More
The sequel to the superb 2004 entry, Spider-Man 2 is bigger and is more emotional. Tobey Maguire reprises his role as the web slinger. This time, he is to confront a new and improved villian. Personally, the main focus of this film should be Alfred Molina; who's portrayal of Dr Octopus gives off pure power, sophistication and terror. This is possibly the highlight in the Spider-Man trilogy.
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Up until "Dark Knight", this was by far my favorite comic book movie. "Spider- Man 2" took everything good about the first movie, and built on it. Amazing effects mixed with an equally amazing story. The whole cast is back as Peter Parker(Tobey Maquire) deals… More
Up until "Dark Knight", this was by far my favorite comic book movie. "Spider- Man 2" took everything good about the first movie, and built on it. Amazing effects mixed with an equally amazing story. The whole cast is back as Peter Parker(Tobey Maquire) deals with whether or not he wants to be spider man, or to live just a normal life. He's haunted by the fact that he can never be in a happy relationship with Mary Jane Watson(Kirsten Dunst), and that his best friend Harry(James Franco) wants spider man dead for the death of his father. The whole time all this is going on, a new villain rises in Dr. Ock(Alfred Molina) and he threatens to destroy all of New York. Its a great film, and worked best as a true Peter Parker movie. You really go on a journey through him and see the ups and downs of being a super hero through his eyes. Side note, this movie has one of the best soundtracks ever. I absolutely love it to this day, and it features one of my favorite songs "Gifts and Curses" by Yellowcard. With the series being rebooted, making this trilogy kind of obsolete, this movie still stands as a phenomenal film.
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This movie is raved to be the best of the Spider-Man series, but I beg to differ. It just wasn't as interesting as the first one...
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There really isn't a lot that needs to be said about this movie. It fixes on the flaws of the first film and creates a fantastic film. The story goes more in depth about the characters and has more emotional value. The acting in this movie works as well. Tobey McGuire is… More
There really isn't a lot that needs to be said about this movie. It fixes on the flaws of the first film and creates a fantastic film. The story goes more in depth about the characters and has more emotional value. The acting in this movie works as well. Tobey McGuire is excellent as Peter Parker, James Franco and Kirsten Dunst play great roles, and Alfred Molina was terrific as Doc Ock. This is one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.
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Perfect! A fantastic film! Spiderman 2 is Marvel's best film! It's among the best of it's genre if not the best. Everything that was perfect about the first film the second exemplifies!
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<br/>But, the thing that really stands out to me about this film… More
Perfect! A fantastic film! Spiderman 2 is Marvel's best film! It's among the best of it's genre if not the best. Everything that was perfect about the first film the second exemplifies!
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<br/>But, the thing that really stands out to me about this film is the growth and development of the story and characters. I think this film taps into the depthness and emotion of the story. Sometimes films like this tend to focus on the action too much, but this film brilliantly taps into both, creating an emotional level unlike anything I have ever seen.
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<br/>I LOVE this film. One of my favorites. This film is so underrated.....i mean yes, everyone likes it, but it is so much more. Brilliant!
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The sequel to the highly campy Spiderman is a vast improvement. Spider Man 2 has a better villian and is deeper emotionally and minus the terrible script from the original.
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Just as good as the first, if not better. More action and definitely a coller villain. I've always liked Doc Ock, so it was nice to see him put into the film.
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Sequel to the very popular Spiderman is a mediocre film that has some entertaining moments, but it never really takes off. I felt that the film wasn't strong, and to be honest, I feel that the Spiderman films are some of the most poorly made of all superhero films. This sequel… More
Sequel to the very popular Spiderman is a mediocre film that has some entertaining moments, but it never really takes off. I felt that the film wasn't strong, and to be honest, I feel that the Spiderman films are some of the most poorly made of all superhero films. This sequel has some good action, but it feels like the film was designed with only kids in mind. Batman on the other hand was great for teens and adults a like. But this film is only made for a teen audience. The doesn't really do anything great, and it lacks in many respects in telling a terrific story. That's where I felt that these films failed the lack an appealing, intriguing story. Like Nolan's Batman films were genius movies with compelling stories, but Spiderman 1, 2, 3 lacks that big time. This sequel is a step down from the first which was actually fairly decently entertaining, but it still lacked anything great. Fans of the first may be disappointed with this sequel as you can see the ideas on screen are lacking. There were some good elements, and I really thought Alfred Molina's performance was terrific. But I just think that this sequel is mediocre because I thought it was silly and it was mostly designed for a teenage audience in mind. Below decent but still mildly entertaining.
