1554-1557

Chapter 1554: The Peak of Praise 

Praise. Praise. And more praise. 

An absolute frenzy! 

It wasn't just praise; more importantly, every single review was a perfect score. 

It was dazzling, almost overwhelming. Everywhere you looked, it was "100 points." The sheer force of this perfect score barrage completely stunned everyone who was following the media reviews at that moment. 

Even though the first "Spider-Man" got plenty of praise back then, and despite Anson having become a guarantee of quality over the past two years, and even though people vaguely anticipated and were looking forward to a wave of positive reviews... 

But! 

When it actually happened, the entire North American continent was still completely blown away— 

It was beyond imagination. 

And remember, all of this was happening for a commercial genre film, a superhero movie, a movie based on a comic book. 

Over the years, comic book superhero movies had been popping up here and there – "X-Men," "Blade," "Hellboy," "Underworld," and so on. But those were mostly B-movies. Simply put, limited by their budgets, their quality was often restricted, relying more on gore to attract a niche audience. 

To be blunt, the media reviews for those kinds of films were often pretty rough. 

The "X-Men" series did have some critically acclaimed entries, but even for them, breaking past the 70-point mark on review aggregates was a big deal. That's precisely why, when the first "Spider-Man" burst onto the scene in the summer of 2002, the media was already astonished once. 

And now, "Spider-Man 2" had gone even further, completely shattering the stereotype that "comic book movies equal shoddy work" and flipping expectations completely on their head. 

That's why, in this first wave of media reviews, you could see tons of outlets praising the visual effects in "Spider-Man 2"— 

They weren't just realistic; they were so good you completely forgot they were computer effects. This felt like a turning point for the Hollywood film industry. 

Just like "Avatar" would be later, "Spider-Man 2" was the "Avatar" of 2004. 

Praise, astonishment, emotion, a flood of positive reviews. 

A massive wave of positive comments filled the screen. 

Then, "Entertainment Weekly" grabbed everyone's attention across North America with a stunning headline. 

100 points: "The Birth of a Superstar." 

In their review, "Entertainment Weekly" stated that while people were already familiar with Anson and crazy about him, this time felt completely different. 

"His performance is nuanced and vivid, complex and layered, allowing the audience to truly feel Peter Parker's breath. Those emotions are real and impactful. When the director's camera gives Anson Wood time and space, he has the power to hold everyone's attention." 

"His charisma? Off the charts." 

Moving from a pretty face to an actor and now to a superstar, "Entertainment Weekly" felt Anson had finally broken through, showcasing superstar brilliance through this film. 

What was truly incredible was that Peter Parker is just a neighborhood kid, someone unthreatening, unremarkable, just a big, ordinary boy. But Anson's performance still couldn't hide his brilliance; in fact, it was mesmerizingly attractive, enchanting and heartbreaking. This, they argued, was the true birth of a superstar. 

Honestly, for a tabloid magazine focused on entertainment at all costs, "Entertainment Weekly" certainly knew how to grab headlines and excite readers. 

However, that still wasn't the whole story. 

If it had stopped there, the media wouldn't have been "shocked into silence," and all of North America wouldn't have been "stunned into quiet." All eyes were absolutely fixated on the media reviews for "Spider-Man 2," creating a brief illusion that everything else had just stopped for a moment. 

The frenzy continued, endless and unstoppable. 

"The Baltimore Sun," 100 points: "'Spider-Man 2' offers an unparalleled viewing adventure, from emotional resonance to action sequences. As the film races toward its conclusion, we found ourselves involuntarily standing rooted to the spot, mouths open like idiots. Not since Superman has a superhero character simultaneously shown such human brilliance and managed to make us genuinely, wholeheartedly love them." 

"Us Weekly," 100 points: "Sequels can often be a disaster, especially when the first installment has already raised expectations so high. However, 'Spider-Man 2' pulled it off. It not only met every expectation but also delivered a thrilling viewing experience that went above and beyond. Sam Raimi's 'Birth of Doctor Octopus' scene absolutely deserves a place in the history of commercial genre films, comparable to classics like 'Alien.'" 

"The Times," 100 points: "Please forget 'Mean Girls' and 'The Notebook.' This is the most romantic and moving love story of the summer. The chemistry between Anson Wood and Kirsten Dunst elevates the film beyond soap opera territory, delivering a knockout punch that's realistically frustrating yet heartbreakingly romantic." 

"Chicago Chronicle," 100 points: "A perfect piece of mainstream popcorn entertainment. Exciting, thrilling, moving, romantic, all while maintaining human depth and substance. The 'Subway Battle' delivers the most imaginative action sequence and the most heartbreaking moment of empathy in a decade. It deserves to be legendary." 

Perfect scores, perfect scores, still more perfect scores, filling every view. 

With unstoppable momentum, "Spider-Man 2" was pushed to an incredible peak, perfectly meeting expectations and igniting the massive wave of excitement for the summer of 2004! 

