Just when I was about ready to throw in the towel on Hollywood and its univentive sequel/remake/book adaption craze of unoriginal recycling, I sat down to see the second chapter in Sam Raimi's "Spider Man" series. While I enjoyed the first film, it never really drew me in emotionally. It had some real cool action sequences and some interesting special effects but the story was very paint-by-numbers comic book fare. I enjoyed the film's cinematic style, which seemed to me like an homage to the 50's-style of films, but while I wasn't turned off by the the hero's backstory, I was never fully compelled by it either. When I had heard all of the cast members spit the usual studio speech about how the sequel would be even better, I took it very much with a grain of salt. By the time I came out of this movie, however, I was a believer. "Spider Man 2" takes place two years after the original where Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is struggling with the realization that his superhero alter-ego is alienating him from everyone that he loves. His best friend, Harry (James Franco) is stelling stewing over his father's death at the hands of Spidey and the object of his affections, Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) is fed up by Pete's inability to committ to her. If that wasn't bad enough, his commitment to crime fighting has cost him more than a few jobs and he's struggling to pay his rent. On the Spider-Man side of things, he has to deal with a new enemy, Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), a transformed version of Otto Octavius, a brilliant fusion engineer whose expirement ends up killing his wife and subsquently driving him insane. As far as super-villians go, this one's a doosy.
"Spider Man 2" improves on so many aspects of the first film. Where the first film had Maguire as the akward teen coping with his newfound powers and subsquent responsibilites, this one paints him as the reluctant hero that is banished to a life of personal abandoment. The hero seems like a far greater underdog this go around as Spider-Man must deal with a much tougher villian while Peter Parker tries to put his life back together. I liked the fact that Raimi balanced out the film's jaw-dropping effects with some emotional character depth. There is a good mixture of storytelling and cinematic style here. Raimi also improved on the dialouge here. There are some comedic moments but the rivalry between Spidey and Doc Ock doesn't elevate itself to the level of cheesy line-trading that went on between Maguire and Dafoe in the first.
The performances are really what seperates this one from its predecassor. Tobey Maguire is given a lot more to do, this time around. While Molina doesn't have the same charisma as Dafoe, his villian is far more menacing. Kirsten Dunst is given a somewhat smaller role here but it serves its purpose. My one complaint is that Mary Jane doesn't really look the same in this one. In the first movie, she had a much different look to her than most of the characters that Dunst has portrayed. Here, she doesn't carry herself the same way. It doesn't really take anything away from the film but it is somewhat noticeable whether intended or not. There are a good deal of amusing cameo appearances here as well but I'm not gonna spoil them for you.
"Spider Man 2" is not just one of the better sequels I've seen in awhile but also one of the best films of its kind that I've seen at the movies in some time. I can't remember the last time that I went into a movie theatre and was entertained on so many levels the way that I was with this film. Maybe low expectations might have played a part in it but in all honesty, I doubt it. No matter what your preconceived notion of this movie is, you will probably be drawn in just the same. You don't have to be a comic book fan or even a fan of the first movie to enjoy but it certainly doesn't hurt things. (Review: ****1/2)
I won't go into detail too much about the plot as every other review on here will probably give you a synopsis. I will however, make some comments about what I particularly liked or disliked about this film.
I found that I came out of the movie thinking that there wasn't as much action as I expected. It was strange that Peter Parker's powers could go away simply because he didn't want to be Spider-Man anymore. And I found myself noticing that Tobey Maguire was starting too look a bit old for this part. He is already 28(?) now, and by the time Spider-Man 3 is released, I may not be able to be convinced that he Peter Parker anymore. I was also a little disappointed that the rumours of a Venom appearance weren't true and that the next movie will probably feature Harry Osbourne as the Green Goblin. And I didn't like how so many people saw Spider-Man's identity (Harry, MJ, Doc Ock, all the people on the train).
Among the things I liked most was the beginning of the movie, which was very clever in the way that it showed you storyboards from the 1st movie to refresh your memory and summarize what has happened. Undoubtedbly, the action scenes in this movie were great (eg. the scene where he has to stop the speeding train). And the storyline is very well developed. In addition to these, there was also a good mix of humour thrown in to make the movie even more entertaining (eg. when Peter gives up being Spider-Man to the tune of Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head, and the elevator scene where the stranger asks him about the costume... "a little itchy"... haha). We also saw characters from the comics such as John Jameson, which some of us know as Man-Wolf.
