Head and shoulders above the first one. It's character-driven and much more interesting emotionally plus there's more realistic dialogue and a cooler villain

This movie is Amazing, Best Superhero movie of the last ten years, even better than the Dark Knight, Superb acting, mezmerizing effects and moments that'll last a life time, Sam Raimi has created a Cinematic masterpiece. Too Bad Spiderman 3 didn't do to well. Could JK Simmons please reprise his role in the new Spiderman movies? He was born to play the part. This movie is one for the ages, A masterpiece!… Expand

Better than the original.

Spider-Man 2 is some of the most fun I have had during a movie. It is much more than a comic book movie and the character development in this movie is just great. I cared much more for the characters in this movie than Spider-Man (2002). The action sequences are brilliant in this movie, especially the train battle between our friendly-neighborhood Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus. Mary Jane is a forceful character in this movie though and by that, I mean, we are forced to like her as a character. She wasn't nearly as charming as Emma Stone was in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) but this still is and will be, at least for a while i believe, the first movie which pops into my head when I think of "Spider-Man."… Expand

This Spider-Man, new and improved, hits all the right notes, has a perfect, bracing pace, and brings great new ideas to the screen. Surely when it was made, it was the best superhero movie ever. The Dark Knight now holds that position.

Amazing spiderman proved to be more than amazing. it was not the effects that made it great (for the record: "it was superb") but the humanity of it all. sam raimi gave us a rendition of a spiderman which eclipse the stereo-typical definition of a superhero. peter parker was human after all; confusion and indecision gets him, hurt affects him, and most he feels. most of the time superheroes are portrayed as strong and can never be broken by psychological troubles. here we see a superhero who is confused, still the hero in him reigned. "I will never die a monster" Dr. Octavius said and not his villain side for it was a realization that no matter how good or bad a person or someone is, always the greater "good" reigns. thumbs-up to the actors and everybody involve in these movie.… Expand

Somehow Doc Ock didn't seem as difficult an opponent for Spidey to defeat, and yes, there's a bit of melodrama between Peter and Mary Jane that could have used one more rewrite. But everything else is dynamite. Aside from the special effects, there's actually some character development! Isn't it great when Hollywood does that?

The reason why "Spiderman 2" is the best Hollywood movie of the year thus far is because it has a perfect mix of drama, emotion, action, visual effects and narrative drive. The screenplay was written by Alvin Sargent, who also wrote such literate dramas as "Ordinary People" & "Julia", which mostly seems to explain why the dialogue & emotional scenes work so well (which they usually don�39;t in action movies). The acting is excellent (esp. from Tobey Maguire, who just gets better and better) and Sam Raimi's direction is terse, well-paced, and inventive while staying true to the mythic & comic qualities without going overboard into psychic mumbojumbo & pretentiouness (are you reading this Ang Lee?). Since we actually care about these characters and become so personally involved with them throughout, that when the action scenes come around they almost seem a distraction to the much more captivating story of Mary Jane & Peter's relationship, which actually feels real and not fake like most comic book moves. … Expand

A wonderful sequel to the first Spider-man film! This film is emotionally affecting, visually stunning and is an artistic achievement in the super hero genre. Maguire and Dunst both give enthralling performances. One of the top films of 2004.

The movie was very good. There was too much talk, and not enough action scenes. I give it an A-.

^_^ fantastic! ^_^ inspirational ^_^ I thank them for making it! ^_^

There is a good balance between the action, special effects scene and the small, intimate, emotional moments that delve deeper into the characters. highly entertaining.

Crazy awesome.

An incredible movie! You have to see it. It is one of those movies that will blow your mind no matter how high your expectations are.

Having just seen this... wow. This is how a comic book movie should always be made. The various story arcs were tight, well filmed, well acted, etc. I am curious how they are going to make movies 3-6 (from what I hear they have 6 movies planned out). If they are close to as good as this... wow.

Cool, good special effects, perfect and talented cast, good storyline, good ending.

This ia a supurb sequel this movie has to offer.the movie has a blend of excellent corougraph action scenes, romance and comical events. Overall this movie is a money worth.

~Spiderman was wickedly Awesome! but I think it does come as close as the first one. Though I think people say it was better , I say the Original is always the one and only.(R.I.P.)+

amazing from start to finish. spider-man is without a doubt the best comic character to be translated to the big screen.