Chapter 1555: Unparalleled 

They were stunned, speechless, completely frozen, even losing the ability to think. There was no joy or happiness, no wild celebrations or parties, just utter stupefaction. 

It wasn't just Michael Lynton; Amy Pascal and Edgar Cook were absolutely floored too. 

Day and night, they had prayed that Spider-Man 2 would win over the notoriously picky critics. They hadn't even dared to hope the sequel could replicate the first film's critical success; just getting reasonably close, avoiding too big a drop-off or a stark contrast, would have been acceptable. That would have helped them dodge the dreaded sequel curse of falling apart. As for the box office, they figured they could just leave that to the marketing department. 

But now? 

Not only were the praises flooding in, but they were seeing perfect scores left and right, completely surpassing the first film. Spider-Man 2 was shaping up to be a monument among comic book superhero movies. 

Speechless. 

Because at this moment, any words would be meaningless. Those perfect hundred-point scores hitting them full in the face, filling their vision, instantly shut down all rational thought. 

It was crazy. Everything happening was absolutely nuts. If this were Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or Elephant, it would be a pleasant surprise, but at least within the realm of possibility. But Spider-Man 2? 

Is this real? 

Not just Michael Lynton, but Amy and Edgar's first reaction was also to double-check if it was real, to make sure no hacker was messing with the scores as a prank. 

Still trying to keep his cool, Edgar quickly noticed a detail: Where were the reviews from the truly top-tier authoritative media outlets? 

A closer look revealed that, so far, the scores and reviews being uploaded were from professional, authoritative media, but the industry giants were conspicuously silent for the moment. 

Where were The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times? Variety, The Hollywood Reporter? The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and others? 

All absent. 

Objectively speaking, of course, these top-tier outlets were just a handful among the dozens of reviews counted in the overall score. With perfect scores continuously flooding in right now, their individual scores wouldn't impact the average that much, so there shouldn't be too much to worry about. 

But reality wasn't quite that simple. The overall media score was just a number, mostly watched by industry insiders. For the general public, they might not even know the overall score exists; they still trusted the media they were familiar with, especially those top-tier publications. 

For instance, a movie might have an overall media score of eighty, but The New York Times only gives it thirty. Readers who read The New York Times every day would see the latter, not the former, and naturally wouldn't develop an interest in the movie. 

And the reason top media are called "top" is precisely because they have a massive readership, and even nationwide influence. So, a seventy-point score from The New York Times could potentially have more impact than ninety-point scores from ten other outlets combined. 

Things were just that brutal. 

After all, back in 2004, people hadn't yet developed the habit of checking overall media scores, Rotten Tomatoes, or CinemaScore before picking a movie. Before social media fully permeated people's lives, the world was still connected primarily through real-world channels. 

Edgar remained calm and composed, closely watching these top-tier authoritative outlets, but one by one, they remained silent, no movement, no sound. 

Until... 

Roger Ebert appeared, from the Chicago Sun-Times. 

"A real movie. Flesh and blood, full of intelligence, a film very friendly to audiences who have no idea who Stan Lee is. 

This is a superhero movie tailor-made, crafted for audiences who know nothing about superheroes; as for those who already know superheroes well, they can find everything they crave here. Sam Raimi has done an incredible job." 

A hundred points. 

This Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic, with a clean, concise review that completely avoided spoilers, gave a clear signal to all audiences. 

In addition to the perfect score, he gave it four out of four stars for recommended viewing. In Roger's eyes, this was a movie not to be missed from any angle, perhaps even the most outstanding film of 2004. 

For readers who subscribed to the Chicago Sun-Times, they could see Roger's detailed review. 

"It's not just emotional connection; it's emotional resonance. 

From supporting characters like Mary Jane, Harry Osborn, and Aunt May to the villain Professor Octavius, and even minor characters like the newspaper editor, everyone has their own emotional struggles and困境 (dilemmas). How should we choose, and how should we continue living, in the face of life's troubles and frustrations? 

Once, we thought 'growth' was just a child's thing, from middle school to college, saying goodbye to adolescence – that was growth. But now we know that even at Aunt May's age, you still haven't mastered all of life's wisdom; we still need to learn, need to grow. 

It is precisely because of this that when the camera focuses on Peter Parker, his troubles, his connections with others in his life, his dilemmas and struggles in the face of family, love, and friendship, feel so real. 

In an ideal world, a superhero should be worried about saving ten million people versus a hundred in a trolley problem. A superhero should be worried about how to save the earth from a mad villain. They should have a bigger picture and bigger ideals. 

But in real life, Peter Parker is worried about next month's rent and being unable to tell the girl he loves the truth. Trivial things, whining, melodramatic entanglements that, in the grand scheme of a superhero narrative, seem insignificant, even like a soap opera. 

In my opinion, this is precisely the part that gives Peter Parker a soul. 

His loneliness, his dejection, his confusion, his hesitation – those small troubles and small pains are indeed the most important things in his life. The outside world is vast, but our world, like Peter Parker's, is very small. If Aunt May couldn't forgive him, he would lose everything. 

