- "I'm just Peter Parker. I'm Spider-Man... no more. No more. "
- ―Peter Parker[src]
Spider-Man 2 is a 2004 live action, superhero film, based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. The movie is a sequel to Spider-Man and set two years after the previous film. It is the second installment of the Raimi Spider-Man Trilogy. The film focuses on Peter Parker struggling to balance his personal life and his crime-fighting life as Spider-Man. When scientist, Otto Octavius becomes a supervillain, known as Doctor Octopus, after a failed fusion experiment leaves him fused to four mechanical tentacles, he attempts to recreate the fusion experiment that threatens to destroy New York City and Spider-Man must stop him from doing so.
Plot
Two years after the death of the Green Goblin, Peter Parker is struggling to balance his crime-fighting duties as Spider-Man alongside the demands of his normal life. Peter is growing further apart from both his love interest Mary Jane Watson and best friend Harry Osborn, who still harbors resentment towards Spider-Man, thinking him guilty of killing his father. His obligations as Spider-Man take their toll on his ability to focus on his academic work as well as his financial situation. As a result, Peter starts to think about giving up being Spider-Man.
Now head of Oscorp's research division, Harry sponsors the research of brilliant nuclear scientist Otto Octavius. Octavius's goal is to perfect fusion power. He wears a harness of powerful robotic arms with artificial intelligence for an experiment in sustained fusion. Though the experiment succeeds at first, it quickly becomes unstable but Octavius refuses to shut it down, before Spider-Man intervenes. Octavius's wife, Rosalie Octavius is killed in the accident, the neural inhibitor chip which prevents the arms from influencing his mind is destroyed, and the arms are fused to his spine. He is taken to a hospital, but the tentacles, having developed their own artificial intelligence with the inhibitor chip destroyed, savagely kill the medical crew. The tentacles corrupt Octavius's mind, and lead him to the resolution that he must complete his experiment regardless of the moral cost. To finance his work, Octavius - now called Doctor Octopus or "Doc Ock" - robs a bank, where he takes Aunt May hostage. When Doctor Octopus is about to stab Spider-Man with his spear, May smashes a sunglasses lens with her umbrella, sparing Spider-Man, but Doctor Octopus drops her from a building. Spider-Man manages to save his aunt, but Ock returns to his lair with loot stolen from the bank.
While attending a party to take photographs, Peter learns that Mary Jane is engaged to J. Jonah Jameson's son, renowned astronaut John Jameson, and gets into a fight with Harry over his "loyalty" to Spider-Man. As Doctor Octopus rebuilds his experimental reactor, Peter's powers prove unreliable. After a doctor tells him that his physical problems are due to mental stress, he gives up being Spider-Man and disposes of his costume. During this time, Peter begins to succeed in college and subsequently mend his relationship with Mary Jane.
Spider-Man no more.
A garbage man brings Spider-Man's discarded costume to sell at the The Daily Bugle. Jameson takes credit for Spider-Man's disappearance, but later admits that he was indeed a hero, and the only person capable of stopping Octavius. Peter, out of guilt, tells Aunt May that it was his fault for his Ben's death. After Peter tells his aunt everything from the thief to Ben's death, May forgives Peter and advises him that sometimes it is necessary to sacrifice one's dreams for the greater good. Realizing that the city's need for Spider-Man is greater than his personal ambitions, Peter decides to become Spider-Man once again. Even so, his powers continue to be lost.
Doctor Octopus, having rebuilt his device, needs tritium for his reactor, and goes to Harry to get it. Harry agrees to give Octavius all the tritium he possesses in exchange for bringing Spider-Man to him, and tells him that Peter, who is supposedly good friends with Spider-Man, is the key to finding him; however, he tells Doctor Octopus not to harm Peter. Doctor Octopus finds Peter and tells him to find Spider-Man, and abducts Mary Jane in the process. Following this, Peter finds that his powers have been restored, and he dons his costume again after stealing it back from the Bugle. A furious Jameson continues to denounce Spider-Man as a menace. Spider-Man then angrily proceeds to battle Doctor Octopus across town. Eventually, they battle on a train which Doctor Octopus destroys the speed bar on the train, as it explodes on Peter's mask making it blurry as he takes it off. He tries to stop the train in many ways but he uses his webbing to stop it, almost making the train fall off the unfinished track. He saves the people and is tired and almost falls off but the people catch him and learned that he is only a kid as Peter wakes up. Two boys hand Peter his mask and promise not to reveal his true identity. Doctor Octopus returns, and ends up knocking Spider-Man (due to him still being tired) unconscious and delivers him to Harry.