This is a great movie to see with the family and I hope that it breaks many box office records. (...) That's it for now Spidey fans! Have a great summer! Spiderman 2 has some of the highest expectations to ever be placed on a movie. Spiderman grossed $403 million dollars and is the fifth most successful movie in U.S. history. Spiderman 2 could shatter that number.
Spiderman 2 picks up right where Spiderman left us. Peter Parker(Maguire) is a struggling college student. His grades are slipping and so are his friendships with his best friends Mary Jane(Dunst) and Harry(Franco). His Aunt May(Harris) is worried sick about him. His duties as Spiderman are keeping him so busy he's starting to fall apart. He has a huge assignment due in school about a famous scientist and Harry happens to know the guy so he gives him the hook up.
Harry is now in charge of special operations at Osbourne Industries. Dr. Otto Octavius(Molina) is a world famous scientist who has ideas on how fusion will save the world. He's created four mechanical arms he wears that help him do the work. An accident happens though that causes the arms to fuse to the Dr and he goes on the rampage because the A.I. from the arms consume him. He is determined to make his fusion work and will stop at nothing to do it.
Peter is a little devestated by the accident. He enjoyed meeting Octavius but is saddened by the experience. His life is also getting very hard on him. He finds out Mary Jane is engaged and is so mad with him that she wants almost nothing to do with him. Harry is so obsessed with killing Spiderman because he blames him for his dads death. He's angry at Peter and wants him to give him info on Spiderman. Peter can't take it anymore so he gives up as the web slinger.
Peter is happy with his new life. His grades are improving, but his relationship with MJ isn't going the way he wanted. Doc Ock is still on the loose and must be stopped. Will the web slinger give up his new found happy life and stop Doc Ock or will he keep his new found happines. This is the movie that is Spiderman 2.
This movie destroys the first one. It's much more entertaing than the first. It doesn't drag like the first one did, because so many new character aren't introduced. The movie is quite humerous in places and it is obvious that Raimi is more comfortable with the character. Raimi's comedic charm is evident all over the film and he takes the story and runs with it.
An excellent story has been given to us. The Smallville creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar contribute to it. The screenplay is from Alvin Sargent who has written a comic masterpiece. The writers did a fantastic job with the story.
Tobey McGuire is excellent as Spiderman. He is perfectly cast as Peter Parker. He seems more comfortable with the role and he shines. Kirsten Dunst is hot as Mary Jane. Like everybody else it's obvious she is more comfortable with the role and it's a bigger one for her this time around. Molina as Doc Ock is perfect. A awesome cast was done with this movie and the makers really need to be complimented on the good job.
This movie is awesome. It's the most entertaining movie of 2004. It's easily the best comic book movie ever. Spiderman has always had a more humble human trait that so many other comic heros don't have. It's not so much about his powers and abilites, but how much he sacrifices to make the world a beter place. He puts other people above himself and he does so for the right reasons. With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility and that's why we love Spiderman.
You have to see this movie. This is what a comic movie should be. It's the best movie to this date of 2004 and is family fun entertainment. You can't call yourself a Spiderman fan and not see it. Go see it and be prepared for a great time.
Read Best Reviews of Spider-Man 2 (2004) Here
I have to start by saying I'm fairly biased about this film. The original was one of my favorite movies, and I grew up reading the comics religiously. That being said, I do feel I would be able to give it an unbiased review if I didn't like it, but thankfully, that was not the case.Spider-Man 2 is Sam Raimi at his best. I've never been in a theater where I've felt an audience have so much fun at a movie. This film had everything: incredible special effects, great dialogue, romantic themes, plenty of action, and some decent acting. When I first saw the trailer for the film, I thought the special effects looked a bit shoddy, but the final release was amazing. Everything was seamless, and the attention to detail was very noticeable. One of the best parts aspects of this film is the comedic elements. I didn't expect to laugh going into Spider-Man 2, but it pleasantly surprised me and I found it more humorous than most comedies. The humor is very subtle and some of it is campy, but doesn't come off poorly. It's great watching Parker trying to deliver pizzas in his costume to meet a deadline, or being forced to use an elevator and make small talk with the other occupant. Raimi fans will also be pleased with a few Evil Dead II references, and one 30 second scene in a hospital realy stood out and showcased his talent for the horror genre.
