Spider-Man 2 [DVD] [2004]

---

---

Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
More than a few critics hailed iSpider-Man 2/i as "the best superhero movie ever," and there's no compelling reason to argue--thanks to a bigger budget, better special effects, and a dynamic, character-driven plot, it's a notch above iSpider-Man/i in terms of emotional depth and rich comic-book sensibility. iOrdinary People/i Oscar-winner Alvin Sargent received screenplay credit, and celebrated author and comic-book expert Michael Chabon worked on the story, but it's director Sam Raimi's affinity for the material that brings iSpidey 2/i to vivid life. When a fusion experiment goes terribly wrong, a brilliant physicist (Alfred Molina) is turned into Spidey's newest nemesis, the deranged, mechanically tentacled "Doctor Octopus," obsessed with completing his experiment and killing Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) in the process. Even more compelling is Peter Parker's urgent dilemma: continue his burdensome, lonely life of crime-fighting as Spider-Man, or pursue love and happiness with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst)? Molina's outstanding as a tragic villain controlled by his own invention, and the action sequences are nothing less than breathtaking, but the real success of iSpider-Man 2/i is its sense of priorities. With all of Hollywood's biggest and best toys at his disposal, Raimi and his writers stay true to the Marvel mythology, honouring iSpider-Man/i creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, and setting the bar impressively high for the challenge of iSpider-Man 3/i. --iJeff Shannon/i

---

Customer reviews

review by: A soul doctor, so to say date: 2009-06-05 rating:
Fusional and pulpy
The action is always simple and direct : save the victims of the bad guy. The method is always the same: stop the bad guy's mechanics by throwing a few strings in its gears. The rest of it is building up a network, in that case a cobweb. But this is a film, not an electronic game and we are at the cinema not in front of a game console. So the film adds a good layer of sentimental events and feelings. The girl friend from far behind. She is afraid and fascinated. She is jealous and possessive. She is maybe adult and open-minded. That kind of stuff gives to the film some interesting dimension. In the same way, in this film in particular, the super hero loses and even chooses to lose his powers, for a while at least. This whole dimension of a normal guy, a normal boy capable of normal feelings and cowardice is exploited here to reveal the other super-hero dimension is both a choice and a responsibility, a responsible choice and a chosen responsibility. Then the film can work as a film and not a dumb computer game. Then the bad guy has a new dimension. He is the self-victimized inventor of a machine that will destroy the world. But keep in mind that the solution to sink that nuclear fusion machine in order to kill it is rather primitive in intellectual value. But it is full of emotional pulpy strength. The fear of nuclear power is also typical of the beginning of this century when the oil companies were still the masters of the energetic game. We have since then entered the final stage of that oil dominance and we have to consider other solutions, particularly that do not produce carbon dioxide. It is also a reflection of a way of thinking in these 2002-2006 years: nuclear energy was only seen from the American point of view as basically criminal either in the hands of criminal individuals (that's the case here) or in the hands of criminal states. Luckily this dimension is aging pretty fast. br / br /Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne, University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines, CEGID br /

---

review by: date: 2008-09-06 rating:
Dynamic and entertaining, with some some fine arty touches
Very dynamic production which really swings into the action side of Spiderman. The essence of the comic strip is also well defined, with the sets suitably cramped and very inner city like. Trump card though for me was the stuttering relationship between Parker and his dame, the very edible Miss Dunst. The final flowerng of their love and the revelation of Parker's heavy secret is just superb, and cuts across the electrifying action of the movie, to land a sublime contrast which lifts this picture out of the everyday - this is a masterpiece of the genre. For all the thrills and spills, my favourite scene of the movie - the incredibly arty shot of Spidey and his muse splayed out both lovestruck on one of his webs. Maybe not that hard to dream up for a writer, but it was beautifully shot and played. It easily compensated for the slight frustration one has for some of the less than real looking CGI sequences.