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[Aunt May accidentally kicks a banker]
Banker: Ouch! What was that for?
I think perception plays a key role when making a big-budgeted superhero movie, and that is precisely how Sam Raimi directed 'Spider-Man 2' with such brilliance that any flaws are forgotten. While there… More
[Aunt May accidentally kicks a banker]
Banker: Ouch! What was that for?
I think perception plays a key role when making a big-budgeted superhero movie, and that is precisely how Sam Raimi directed 'Spider-Man 2' with such brilliance that any flaws are forgotten. While there are some great performances in this, Alfred Molina completely steals the show as Doctor Octopus, in one of his best roles, as well as a suitable villain for this film. The effects and CGI are improved from the first, and the bank robbery is a truly unforgettable sequence in film history. However, the first 'Spider-Man' is a superior film, but 'Spider-Man 2' is a quality sequel. Highly recommended.
Read more reviews at www.creedsdelight.com
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Well, now! They say (assuming "they" are movie experts) that sequels are never great and are always weakly scripted. That certainly did not happen to Sam Raimi's interpretation of the classical comic book saga SPIDER-MAN. SPIDER-MAN 2, though quite simply named, is… More
Well, now! They say (assuming "they" are movie experts) that sequels are never great and are always weakly scripted. That certainly did not happen to Sam Raimi's interpretation of the classical comic book saga SPIDER-MAN. SPIDER-MAN 2, though quite simply named, is far better than the original SPIDER-MAN, now with many more thrills and action sequences to keep you watching until the last few seconds. SPIDER-MAN 2, once again, left all of us hanging for the simply inevitable SPIDER-MAN 3.
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I loved all of these Spider Man's.
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"Am I not supposed to have what I want? What I need? What am I supposed to do?" I was skeptical if Sam Raimi could make another Spider-Man that would live up to his first and I'm suprised to say that I think this one is even a little better than his first. This one… More
"Am I not supposed to have what I want? What I need? What am I supposed to do?" I was skeptical if Sam Raimi could make another Spider-Man that would live up to his first and I'm suprised to say that I think this one is even a little better than his first. This one deals with Spidermans inner conflict of love or being the hero that everyone needs. Visually, it's as stunning as the first, but the story is superior to that of the first. Peter Parkers personal life starts to deteriorate as Spiderman starts to take over. The pacing of this movie is perfect and Raimi does one hell of a job telling the story. Tobey and Kirsten are great again; as is Franco. Alfred Molina does a very good job as the villain and he had to follow up Dafoe. The ending was awesome and really sets the stage for the next Spider-Man.
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What made Spider-Man 2 the best in the series, the fact that they polished the first and improved upon it to make it one of the best superhero films out there. The acting had a major freshen up and it seems like they all playe dthere part great. The effect were a MAJOR improvement… More
What made Spider-Man 2 the best in the series, the fact that they polished the first and improved upon it to make it one of the best superhero films out there. The acting had a major freshen up and it seems like they all playe dthere part great. The effect were a MAJOR improvement and were no longer cheesy like the first but looked very real. The action was more well done and better directed. The villain played by Alfred Molina was perfect as Doc Oc and he actually looks like the guy in the comics, and he deserved more recognition. The plot not only deals with the troubles of Spider-Man, it directs its attention at us because he is going through the same life problems we might have, and it truly makes us feel for him as a human being. Spiderman 2 was an ingenius work of art, and I loved it.
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Very good movie. Exelent storytelling and very funny aswell. One moment it's sad and the other you are laughing and it's all placed out very well. Doc Ock isn't coolest guy...But I can't think of a better way to do something with him. I don't think it's… More
Very good movie. Exelent storytelling and very funny aswell. One moment it's sad and the other you are laughing and it's all placed out very well. Doc Ock isn't coolest guy...But I can't think of a better way to do something with him. I don't think it's as far behind the first one anymore. Can't wait to se the third......winner takes all
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Better than the first, the themes and characters explored feel more mature and there's also a lot more emotion thrust into Peter Parker's character when he comes to terms with being Spidey. Combo'd with state of the art superhero CGI action and you've got yourself… More
Better than the first, the themes and characters explored feel more mature and there's also a lot more emotion thrust into Peter Parker's character when he comes to terms with being Spidey. Combo'd with state of the art superhero CGI action and you've got yourself a winner.
Read all 20 featured audience ratings
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