After giving Doctor Octopus the tritium, Harry pulls out the knife and prepares to kill Spider-Man, but he first relents and unmasks him. He is shocked when he discovers that Peter is Spider-Man. Peter wakes up, and convinces Harry to reveal Doctor Octopus's whereabouts, before leaving him in tears. Spider-Man makes his way to Doctor Octopus's waterfront laboratory, with the doctor putting the finishing touches on his makeshift reactor. Although Spider-Man attempts to rescue Mary Jane discreetly, Doctor Octopus catches on and they fight once more. Spider-Man ultimately subdues Octavius and reveals his identity to him, pleading for a way to stop the reactor. Free from the tentacles, Octavius uses his mechanical arms to collapse the building, successfully drowning the reactor at the cost of his own life. Mary Jane sees Peter unmasked and understands that as long as he is Spider-Man, she and Peter cannot be together. Spider-Man returns Mary Jane to John and leaves.
Meanwhile, Harry, shocked by the trauma caused by revelation of Peter's identity as Spider-Man, has visions of his father Norman in a hanging mirror ordering him to avenge his death. Enraged, Harry shatters the mirror, revealing a secret room containing all of his father's Green Goblin equipment (which Peter hid after his death). He looks at the equipment and takes the green serum his father did. Meanwhile, Mary Jane is getting ready for her wedding, but she has a quick change of mind, and leaves John on the altar and arrives back at Peter's apartment. She tells Peter that she wants to be with him no matter what. After a passionate kiss, a fire truck is heard and Mary Jane encourages Peter to respond as Spider-Man, quietly apprehensive of the dangers they are about to face together in the near future.
Cast
- Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man/Peter Parker
- Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson
- James Franco as Harry Osborn
- Alfred Molina as Doc Ock/Otto Octavius
- Rosemary Harris as Aunt May
- J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson
- Donna Murphy as Rosalie Octavius
- Daniel Gillies as John Jameson
- Dylan Baker as Dr. Curt Connors
- Bill Nunn as Joseph "Robbie" Robertson
- Vanessa Ferlito as Louise
- Aasif Mandvi as Mr. Aziz
- Willem Dafoe as Green Goblin/Norman Osborn
- Cliff Robertson as Ben Parker
- Ted Raimi as Hoffman
- Elizabeth Banks as Miss Brant
- Bruce Campbell as Snooty Usher
- Gregg Edelman as Dr. Davis
- Elya Baskin as Mr. Ditkovich
- Mageina Tovah as Ursula
- Daniel Dae Kim as Raymond
- Hal Sparks as Elevator Passenger
- Joel McHale as Mr. Jacks
- Stan Lee as Man Dodging Debris
- Kelly Connell as Dr. Isaacs
- Brent Briscoe as Garbage Man
- Emily Deschanel as Receptionist
- Jason Fiore-Ortiz as Henry Jackson
- Scott Spiegel as Man on Balcony
- Andy Bale as OsCorp Executive
- Christine Estabrook as Mrs. Jameson
- Molly Cheek as Society Woman
- John Paxton as Bernard Houseman
- Joy Bryant as Woman at Web
- Joanne Baron as Skeptical Scientist
- Peter McRobbie as OsCorp Representative
- Timothy Jerome as Injured Scientist
- Taylor Gilbert as Mrs. Watson
- Peter Vouras as Stage Manager
- Donnell Rawlings as Pizza 'Heist' Witness
- Zachry Rogers as Boy Saved by Spider-Man
- Ella Rogers as Girl Saved by Spider-Man
- Louis Lombardi as Poker Player
- Marc John Jefferies as Amazed Kid
- Roshon Fegan as Amazed Kid
- Brendan Patrick Connor as Theater Traffic Cop
- Reed Diamond as Algernon
- Dan Callahan as 'Jack'
- Elyse Dinh as Violinist
- John Landis as Doctor
- Tim Storms as Chainsaw Doctor
- Susie Park as Clawing Nurse
- Tricia Peters as Screaming Nurse
- Michael Edward Thomas as Man at Fire
- Anne Betancourt as Woman at Fire
- Venus Lam as Child in Burning Building
- Bill E. Rogers as Fireman
- Joe Virzi as Fireman
- Tom Carey as Train Conductor