I just caught this movie on hbo again the other day and damn do i love this movie. it really does have everything mixed into one movie. it captures the spirit of the comic book perfectly, while also translating to mainstream audiences. i can not wait for the next one.

This movie is really something else. i always liked the first one, it was my favorite comic book movie. daredevil was ass, hulk wasnt great. i liked x-men, but those two films lacked something that spiderman had. this second movie is at times beautiful, and you really feel like this is all happening, you can sympathize with the characters in a way that you wouldnt think possible. i would recommend this movie to anyone, because it goes beyond just being a comic book movie.… Expand

Spider-Man 2 was fantastic!!! It has everything: humor, romance, excellent action scenes, and great special effects. Even if you are not a comic book fan, you will love this movie.

Excellent film. Much better than the first film. The first part of the film is funny and sad at the same time. Raimi really makes you feel how hard it is to be Peter Parker/Spider-Man. The mid point drags a little bit but the action is top notch-especially the train sequence. Excellent, one of the top films of 2004 (so far)

Stupendous. Better than the original. Don't miss it.

Excellent Movie, Better acting, Better Special effects and it was just down right great! I really really hope that Spiderman 3 is going to be good as this one. I think this one is better than the first! Go see this movie!

Amazing. So great to see a fun comic book action movie with such complex and real characters instead of focusing on one character with a bunch of supporting cardboard cutouts. Look forward to the third one very, very much.

It was a great movie! Compared to the 1st one, it has more drama and emotion than the first one, but the action in the first was better. The CGI was a bit noticable when spidy was swinging around. It is a great movie for all ages and can get very sciency. I loved the scene where Doc Oct throws the bags of money at spidy.... its really goofy and unrealistic if u think about it, but i liked it anyways...… Expand

An absolute MUST SEE for anyone. You dont have to be a dedicated spiderman comic fan to truly appreciate this masterpiece of cinematic engineering :)

This movie is so good it made me want to crap my pants. It totally blew my mind.

This is one of those rare films of the comic book genre that I would actually recommend to people who have never read comics. Spider Man 2 picks up where the last one left off and the character development is better here than in the previous film. This one has more laughs than the first one and it's not just laughter at JK Simmons playing J Johan Jameson. Great Summer entertainment. Go see it and enjoy yourself. … Expand

Not just a great super hero movie, but simply a great movie. Characters you care about in a story that take you all over the place emotionally. CGI is unreal and the acting is as good as anything you'll see this year. I doubt I'll see anything this good for a long time.

This movie blows the first movie out of the water with its special effects, depth, drama and better CGI. Spidey looks more real, instead of the cartoon spot swinging through the model skyscrapers of the previous movie. Even New York City looks gritty and authentic this time around. Best of all, this movie succeeds where every previous superhero movie fails: It makes the out-of-costume hero believable and watchable. More than half of the movie is Peter Parker, and the audience doesn't mind since he's a three-dimensional sad-sack sort of guy you want to root for. There are good surprises and many moments you shouldn't read in a review. But let me say that this is what a big budget summer film should be -- exciting, heroic, involving, and funny. This is truly my childhood hero translated to the screen with style, energy, and depth. In fact, it triumphs so much in all of these aspects that you never notice there isn't much of a plot at all.… Expand

Absolutely first rate. Starts out a bit slow but picks up steam quickly. The only negative is the operating room scene which reminds one of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (may be too intense for small children,) but other than that, Spidey really delivers. Better than the original. Should do $100,000,000 the first weekend as the theaters were packed with a new showing every thirty minutes. Don't miss it.… Expand

Possibly the best comic book movie I've ever seen. Yes, I enjoyed much more than the first 2 Batmans, and the first two Supermans.

Incredible!!!

Fantastic. Easily the best comic book / super hero movie ever made.

What an awesome movie! Easily the best of the year!

This movie is awsome. Packed with action, drama, super-hero action, this movie is a MUST-SEE!!!

Truly the best movie uv the year. its action packed and exciig through the whole movie. in my top ten mos fav movies uv all time. its truly amazing. if i could i would rate it 15/10. Amazing.

If you liked the first movie at all, you'll definatley like this one as well. Sam Raimi and crew did not pussyfoot around with this movie.