---

review by: Stuff lover date: 2008-07-08 rating:
Does whatever a spider can
The first Spider-Man movie was a huge success based on any number of factors so the weight of expectation was on this film. Pretty much the entire original cast was reassembled (dream sequences and insanity are wonderful tools for allowing dead characters to pop up) and one of Spider-Man's greatest villains was thrown into the mix. br / br /Storyline wise this is a film about Peter Parker's struggle to balance the dual identities that he has. He's no Bruce Wayne in an isolated mansion or Clark Kent with the superspeed to almost be in two places at once, no Peter is just an ordinary guy who happens to have the proportionate speed, strength, and agility of a human sized spider. He is present at a laboratory experiment where kindly scientist Otto Octavius has a set of mechanical arms accidentally grafted onto his back and directly in into his central nervous system sending him a bit mad. Peter and the newly psychotic Doctor Octopus have a few throw downs before the hero's crippling self-doubt lead him to abandon his Spider-Man persona. This is all further complicated by the fact that Pete's best friend Harry is obsessed with seeing Spider-Man dead after the finale of the first film. br / br /As with the first Spider-Man the cast all play wonderfully. Tobey Maguire continues to be geeky cute and utterly sympathetic as Peter while winsome Kirsten Dunst is affecting as his love interest Mary-Jane (their romance is far more central to the plot of this movie than its predecessor. The supporting cast carry the day again with a subtle, occasionally heartstring tugging performance from Rosemary Harris and pure comedy gold from JK Simmons as J Jonah Jameson. Hardcore thespian Alfred Molina is brilliant as the kindly Otto before his accident and then as the nasty and dangerous Doc Ock afterwards. br / br /The effects are a big improvement with the CGI picking up noticably over the first film. A lengthy battle on the top of a train could have been a train wreck but looks magnificent. Doctor Octopus's arms, a mixture of CGI and animatronics are excellent and even manage to convey emotions. The script is funny when it wants to be, romantic when it sets out to be, and touching when it needs to be. One thing that I would say is that as a PG this has the least strict rating of the Spidey movies but it has a very harsh scene set in an operating room that I think is far less suitable for really young kids than many 12A movies are. The plotline with Peter giving up the Spider-Man identity is just a shade too long which disrupts the flow of the movie slightly but this remains a top drawer super hero flick and a great evening's entertainment.

---

review by: martin thomas date: 2008-06-07 rating:
best of the three
not as bad as the original this is passable enough rubbish but its still a long way from being a great comic book movie


review by: date: 2008-04-20 rating:
Excellent superhero sequel
In one of the best superhero sequels ever made, Tobey McGuire reprises his role as Peter Parker who is struggling with life's challenges, money, love and living and what's more he is losing his powers. And with more crime arising, Parker faces difficult choices concerning his personal life. br / br /Breaking the opening weekend Box Office record, the Spider-man franchise grew wider and this 2004 sequel has been described as one of the best superhero sequels ever made, and I couldn't agree more. br / br /With a much better opening to the first film, we are thrust straight into Parker's life as he tries to balance his job, his money and his university classes. Having many issues gives the film depth and is intriguing to watch each situation develop. br / br /This film is similar to the first, with a focus upon dramatic issues such as his love for Mary Jane and the loss of his Uncle Ben. There is a slight feeling of repetition but in context it is understandable and gives the characters more emotion and understanding. br / br /There is more action in this sequel, watch out for one of the best fantasy fight scenes in motion picture history, which so happens to be on a train. Excellent direction and nail biting close scenarios. There is always a question of realism but nevertheless that situation was simply outstanding. br / br /The effects are great, as you would expect and much better than the first. I'm personally not a big fan of CGI but regardless this was special and was made so by Raimi's direction. br / br /There are plenty of twists and turns in store and with the added action and more deep situations it makes the plot even more special. br / br /Though the love scenes are questionable they aren't as corny as the previous films and are enjoyable to watch. The green Goblin was a much better villain than Dr Octopus and J.K Simmons is brilliant as the newspaper boss and overall, Spiderman 2 is my favourite superhero film of all time. br / br /8.5/10

---

Similar products

Spider-Man [DVD] [2002]
Spider-Man Trilogy [DVD] [2002]
X Men 2 [DVD] [2003]
Fantastic Four (Single Disc Edition) [DVD] [2005]
X-Men [DVD] [2000]

---

Similar categories

Video . DVD Blu-ray . Categories . Action Adventure . All Action Adventure
Video . DVD Blu-ray . Categories . Crime, Thrillers Mystery . All Crime, Thrillers Mystery
Video . DVD Blu-ray . Categories . Science Fiction Fantasy . All Science Fiction Fantasy
Video . DVD Blu-ray . Categories . Science Fiction Fantasy . Science Fiction
Video . DVD Blu-ray . Substores . Regular Stores . Audio Description
Video . DVD Blu-ray . Refinements . Format (binding_browse-bin) . DVD
Video . DVD Blu-ray . Refinements . BBFC Rating (intended_use_browse-bin) . PG
Video . DVD Blu-ray . Refinements . Editions (feature_two_browse-bin) . Box Set
Video . DVD Blu-ray . Refinements . Region(feature_browse-bin) . Region 2
Video . DVD Blu-ray . Refinements . Release Date (feature_three_browse-bin) . 2000 and later
Video . DVD Blu-ray . Refinements . Language (theme_browse-bin) . English

---

Accessories

Spider-Man 2: The Movie (PS2)
Spiderman 2 Pinball Game
Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 2 (GameCube)
Spider-Man 2 (GBA)

---