Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Still the best live action Spidey: the train stop, Doc Ock's grief, an Oscar for effects. 93% on RT, the one that converts new fans.
Cast & Key People
Our Review
Still the best Spidey film in live action by a clear margin, and it won the Oscar for visual effects on its way to being a thesis statement: heroism as a sickness that never lets you keep anything. Peter’s power loss spiral, the diner scene, the train stop, Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock mourns his wife in a single scene and earns more grief than most villains get in a trilogy.
The subway sequence, practical train cars at full speed, holds up against every digital set piece in the genre, which is a polite way of saying the movie that beat it to Best Picture territory, The Lord of the Rings, has nothing to worry about from its successors. 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, AFI top ten of 2004.
If you build a three film starter pack for a new Spider-Man fan, this is the one that converts them. 8.5 out of 10.
Seasons
Season guides coming soon.
