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- 2004
- TV-14
- Columbia Pictures
- 2 h 7 m
- 2004
- TV-14
- Columbia Pictures
- 2 h 7 m
Summary In the second installment in the Spider-Man series, based on the classic Marvel Comics hero, Tobey Maguire returns as the mild-mannered Peter Parker, who is juggling the delicate balance of his dual life as a college student and a superhuman crime fighter. The entertaining adventure escalates and Spider-Man's life becomes even more compl...
Directed By: Sam Raimi
- 2004
- TV-14
- Columbia Pictures
- 2 h 7 m
- 2004
- TV-14
- Columbia Pictures
- 2 h 7 m
Spider-Man 2
8.6
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Summary In the second installment in the Spider-Man series, based on the classic Marvel Comics hero, Tobey Maguire returns as the mild-mannered Peter Parker, who is juggling the delicate balance of his dual life as a college student and a superhuman crime fighter. The entertaining adventure escalates and Spider-Man's life becomes even more compl...
Directed By: Sam Raimi
Where to Watch
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 41 Critic Reviews
83
90% Positive
37 Reviews
37 Reviews
10% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 41 Critic Reviews
83
90% Positive
37 Reviews
37 Reviews
10% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Where Peter was yee-ha giddy with the discovery of his newfound powers in the first film, he's crushed by the weight of responsibility that comes with them in its far superior successor.
It's a real movie, full-blooded and smart, with qualities even for those who have no idea who Stan Lee is. It's a superhero movie for people who don't go to superhero movies, and for those who do, it's the one they've been yearning for.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 1,801 User Ratings
8.6
92% Positive
1649 Ratings
1649 Ratings
6% Mixed
107 Ratings
107 Ratings
2% Negative
45 Ratings
45 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 1,801 User Ratings
8.6
92% Positive
1649 Ratings
1649 Ratings
6% Mixed
107 Ratings
107 Ratings
2% Negative
45 Ratings
45 Ratings
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
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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.
Raimi doesn't make the mistake of over-thinking the flimsy psychology of the genre. All this conflicted-hero stuff isn't meant to be profound; instead, it's there for the same reason as everything else -- to give the action (the interior action in this case) a healthy shot of pop energy.
It’s easily the best movie of the summer so far. Sony has obviously given Raimi more freedom to run the show, and the results are very entertaining.
By Pete Vonder Haar
FULL REVIEW
Although Sam Raimi's direction is generally solid (and, in some scenes, flawless), the film's middle act has instances when it seems repetitive and exposition-heavy.
As much as I enjoy Spidey's high-flying Cheez-Doodle swoops through the skyscraper canyons of a digitally rearranged midtown Manhattan, I get no kick from his angst, especially since in this incarnation, as opposed to the '60s comic book version, he's more innocuously depressed than defensively paranoid.
Ah man, I really loved this one when it first hit theaters. Now? Boy, it just hasn't held up so well. I still appreciate the effort to dig deeper into the character's history, exploring the classic "Spider-Man No More" storyline and treating Doctor Octopus with dignity, but it's so thoroughly over-acted and packed with corny jokes that the good stuff is largely negated by the bad. Two steps forward, two steps back, if you will.
Every aspect of the film is like that. Tobey Maguire does a fine job of conveying the heavy burden of responsibility, suffering through an arduous personal life to satisfy a lofty private code, but he also hams it up like nobody's business and spoils a few key moments with his blunt delivery. Sam Raimi pieces together a scene that's arguably the character's best cinematic moment (that would be the great train rescue) but also over-indulges with abundant guest spots and awkwardly out-of-place throwbacks to his Evil Dead days. Doc Ock's escape from the operating room, for example, is straight-up B-grade horror fare.
The world-building stuff gets a bit out of control, too, which leads to an overstuffed running time and a plot that drags on forever. It's cute to see The Lizard, Black Cat and Man-Wolf before they've become rogues, but those guest spots aren't worth more than a quick smile and a wink. Why do they need to become recurring characters, when the cast is already bursting at the seams?
There's interesting material here, and some memorable performances, but the whole thing needs a good fat-trimming.
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The romance story is too long and drawn out with little development, but the action scenes and Spiderman's reveal were good. Could have been shorter. Saw this recently, so I have a feeling this may have been better 20 years ago before superhero burnout set in.
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This movie has dazzling effects and action, but I'm sorry, I can't help but be annoyed by how stupid Peter has become, how even more **** Mary Jane has come, and how idiotic Harry is thinking that just because Peter takes pictures of Spider-Man, automatically means that Peter knows who Spider-Man is. It also doesn't help that Spider-Man's powers disappear for no realistic biological reason. I can't believe people just gloss over these flaws.
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Production Company
Columbia Pictures,
Marvel Enterprises,
Laura Ziskin Productions
Release Date Jun 30, 2004
Duration 2 h 7 m
Rating TV-14
Tagline Sacrifice
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Win & 3 Nominations
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 5 Wins & 8 Nominations
Golden Schmoes Awards
• 3 Wins & 8 Nominations