Product: Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Rating: 4.0
Three and a half.
First: SPIDER-MAN 2 is still one of the best superhero movies ever. Five stars. But SPIDER-MAN 2.1 reveals how sometimes adding material screws up the film. Is it fun to see? Sure. But I would have preferred to see all of the extra stuff in a DELETED SCENES section. The original was extremely well-paced and well-edited. The new cut belabors every point and is, well, too long. I appreciate and think it's great fun to see the alternate elevator ride and JJJ in the suit, but there isn't a single scene that adds anything to the story EXCEPT the extended doctor scene where Peter's college doc explains that his psychiatrist tells him to have a "strong focus on what I want," which Peter repeats when he next tries to use his dwindling powers. Obviously, though, we didn't need that line since none of us questioned where it came from - we got it.I'm a huge fan of extended Director's Cuts, but unlike some extended versions (ALIENS, LOTR) SPIDER-MAN 2, like STAR WARS, actually loses something with the additions.Three and a half stars.