Spider-Man 2 (Widescreen Special Edition)
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Movie Reviews of Spider-Man 2 (Widescreen Special Edition)
Movie Review: A Marvel
Summary: 1 Stars
This movie is a masterpiece. It has a broad reach, genuine complexity in the emotional lives of the characters and a compelling storyline. I used to read Marvel comics all the time when I was a kid and this film captures those more fully than anything else in this genre. Peter Parker's anguish, star-crossed lovers, megalomaniacs running amok..it is like Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar rolled into an action movie. Speaking of action, some of the sequences in this film are jaw dropping. The elevated subway ride is the best use of a subway in a movie since The Matrix and is just breathtaking. At the same time the movie is very well paced, razzle dazzle action sequences are mixed up with quiet moments of tenderness. The original Spiderman movie was fine but not in this league. ( Hey, wish the matrix sequels had followed same trajectory!). I also really enjoyed the humor scattered through the movie. For everyone who loves this comic genre, I'd say this is the movie where they got it right. For people who don't, you will enjoy it anyway.Movie Review: One of the best films of all time!
Summary: 5 Stars
Maguire and Molina are excellent in this 2004 masterpiece, that, yes, has more J.K. Simmons. See it.Movie Review: Good
Summary: 4 Stars
The dread franchise film has killed off many a potentially interesting character (Superman, Batman, Ripley, Rocky) & given leases of life to characters that are paper-thin (Indy Jones, Jason Voorhees, Catwoman). The latest franchise film is Spider-Man 2, directed by Sam Raimi. The 1st Spider-Man was probably the best comic book film ever made- mostly because its leads- Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, & Kirsten Dunst as his love- Mary Jane Watson a) can both act (unlike, say Christopher Reeve as Superman), b) are well cast (unlike Michael Keaton in the 1st 2 Batman films). & c) have chemistry (unlike Reeve & Margot Kidder in the Superman films). Maguire, especially, is so good an actor that he is 1 of those rarities that can run a panoply of emotions through just his eyes. He is almost irresistible to watch onscreen.... All in all, a very good film, & along with the 1st film, simply the best superhero films ever made. I hope the writers from this film stick with the whole series because, next to Batman, Spidey probably has the best pantheon of villains in comic book lore. Future baddies could include Dr. Doom, Venom, Carnage, the Sandman, Rhino, the Lizard, & Electro, among others. But, what makes good writing in such a film valuable are the little moments- like Peter's confession to Aunt May about how & why Uncle Ben really died, a surreal moment on an elevator between Spidey & a shocked citizen, references to other characters in the Marvel Comics universe, allusions & parallels to Oscar Wilde's The Important Of Being Earnest, & a street musician singing the old Spider-Man tv cartoon series theme song from the 1960s. Such touches are what invigorate this franchise above the others & what killed off the increasingly dark & directionless Batman franchise. Sam Raimi proves he is a director who knows how to milk a proven commodity without imposing his own distorted `vision' on it- unlike Batman director Tim Burton.Movie Review: Good for Geeks, Though a Bit Short on Features
Summary: 4 Stars
If you liked Spider-man 2, you should love Spider-man 2.1. The extra scenes are all great scenes that add nuance to the already-excellent film. They're mostly extra character bits, things that weren't needed, but certainly help paint the picture. The extra bits are so well-blended into the old footage that I didn't even recognize one new shot as such until, when watching the original version again, I noticed that it wasn't there.
Most memorable to me were J. Jonah Jameson wearing his newly-found Spider-man suit and pretending that he's the superhero, a much more rational and less venal confrontation between Peter and Harry at his birthday party (I'd always thought that scene in the original version was a bit choppy and emotionally sporadic) and a wonderful conversation between Mary Jane and her Maid-of-Honor about why she's marrying John Jameson.
The DVD set was lacking in features. There is a new commentary track featuring Producer Laura Ziskin and Writer Steve Ditko, but it's not very interesting. In addition, the other two commentary tracks were removed. For commentary buffs like myself, this should not be.
Most of the rest of the special features are all new, including a featurette about the new material. Unfortunately, these few extras have replaced the old bonus disc. You could do what I did, find a cheap copy of the original Spider-man 2, keep that bonus disc and give the movie itself to a friend so you have a 3-disc set, but that seems a lot to do just to have the complete set of bonus features.
In all, I would highly recommend this version. If you're a Spider-man fan or just a DVD geek, get this movie, just be prepared to have less bonus features than before.
Movie Review: One of the best superhero movies made.
Summary: 4 Stars
Very few directors really understand the appeal of superhero comicbooks. It's a short list of successful superhero adaptations.
Sam Raimi was firing on all cylinders when he made this movie. The result is solid action-adventure with well developed characters that pull you into the story and keep you emotionally invested. The action choreography is stunning and the special effects are polished. Spider-Man 2 has a talented cast that really brings this story to life - with Alfred Molina being a particularly inspired choice to play Dr. Otto Octavious and J.K. Simmons delivering a larger-than-life J.Jonah Jameson. Some serious writing skill is in evidence here - the story has excellent pacing and a great sense of increasing stakes. There are moments of emotional gravity, but the tone remains light while delivering the goods at the "big moments" - just like a summer movie should.
Some nice cinematography really makes the most out of some truly inspired set pieces and it's all edited together rather elegantly. When all is said and done, there is more than enough fun and visceral thrills to go around - handled in a way that keeps the material close to it's pulp roots. More importantly, the conclusion is satisfying without everything being tied up into too neat a bow.