This movie is truely amazing, and it is worth seeing. This is the best and my most anticipated MARVEL production to date. It is a great action film and it also has a good story.

The action was so awesome. I was so drawn into the emotional issues. Spiderman was funnier in this movie than in the first one.

The finest movie of the year and quite possibly, the most touching love story I have ever seen on the silver screen.

The trouble with ranking follow-back films such as rocky and indiana jones films is that, the ranker...in this case me...have to look at the film as a compete product rather than just a new number in the series. this is the case with spiderman 2. i will do my best to review the film AS IS, and not as a folow up to the great first spiderman film. it's wild!...phew!. yes, now that i said it lets gut it's insides. tobey is a good spider, quite good casting. i would have prefered a taller, skinnier spiderman, but he does pretty well even though he is not very elegant looking. his success comes from his humble looks and voice, he always sounds like either he doesn't give a damn about life or he just woke up, pick one. pick two if you wanna trick me. doctor octavious is played very well by molina, it's fantasy films like these that handle "attitude" very well. like han solo in star wars...look at star wars with no han solo (new ones)....see my point? as for mary jane, she could have been alot worldly, rather than a generic american chick who talks about wedings and boyfriends and looking for a man to comlete her constantly. sam raimi does a great job, this guy...people were bashing him even before the release of spiderman 1, they said he had no clue and no control over the ambitious project....he shows us not only he has control, but he can dance around it in classy fashion. the story dips down ever so often and demands more action, there are too many "where have you been?" and "who am i" kind of un-answerable idiotic questioneres handed out in the cast that gets in the nerves and eyes. you are spiderman 2, does that make you feel better? the fella who plays harry, green goblin's heir is a pretty good actor, i am glad we are gona see him more in the next one. he might give us more of that "attitude"we are in need of. … Expand

This is a phenomanal movie. I would say it ranks up there with "superman", "batman" and "batman returns" as one of the best comic book movies of all time. What makes this movie truly great are not the scenes with spider-man, oddly enough, but the ones with peter parker where we see him going through his day to day struggles being a super-hero. This movie combines different elements which are rarely so effective in a film: witty humor, exciting action, and some truly effective, emotion drenched drama. So... if this movie is so great, then why a 9 and not a 10? Well... there is one flaw that still ate at me while i watched this movie. This concerns the way spider-man, as a character, is animated throughout the majority of the movie. While it didn't bother me so much as the first film, (the effects were greatly improved for this sequal) I still think it would have been much more effective to take the extra time and preperation to incorporate more human-like spiderman stunts into the mix, you gotta admit that spiderman outfit looks cool as hell.… Expand

This movie was outstanding and by far the best movie this year since you can't count animated movies :p. Well if you liked the first Spider-Man you will love this one the feel is even better now as it blends in very nice. Even if you didn't you should give this a chance because it is a better film then the first one. In this one everything doesn't go Spider-man's way. He does terrible in school, loses his superpowers and almost loses Mary Jane for good. Then he decides to quit being Spider-Man for awhile and to make his life with Mary Jane back to normal. He finally goes and sees her opera performance and things look a bit better for spider-man. In this one the main villian is Dr. Octopus. He is the mad scientist gone wild as the arms gain control of him and he gives Spider-Man hell. Tobey Mcguire (Peter Parker) and Kirsten Dunst (Mary Jane Watson) do an excellent job acting and their characters are very believable. Other notable characters are Rosemarry Harris and Harry Osbourne (who should be a big part in the 3rd movie) The Action in this movie is a great bonus to an already excellent piece of work. As I said, I came out of the theater at 12:20 AM. happy last night knowing I had seen the best big budget movie of the year so far. What is a shame though is here in Lake Jackson, TX we really only have one good theater. This theater has 10 screens but some films even as big as Fahrenheit 911 don't get shown here. I have to drive to Houston in order to see any limited release movies also which is not conveniant. I also recommend the soundtrack to this film as well. It may not have a song that stands out as much as Chad Kroeger's Hero did on the first Spider-Man but overall this is still a good soundtrack. My picks from the soundtrack are Dashboard Confessional - Vindicated and Jet - Hold On. I like the Maroon 5 song its just that it doesn't go with the movie really. Rating: A Soundtrack Rating: 4/5 Stars.… Expand

OMFG!! If I could give a 20 to this movie, I would!! This is by far the greatest movie I've ever seen. The Special effects are totally believable and the story line is supreme. This movie will gp down in history as one of the most triumphant action movie. It is not possible for there to be a better movie.

