- 10
This triumphant sequel to the hard-to-top 2002 original may be the first great comic-book movie in the age of self-help and CGI wizardry...
—Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly
- 10
To put it in layman's (i.e., non-fanboy) terms, unless it's coin operated, you won't find a more gratifying experience inside a movie theater this summer.
—Paul Ulane Maxim
- 9
...a blockbuster with tremendous emotional resonance, a special-effects extravaganza with soul.
—Nathan Rabin Onion AV Club
- 9
...smarter, hipper, faster, funnier, and flat-out more electrifying than the original.
—Aaron Hillis Premiere
- 9
Spider-Man 2 is the best superhero movie since the modern genre was launched with Superman (1978).
—Roger Ebert Roger Ebert
- 9
...director Sam Raimi spins an inescapable web of popcorn-munching perfection that's superer than the original
— E!
- 8
Spider-Man 2 takes us into a comic book universe with depth, humor, and reverence, without ever losing its humanity.
—Kim Morgan Reel
- 8
Spider-Man 2 has all manner of fancy CGI improvements on its precursor, but in the end it's the old-style action sequences that carry it...
—Ella Taylor LA Weekly
- 8
For summer popcorn fun, this movie has it all: special effects, romance, action and humor.
—Leah Rozen People
- 8
Until it develops a bad case of verbosity toward the end, it improves upon its predecessor in almost every way, delivering flashier thrills while digging deeper into its characters and adding an overlay of wit.
—Mark Caro Chicago Tribune
- 8
...a sequel of twisted thrills and sly surprises...
—Peter Travers Rolling Stone
- 8
Sequels don't get much better - or smarter - than the action-, drama-, romance- and comedy-packed "Spider-Man 2...
—Lou Lumenick New York Post
- 8
...better than its predecessor, and also superior to most other comic-book-based movies.
—A. O. Scott New York Times
- 8
A rare sequel that actually improves on the original film, Sam Raimi's thrilling follow-up proves that summer movies don't have to be dumb and disposable.
—Maitland McDonagh TV Guide
- 7
Like Spider-Man before it, Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 is a superhero flick bursting at the seams with big emotions.
—Ed Gonzalez Slant Magazine
- 7
There are times when it feels like it's cruising, but it rewards our attention by successfully firing on more and different cylinders than the original did.
—Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times
- 6
There's literally nothing surprising in Spider-Man 2, and it's ultimately more than a little boring to watch.
—Christopher Null filmcritic.com
- 5
The movie's first half is talky bordering on tiresome...
—J. Hoberman Village Voice