Spider-Man 2 2004

Critics score:
93 / 100

Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: If the first installment of Spider-Man lived up to expectations, the new film surpasses them. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: A masterpiece of pop filmmaking -- a fantastic, exuberant entertainment that manages to be both sleek and substantial without being patronizing. Read more

Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune: 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. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: Doc Ock grabs this film with his quartet of sinisterly serpentine mechanical arms and refuses to let go. Read more

Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel: The new, improved SM2 has a far smoother narrative line, as well as more amazing special effects, including even more terrific swinging. Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: A deeply satisfying and involving sequel. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: This is undoubtedly the most fun you'll have at the multiplexes this season, or maybe even this year. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: The web-slinging sequences are bigger-better-brighter-faster than the already spectacular ones in 2002's Spider-Man, and at the same time, the film's smaller emotional moments are denser, richer and more resonant than those in the first. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: Smart, fun entertainment made by people who took nothing for granted, including the audience. Read more

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: [F]aster, funnier and more entertaining than the original. Read more

Steve Murray, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a sequel can. And then some. Read more

Nathan Rabin, AV Club: Simultaneously funnier, darker, and more emotional than its forebear. Read more

Bill Muller, Arizona Republic: As visually stunning and loyal to character development as the first film. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: This sequel is a more complete, not to mention more complex, experience. Read more

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader: Alfred Molina makes a more baroque supervillain than Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin, but the other stars seem happy to be giving us more of the same. Sam Raimi's direction, on the other hand, is even more fluent and well paced. Read more

Julien Lapointe, Chicago Reader: Raimi is good with the details. Read more

Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle: Sensational enough for power-fantasy fans, it also tells a strong story that tugs agreeably on our heartstrings. Read more

Paul Clinton (CNN.com), CNN.com: Every bit as good -- if not better -- than the original. Read more

Michael Booth, Denver Post: Easily the most fun movie of the summer, an all-ages show that crawls deep into the heart. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: This triumphant sequel to the hard-to-top 2002 original may be the first great comic-book movie in the age of self-help and CGI wizardry, an entertainment in which both the thrills and the therapeutic personal growth are well earned. Read more

Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News: The best comic book-styled adventure since the 23-year-old Raiders of the Lost Ark. Read more

Ella Taylor, L.A. Weekly: Spider-Man 2 has all manner of fancy CGI improvements on its precursor, but in the end it's the old-style action sequences that carry it. Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: Spider- Man 2 is that rare thing, a thoroughly successful sequel. Read more

Anthony Lane, New Yorker: Like the first installment, refreshingly perverse in its intent. Read more

Peter Rainer, New York Magazine/Vulture: It improves on the first one: better action, better comedy. Read more

Lisa Rose, Newark Star-Ledger: [Raimi pulls] off the amazing feat of one-upping the original. Read more

Jami Bernard, New York Daily News: Spider-Man 2 is a perfect blend of summer action, a big movie with a deeply personal story. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: Sequels don't get much better -- or smarter -- than the action-, drama-, romance- and comedy-packed Spider-Man 2. Read more

A.O. Scott, New York Times: 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. Read more

Andrew Sarris, New York Observer: Spider-Man 2 is much more a grown-up love story than its predecessor. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: A worthy sequel to the 2002 blockbuster, Spider-Man 2 will deposit fans somewhere on the satisfaction spectrum between quietly pleased and overjoyed. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: The best superhero movie since the modern genre was launched with Superman (1978). Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: Spider-Man 2 is all you can ask for in summer fun. Read more

Charles Taylor, Salon.com: For a big-budget action movie Spider-Man 2 is modest and not assaultive -- it has a boring decency. Read more

David Edelstein, Slate: Spider-Man 2 has the cleanest emotional arc of any comic-book movie, ever. For all the simulation, it breathes. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Spider-Man 2 won't just grab your guts -- it will take your heart. Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: This Spidey ain't heavy, this Spidey ain't light -- this Spidey weighs in just right. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: Doc Ock is a far more interesting character than Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin from the first picture, and he's a lot funnier, too. Read more

Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine: A big Hollywood machine that's unexpectedly full of wit and -- dare we say it? -- intelligence. Read more

Dave Calhoun, Time Out: All in all, this sequel is a blockbuster with both a heart and a brain. Read more

Mike Clark, USA Today: Has something for everyone. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Variety: Crackerjack entertainment from start to finish. Read more

J. Hoberman, Village Voice: The movie's first half is talky bordering on tiresome -- endlessly rehashing the same mix of frustrated puppy love, survivor guilt, and identity crisis. Read more

Stephen Hunter, Washington Post: Maguire, with his dim eyes and his forlorn voice, gives the movie an emotional center utterly rare for this sort of thing. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: As fine a repeat experience as our foolish, creativity-challenged tradition of sequelizing allows. Read more