Ok I consider my self one of those people that does not get hyped over how good a film looks, but Spiderman was one of my most anticipated films ever, having gone to see the first one so many times I lost count and I can honestly say my score has nothing to do with how much I was anticipating it, the film truely rocks. Ok I do not know where to begin but i shall try at the beggining, I must say that I will not mention any of the major points in the film. I personaly liked the way the film begins with a nice little series of tableaux to descibe pretty much the entire script and these are done as an artistic drawn screen shot from the previous film and it explains what happened in the first film for those that had not seen it (yeah i know what rock were they living under but it works well). It then jumps right into the film with parker late for work. The film looks at the strugle between leading an everyday life and leading a life of presure for a superhero, the problems like always having to rescue a person in distress but also the problems of hatred from the people he is trying to save due to bad press. NYC is split into those that love him and those that hate him (kind of like marmite). The film is fast pased to so your not waiting 30 minuets to catch your first glimpse of spiderman. The plot of the story is well written in my oppinion, having never read a spiderman comic in my entire life I can tell you it was enjoyable to watch, however the film does bring in some things that happens to spiderman in the cartoon which pretty much copies the comics i am told. The film has many morals hidden in with the script like finding your way when your lost, the value of being truthful ect and these are sensed on a subconscious level. The film has been given the PG certificate which i think in another film they would not have done this, yes the film contains no blood, but the violence if pretty frequent. I sense they decided on the PG rating because of the frowns about the first film being 12 but whatever. I am not saying that the film should be higher rated but I just thought I would point out there is quiet alot of violence in there. and on that note the fighting is absolutley brilliant it leaves you on the edge of your seat anticipating what could possibly happen next. and it all looks very realistic, I mean as realistic as fist fighting with someone while falling to your death looks anyway. the film also has mind blowing special effects they have made spidermans acrobatics and motions while flying through the air looks so beautiful. and the ending i find interesting too, i left the cinema with a feeling that there is going to be a third film because of the scene where harry realises was at first sight a sequel begging ending but after thinking about it you realise it is not sequel begging it leaves the door open to a sequel because the closure comes from the "go get 'em tiger" scene i ?Know that is a little cryptic but once you have seen the film you will understand what i mean (i hope i have not given anything away to the hardcore spidey fans) so on to my final thought on the film. It is a perfect balance between action and drama and perfectly portrays how it must be to lead a double life and have to give up your dreams for the good of others, amazing visual and sound effects make this an all around perfect film. Sokaar gives it a huge 10… Expand

I can aggree with those who think this is more of a soap opera, but the plot was close to the comics, the fights were awesome and the rest was well done. 9 out of 10

Such an awesome movie. no words to say, im speechless.

Great movie with an Interesting villian!

Absolutely amazing. Even better than the first and a happy ending too. Dont hesitate. Go see it right now. (its playing every half hour at most theaters so you shouldn't have trouble finding a convenient showtime)

Over-all great movie. Really well written, a definite award winner.

If you get past the obvious flaws in the logic (cmon its a comic book movie for chrissake), the presentation is quite good. As a fan of the strip and the animated series, the movie is good about being loyal to the spirit of the comic but also building on that. It appears that this series is able to stay seemless over time, unlike Batman, which just became too bad to watch. Hopefully, the cast will continue to do these for a few more flicks. … Expand

Definitely a top notch hollywood product. I found myself caring more about what was happening with Peter Parker, than what villan Spider Man was hanging from a web somewhere. You become truly attatched to the struggle he faces. Balancing his life's responsibility, with the responsibility of being a superhero. A high-wire act to say the least. Some actually touching moments at the end, seamless special effects, GREAT MOVIE? Could Spidey become the first superhero film to be nominated come Oscar time? I think so. When all is said and done, I have to say my favorite line in the movie is "Hi". If you've seen it you know.… Expand

It is an ultimate movie worth seeing.