Raimi captures the essence of Parker so much more closely in this film. The Parker in this film is given a closer focus on the fact that he still experiences much of the flaws that every other New Yorker has to go through. From having to live in a run down apartment, to never having any money. Too many Super heroes come from wealthy backgrounds and have an unlimited supply of money, but Spider-Man is just a below-average teenager who's given an incredible ability. And this is why he's so identifiable and likeable to the audience. As I said, Raimi does an incredible job of showing this and I couldn't believe how closely the film version of Parker matched the bumbling science nerd I grew up with in the comics. In addition, comics fans will love this film for all of the hidden references that are stacked in the movie. There's a cameo of creator Stan Lee, a photographic reference to a famous comic panel of Spidey taking of his mask, oft-quoted lines from the book, and Dr. Connors and John Jameson appear, who feature into the comic very prominently.
It does have a few faults, albeit they're hard to notice. I found that some of Maguire's lines came off a bit forced, which I noticed in the first film. Franko is also a little stiff as Harry Osborne. I didn't notice any bad acting, but nothing I would consider Academy-worthy either. There was also a subplot about a physical problem with Parker that felt out of place in the film and wasn't developed very well. But it made for some really incredible scenes that I wouldn't want removed.
Overall, this is one of the best films I've seen in a long while, and accomplishes that rare feat of surpassing the original. There were two or three specific events at the end of the movie that really blew me away and that I wasn't expecting, and will make for some very interesting sequels. As a long-time Spider-Man fan, I can definitely say this movie is very fulfilling, and I would recommend it to audiences of any age and type.
Want Spider-Man 2 (2004) Discount?
We all know how great Spiderman 2 was, it included one of the classic villains from the comic in an excellent adaptation of the original story delivering a movie that was indeed better than the first one. So I will base this review on the extra scenes and the DVD specs and not the movie itself.Disc 1
This one includes the movie with 8 minutes of bonus footage, this footage is not shown separately as `deleted scenes', instead, the scenes were added to the movie so we can consider this an extended edition of the film.
Peter's birthday party is extended. Here, we see Peter and Harry going over Harry's issues with Spidey and the death of his father.
The elevator scene in which Spidey talked about his costume was replaced with another that I personally didn't like, the new one feels awkward and not as spontaneous as the original.
MJ at the shoe store. Mary Jane talks about love and the kiss she got from Spidey with a friend.
Two fight sequences are extended; in the one in which Dr. Octopus takes aunt May hostage, a new bit in which they both crash into an office through the window and fight inside was added. Also, the train sequence has new bits of Spidey and Dr Octopus fighting while hanging besides the train.
Jonah Jameson wears the Spiderman suit while the staff looks amazed, a quite silly scene that I understand why it was originally removed.
Bottom-line, the extra 8 minutes do not add anything to the movie; they are tiny bits that were originally removed for a reason. If you are a Spiderman fan and a collector you can get this for a very decent price, if you liked the original and expect to see major changes, the 2.1 version will only disappoint you.
The movie includes a trivia track with a lot of information about the comics, the actors and the movie itself; if activated, it will also show you behind the scenes during the movie. The movie screen will be minimized in the lower left corner to show the behind the scene footage in the full screen. Presented in English, French and Spanish (all three in Dolby Digital 5.1) and subtitled in the same three languages. It includes also an audio commentary by Laura Ziskin & Kirsten Dunst.
Disc 2
The features included here are more oriented to promoting the third movie of the hero. There is a sneak peek for the "Spider-Man 3" movie, which is basically the same scenes from the original trailer plus some interviews with the cast. I rather watch the last trailer for the movie but that one is not included here.
There is a `Inside 2.1 Featurette' that describes the process of completion of the scenes, ironically the last comment in this featurette says that `the movie the people will remember will be Spiderman 2 and not the 2.1 version'
Another preview for the video game is also here, but when you see it you'll see that it was added just to justify more features in the disc. Also, a look at Danny Elfman composing the music for the Spiderman saga is shown as part of the special features.
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