- Jopaul Van Epp as Boy with Mask
- Weston Epp as Boy with Mask
- Peter Allas as Train Passenger
- Brianna Brown as Train Passenger
- Bill Calvert as Train Passenger
- Tony Campisi as Train Passenger
- Joey Diaz as Train Passenger
- Chloe Dykstra as Train Passenger
- Simone Gordon as Train Passenger
- Dan Hicks as Train Passenger
- Julia Max as Train Passenger
- Savannah Pope as Train Passenger
- Timothy Patrick Quill as Train Passenger
- Jill Sayre as Train Passenger
- Rickey G. Williams as Train Passenger
Uncredited
- Dakota Anderson as Mugger #1
- Sal Ardisi as Parent
- Michael Arthur as NYPD Officer
- Damian Bailey as Extra
- Alan Blackney as Astronaut
- David Blanc as Street Walker
- Frank Bonsangue as Pizza Man
- David Boston as Pedestrian
- Sho Brown as Passenger
- Luke Burnyeat as Train Passenger
- John Cameron as Man Buying 'Spider-Man No More' Newspaper
- Joseph M. Caracciolo as Priest at Mary Jane's Wedding
- Cindy Cheung as Chinese Daughter
- Peter Cincotti as Piano Player in Planetarium
- Lee Cogburn as Train Passenger
- Al Collado as Cab Driver
- Christina R. Copeland as Chainsaw Nurse
- Dono Cunningham as Pedestrian
- Vince Cupone as Victim
- Grant Curtis as Hot Dog Vendor
- Barbara Ann Davison as Woman with Dog
- Calvin Dean as Boomer
- A.M. Driver as Teenage Girl at the Bank
- Fabrizio Fante as Businessman
- Doug Ferony as Detective
- Phillip Gramm as NYPD Officer
- Halla as Wedding Attendee
- Mohammed Hassan as Middle Eastern Taxi Driver
- Sabrina Hunter as Model
- Andre Johnson as Fireman #2
- Edward Johnson as Planetarium
- Janis Jones as Homeless at Burning Car
- Michael Kilcullen as Subway Passenger
- Eileen Kovener as Street Walker
- Phil LaMarr as Train Passenger
- Frank Langley as Doc Ock Tentacle Puppeteer
- Rachel Lehrer as Hot Girl
- Peyton List as Little Girl Playing on Steps
- Spencer List as Little Boy Playing on Steps
- Lorelei Llee as Bank Employee
- Fancy Macelli as Reporter
- Paul-Dean Martin as Bugle Lawyer
- Carina Mastrippolito as Girl
- Daniel Maysen as Train Passenger
- Tony Mazzucchi as Newsstand Vendor Near Fire
- Troy Metcalf as Blue Collar Guy
- Altara Michelle as Teenage Girl at the Bank
- Claudia Katz Minnick as Robbie's Assistant
- Ismael Moreno as Rescued Crosswalker
- Joseph Nelson as Extra
- David Orris as Police Officer
- Ronn Ozuk as Cop
- Christopher Porto as Man Waiting For Train
- Sam Raimi as University Student
- Randy Reinholz as Train Passenger
- Carla Rhodes as Phone Booth Girl
- Rachelle Roderick as Jane - Engineer
- Scott Ross as Pedestrian
- Sylvia Ross as Pedestrian
- Bonnie Somerville as Screaming Woman
- Jimmy Star as Reporter
- Douglas Swander as Train Passenger
- Angel Katherine Taormina as Female Onlooker on Street
- John Thurner as EL Train Passenger
- Jason Toler as Guy on El Train
- Henry Truong as Doc Ock Lab Assistant #2
- Michael Urbanski as Man on Street
- Wesley Volcy as Columbia University Student
- Lou Volpe as Man at Web
- Garrett Warren as Bearded Doctor
- Jack Wetherall as Train Passenger
- Ken Wharton as Uptight Businessman
Gallery
Video Game
- For the video game tie-in, see this article.
External Links
| Raimi Film Series | |
|---|---|
| Films: | Spider-Man | Spider-Man 2 | Spider-Man 3 |
| Characters: | Peter Parker/Spider-Man | Mary Jane Watson | Harry Osborn | J. Jonah Jameson | Uncle Ben | Aunt May | George Stacy | Gwen Stacy | Robbie Robertson | Betty Brant | Curt Connors | Flash Thompson | Dr. Stromm | Mr. Ditkovich | Ursula Ditkovich | Maximillian Fargas | Henry Balkan | Rosalie Octavius | Hoffman | Bernard Houseman | Mr. Aziz | Bonesaw McGraw |
| Enemies: | The Green Goblin | Doctor Octopus | The Sandman | New Goblin | Venom | The Carjacker |
| Locations: | The Daily Bugle | Oscorp Technologies | Quest Aerospace | Osborn Penthouse | Goblin Lair |
| Video Games: | Spider-Man | Spider-Man 2 | Spider-Man 3 |