Forget the rest of the movie. The train scene is, hand's down, the most intense action sequence ever burned to celluloid. If you haven't seen it yet (unlikely) you need to see it just for that.

This is one of the most excellent, entertainig, and awesome film of all time. The acting is great, the plot is very good and one of the top 5 films ever/ now to my friend pat's opinion. I'd give it a 9, it was pretty dang good. Overall, it will get a 9.5 since Sam gave it a 10 and pat gave it a 9, but do to mathmatical rounding, we must put a 10 on the score.

Quite possibly the best superhero movie of all time. You have all the high-powered action scenes, a great sense of humor, and ritual symbolism that would even get Joseph Campbell's mind stirring. It's long, but well-paced, and never forgets its sense of humility. By the end, Spider-Man's world is ripe for further installments, and anyone who ever walked through a toy aisle or played recess will want to see them.… Expand

A very strong, intelligent and emotional movie. Most likely one of the greatest movies ever. Anonymous needs to seek therapy.

Spider-Man 3 is the Lawrence Of Arabia of the superhero movies world. It is epic, sprawling, magnificent, meaningful, beautiful. Anyone who doesn't enjoy this movie must be a pretty spoilt brat or a cynical old misery. For near on three hours it envelops you in its world and makes you CARE about the characters. How's that for a special effects laden blockbuster, a movie with characters that matter? The comedy works, the emotion works, the action works. Everything Raimi tries comes off. The set pieces are particularly astounding, ranging from an out of control crane to Spidey's numerous battles with the meaty villains on show. Like others, I think this is by far the best of the three (though I loved the first two as well). It's a modern-day classic, an enrapturing fantasy that exhibits all that's best in modern movie making. An experience not to be missed.… Expand

This film is a masterpiece. If you don't believe it, ask these critics and IMDB fans alike. The division is what creates brilliance. Heck, there was even division among Bobby and Babel, and even among Queen. This film is certainly better than the first two (with Babel being like "Crash" the lite version), and is on a par with Queen. This film is a masterpiece. Just go ask IMDB fans.

It was a good movie. Not a classic like the original and not atrocious like its successor.

Great action movie but it showed tremendous emotion. Great story, great movie, end of story.

This film has everything going for it. Freat special effects and action sequences, craking dialogue, a terrific performance from Maguire and Molina. Just like a Spider-man comic brought to the big screen with all the heart, fun and excitement. If you so much as like superhero movies, you should love this.

Having re-watched this recently--and perhaps this partially a nostalgic bias--this is undoubtedly the greatest comic book film ever made. Hands down. Just the sheer level of enjoyment that it evokes, without sacrificing intelligence, acting, direction, any of that--it's literally one of the few movies that contains the pure entertainment that has been lost more and more since the golden days of adventure back in the 70s. The Dark Knight had it's own post-humous/intense hype awe factor, but in terms of how many times you can just sit back and watch the film, while being consistently entertained--the only film that comes close is Iron Man. But nothing holds a candle to Spidey 2.Nothing.… Expand

An instant Classic! What a wonderful movie! One that doens't take itself too seriously, yet delivers in a serious way.

Mcgowan needs to realize the Daredevil was the worst super hero movie made in the past decade, its only competitor being The Punisher. Please hesitate from bringing down an outstanding movie deserves a 90 or above, by randomly throwing in a '0'. Spiderman 2 almost surpasses Spiderman, much like Shrek 2 was to Shrek. Must see of '04.

This movie is amazing. The perfect blend of action, romance, humor, and human drama. Other comic movies beware, the bar has been raised.

This movie full of emotion and action as grown up student want to make right decision eventhough he his SPIDERMAN.

I loved this movie i was amazed at how good it was....but what can ya do. cantwait for the third one...even tho its coming out in 2007....

Awesome from beginning to end, this is the summer movie to see! Its not a brain dead action movie, which it could easily had been made into,you can see Sam Raimi really care about the characters stop reading this and go see it NOW!!

This was an excellent movie. A must see on the big screen for sure! Good balance between dialog and action scenes. Supporting cast was great. Maguire as Spiderman is awesome. If you liked the first one you'll like this one even more!

An excellent film! The best comic book film ever made! I don't even know where to begin! Funny though how the metascore was a 85 and then the single salon article brought it down to an 82.... a little skeptical, but the movie is incredible nonetheless. It's a remarkable achievement!!!

