Rating:  -
I know mine is not a popular opinion, but I do not understand why Spider-man 2 is praised as being one of, if not the best comic book movie ever made. Spider-man 2's plot is profoundly flawed. The worst of these flaws is the "spider-man no more" premise borrowed from the comics. I found the idea that Peter's mysterious loss of his power was a physical manifestation of his psychologically desire and that his power's could be completely nullified by his will alone to be "very thin" (To quote Riggs from Lethal Weapon). It would have been more meaningful (and believable) if Peter simply made a conscience decision to be spider-man no more with powers intact.
Another flaw is the movie version of Doc Ock. I think it is sad the writers decided to use the tired and overused idea of "evil A.I.," reducing Doc Ock to a victim technology, instead of a truly menacing villain like Willem Defoe's Green Goblin. Alfred Molina is a gifted actor who deserved better. It would have been better to have Doc Ock driven into madness by the death of his wife and swear vengeance on Spider-man, who he blames for her death. Doc Ock could then regain his sanity by coming to terms with his role in his wife's death.
The last flaw I will discuss here is the fact that Spider-man appears unmasked in the presence of every major character in the movie, not to mention half the city of New York (unconvincingly portrayed by the city of Chicago). The reactions of the New Yorkers who filled the train car as they peer on an unmasked Spider-man are more unbelievable than a teenage boy being bitten by a genetically altered spider and receiving super powers from it.
Thankfully, it is clear that the actors have comfortably grown into their roles for the sophomore film. Additionally, the visual FX in this film have trumped its predecessor. Lastly, the film does a decent job of continuing the character relationships of the previous film.
Rating:  -
This was pretty good for a sequel but a little more violent than # 1. I wouldn't recommend it for children not use to violence. The story line was okay but just not enough depth to make it better than the first one.
Rating:  -
The Movie:
This second installment of the Spider-man movies is great to watch. It was one of those movies that stopped time for me. The storylines were a natural progression from the first movie -- no contrivances, unlike SM3.
The Collectors box:
Spider-man was one of the few superheroes I followed and loosely collected memorabilia on, as a kid. This box set is good. It brought back some warm memories. But it still lacks a little as collectible items go.
Rating: -
Doctor Octopus is an absolutely fantastic supervillain. And those mechanical arms are really something to see in 3-D. I saw this dvd of Spider-Man2 in 3-D at home using a new kind of 3-D glasses they've got here on Amazon. They let you watch normal movies in 3D. TV Eyes 3-D Glasses: Watch any movie in 3-D And Spider-Man 2 looked really great. But what really stood out for me in this movie was the portrayal of Doctor Octopus. The actor managed to make Doc. Oc both ruthlessly dangerous, and humanly relatable at the same time. My favorite scenes were when Doc. Oc was climbing the buildings, all those arms moving around everywhich way. And the scene where he and Spider-Man have a fight on a moviing train were awesome!
This movie had a good solid storyline, and plot, as well as some of the best characterization of any of the Marvel franchise movies. The action scenes were intense (especially in 3-D) but they always advanced the plot. While they were definitely eye candy, they were also important to the storyline. This movie also continues the storyline of the Goblin, which culminates in Spider-Man 3. (I went and saw Spider-Man 3 at the theater and took my 3-D glasses. It looked amazing, especially the Sandman and the final battle between all the characters. I can't wait to get it on DVD and see it again at home.) All three Spider-Man movies have been brilliant examples that comic books are not just for kids, and that entertaining, meaningful stories can still be told, even with superheroes.
I highly recommend this movie, and the others in the series.
Rating: -
I recently saw the first Spider-Man, and I loved it. After hearing tons of criticism - as well as reading numerous negative reviews on here - I became so weary of this film that I was hesitant to purchase it even at $5.99. After viewing this film, I was able to place all the in the proper perspective: Some people simply don't know anything about Spider-Man.
Over and over again, people constantly complain about the action, or lack thereof. Well first of all, Spider-Man was NEVER (I repeat, NEVER) marketed towards the action-crazed. Spider-Man was always divided equally between his personal life, and the villains he fought. He started out a little heavy into the crime fighting, but as the story went, more focus was placed on his personal life, and how he struggled to balance being Spider-Man and being human. That was the entire appeal of Spider-Man - he was the one superhero who actually had a life, as apposed to the way they always placed the lives of other superheros in a nutshell. As the series went on, there were some instances in the comic book (or even the cartoon) where the majority of the episode/issue dealt with his family and his love for Mary Jane. Basically, the main downside to this movie is the main thing that made Spider-Man different from the other characters of Marvel. Some people called this movie sappy. Well guess what? Peter Parker was a sap. That aspect was introduced in the first movie, so it's actually nothing new. Parker was always the geeky guy who was madly in love with the girls he could never get. As far as some reviewers claiming this movie brought "nothing new" - well sorry to disappoint you, but a significant portion of the Spider-Man series dealt with on going issues of his personal life. Again, that was the entire angle of Spider-Man: the balance between his personal life and being a superhero.
I am in no way saying this movie is perfect - or even classic for that matter. I can understand (and respect) disappointment, but to say this movie is total garbage unworthy of watching is simply ridiculous. For the most part, this movie is pretty true to form. In my opinion, filming movies like this are always mission impossible. If you keep the balance of action hero and love story, people complain to no end (as they are now). However, if edit all of that out, and target it more to Joe-Sixpack action fanatic, then the comic book purists will cry fowl about their heroes being butchered.
I strongly advise you watch this movie and judge for yourself.
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