Raimi did a terrific job in both films of never forgetting the audience needs to connect with the flesh and blood actors.
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-13 [See Full Rating] for stylized action violence
Runtime: 2 hrs 7 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Theatrical Release:Jun 30, 2004 Wide
Box Office: $373,377,893
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
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Release:
Aug 4, 2009
Reviews for Spider-Man 2
While the first film was good, this one has the kind of storytelling that got me reading the comics decades ago.
Spider-Man 2 is spectacular, mostly because it's more 'Man' than 'Spider.'
Spider-Man 2, while it sometimes lapses into dirgelike dullness, still manages the impressive feat of bestowing a human face on a story that could easily feel like a cartoon.
[The first big fight scene] looks so realistic that it's hard to believe the whole thing was shot in a computer.
Doc Ock grabs this film with his quartet of sinisterly serpentine mechanical arms and refuses to let go.
Until it develops a bad case of verbosity toward the end, it improves upon its predecessor in almost every way, delivering flashier thrills while digging deeper into its characters and adding an overlay of wit.
Spider-Man was good bubble gum, but this movie is a Willie Wonka Everlasting Gobstopper!
A big Hollywood machine that's unexpectedly full of wit and -- dare we say it? -- intelligence.
A worthy sequel to the 2002 blockbuster, Spider-Man 2 will deposit fans somewhere on the satisfaction spectrum between quietly pleased and overjoyed.
Spider-Man 2 is full of bright colors, emphatic noises and elaborate special effects. That much is to be expected. But its distinguishing features, I'm happy to report, are strong characters and honest feelings.
The sequel bests the original for the third time this summer as Spider-man 2 leaves your jaw touching the floor for the entire geek-gasmic blast
A rare summer megamovie with both a brain and a soul... [plus] enough visual fireworks to satisfy even the most discriminating action fan... easily surpasses the original...
Nothing in the original prepared me for the energy, wit, and daring of this sequel the wildest, most joyous, flat-out comic-bookiest comic-book movie ever.
Everyone involved created a masterpiece of comic book film that’s better on every level than its predecessor...this is the summer movie you’ve been waiting for all year.
Spider-Man 2 continues Parker's adolescence with an identity crisis and a sort of superhero version of erectile dysfunction.
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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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...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
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| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
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| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
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| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
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