This movie is astonishing. Quite simply, ala 'Simpsons': "Best comic book movie ever."

Ohhhh My GOD this is the best movie I have seen all summer I didnt think that it was going to be this good all the actors characters had their 15 secs. of fame and was worth the buget!

Cool movie, go see it.

This is the best super hero movie ever made! It's got it all...action, heart, laughs, thrills, intelligence & a hero everyone can identify with!

It was great. Lots of little humorous touches. The action scenes, when there is action, are great. The first one sucked so bad -give this one a chance.

Ecellent movie, best of the year so far.

The best superhero movie ever, hands down. Spider Man 2 is filled with action, intrigue, and incredible special effects. This movie is a visual treat, from the way Spider Man moves magestically, swinging from building to building. And the storys no flop either, definetly exciting enough to keep the young people entertained, and deep enough to keep the older folks pleased as well. Do yourself a favour and see this movie. … Expand

Best comic book movie I have seen.

It was a wonderful movie. Action-packed, emotionally-charged...there was one scene where Spidey actually touched my heart and made me want to cry. Encore!

This film basically lived up to my pretty high expectations of a sequal to the original Spider-Man: amazing action that bettered the first, and a commendable attempt to inject some tongue-in-cheek comedy. Some parts of it were unavoidably predictable ("Here's the cheap that makes sure I don't turn into a psycho-killer...hope it doesn't get smashed"), but the film does leave a suggestion of a sequal - Will Hobgoblin be the next to plight Spidey? We'll know come 2007. … Expand

I loved it. I was going to give it a 9, but the cameo by Bruce Campbell earned the movie extra credit. The action sequences were awesome, the cinematography is great, the acting is outstanding as well. It was all I expected and more--even a safe movie for kids, which is all too uncommon today.

I almost agree with the person who said they'd rate this a '20'. I'd give it a '15'. I am a long time spidey fan, who was one of the few who was disappointed with spidey '1'. glad tobey came back as spidey. molina as doc ock was great! my only complaint is: lose harry osborn or get some one new to play him...otherwise it woulda gotten a '20'!

I agree with Roger Ebert. This is the best superhero movie ever. Spider Man 2 is better than the original, funnier and did I say it was better than the original?

It?s rare that a sequel outshines its predecessor, but this one does. By far the best movie I?ve seen all year. The elevator seen was classic! Aside from the shameless setup of Spidy-3 at the end, this movie definitely earned every bit of a 10+. At least we know who the next villian will be (as if there were ever a doubt)...

I knew that this was going to be the best movie i would see this summer, or even this year. I was tottaly right. Great story, a marvelous cast, great special effects. I enjoyed this movie because you really feel for Peter Parker, you really get to see how being Spiderman really effects the poor guys life. I am around his age and i could really relate to him. By far the best superhero movie ever.

It was the greatest movie in all of history. no better movie than this. I don't read bad reviews for this movie.

It was the greatest movie in all of history. no better movie than this. I don't read bad reviews for this movie.

Spider-Man 2 was the best super-hero movie I've ever seen! Tobey Maguire was very good. I like Doc Ock. The story is very well written. Very good action scenes, and good romance. It's an Academy Award Winner for sure. Loved it.

This film shows the progression of the relationship between Peter and MJ very well. If you look at the expression on MJ's face in the last scene, she is not too thrilled that Peter is risking his life every time he puts on the red and blue. This theme folows the comics. Their relationship floundered several times because of Sipdey.

Spider-Man 2 one word AMAZING this was the best the fighting the web shooting was so cool it was a great way to end the summer AMAZING.

Great flick well written story, great action, Doc Ock rocks, everything is perfect except when Spidey loses his powers cuz he doesn' t want them blah blah blah. Anyway great flick go watch it.

Wish all the superhero movies could be this good

Oh My God. I see all of you neigh-sayers complaining about this movie. Some of you go as far as to say that it is nothing like the comic. Trust me, anyone who reads the comics or even follow it slightly will tell you that this is what you will and should get from the movie. It "is" EXACTLY LIKE THE COMIC.

By far the best marvel picture to date. It puts the original to shame with its superb special effects. You WILL love this movie, believe me.