And Sam Raimi's camera acutely and subtly captured this emotional connection. This is where the movie is most successful, and it's also why the subway battle in the film could ignite all that adrenaline. 

As for Anson Wood. 

Once, people could only see his handsome appearance; now, through Sam Raimi's lens, we finally see a magnificent world in those clear blue eyes. 

His performance deserves all the praise. 

Without a doubt, Anson Wood gave the film its soul. He defined this movie with his presence and truly became the vessel carrying all of the film's energy. 

It's almost unbelievable that Sam Raimi would dare, in a commercial popcorn movie, to spend three shots just on an actor, allowing emotion to slowly overflow in the quiet. It's bold, adventurous, crazy; but at the same time, it's wise. As I said at the beginning, I truly thank Sam Raimi and Anson Wood for completing a piece of work that will go down in history. 

I will never forget the look in that young man's eyes as he gazed into the void in the brief moments before the film's ending." 

High praise. 

Not just a simple compliment, Roger delivered his praise in the most honest and straightforward words, firing the first shot for the top-tier authoritative media joining the wave of acclaim. 

Chapter 1556: The Unending Frenzy 

From a perfect hundred to a four-star recommendation, Roger Ebert didn't hold back any praise. 

However, if anyone thought that was the peak, reading Roger's full review was truly mind-blowing in its acclaim. 

Normally, for a commercial film like "Spider-Man 2," the space for deep analysis and discussion is limited. Film critics of Roger's caliber are busy people; they usually wouldn't write lengthy reviews. After all, there wouldn't be much worth writing about in a long piece, so it would be a waste of time. 

But this time, it was different. 

Roger penned a long review, and although his words were simple and restrained, the admiration for Anson was palpable between the lines, almost spilling over. 

While other media outlets were scrambling to use keywords like "superstar" to define Anson and give him a completely new status in the industry, Roger took a different approach, defining Anson as an "actor"— 

Through a superhero commercial film, no less. 

Without a doubt, this was the first time, and it was absolutely groundbreaking. 

The entire Hollywood industry felt an earthquake-like effect, spreading far and wide, stunning everyone inside and out. 

After Edgar finished carefully reading Roger's entire long review, the emotions he had suppressed again and again, restrained again and again, finally broke free and were fully released. 

"Beautiful!" 

Edgar clenched his fist, raising his arm in triumph. 

This single review was enough. Following the unexpected disruption of the entire box office market by "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" in the first half of the year, Anson had achieved another significant breakthrough in his career. 

With "Spider-Man 2," he had unexpectedly proven his superstar charm and acting prowess! 

Going forward, regardless of how "Spider-Man 2" performs at the box office, in Edgar's eyes, Anson was already invincible. Even if their negotiations with Sony Columbia couldn't break through the existing barriers, Anson's standing within the Hollywood industry was unshakable. Coupled with Warner Bros.' support, the truth was, even before the box office battle began, this war was already over. 

Of course, Edgar wasn't stopping there— 

Since they had already won, they needed a decisive victory. Not only did "Spider-Man 2" need to achieve great box office success, but they were also prepared to pressure Sony Columbia, ensuring things truly developed in the direction Anson had planned, completing the final groundwork for Anson's rise to the top and breakthrough in Hollywood. 

But Roger Ebert and "The Chicago Sun-Times" were, without a doubt, a delightful surprise. 

An absolute surprise! 

Soon after, Edgar realized that the surprises were far from over; they were coming one after another. This wave of praise was turning into a full-blown feast. 

"The Hollywood Reporter," 95 points: "It's absolutely refreshing to see a superhero with self-doubt and human vulnerability appear on the big screen. Wood and Dunst deliver convincing performances together once again, injecting their own color into a limited narrative space. Perhaps the only missing piece on the path to perfection for the film is the relationship between Peter Parker and Harry Osborn. The film should have given this friendship more room to develop instead of focusing so much on the love triangle found in teen drama soap operas." 

"Variety," 95 points: "Surpassing its predecessor and most comic book adaptations, it features a convincing villain and a convincing superhero. Purely from the perspective of character building and plot narration, it already stands on the shoulders of countless comic book movies. But what's even more commendable is how Sam Raimi's dark humor from horror films acts as a catalyst here, breathing life into the emotionally charged scenes. Alfred Molina and Anson Wood, both trustworthy actors, gave him ample room to work." 

"The Wall Street Journal," 90 points: "The editing is so rhythmic and powerful, delivering an overwhelming visual experience, while the score is so vulgar and noisy—clearly the product of Danny Elfman having too much coffee. The cinematography, in its depth and panning shots, captures the density and impact of Manhattan's steel jungle. Yet, the film still manages to create an illusion through Anson Wood's convincing and screen-charming performance—the illusion that you believe that superhero is still a young man plagued by troubles. In truth, you don't believe it, none of us do, but at least, you think you 'believe.'" 

"The Washington Post," 93 points: "It's truly regrettable to see a film with so much power and potential go to waste in many parts. Anson Wood is definitely an underestimated, forgotten, and even maligned actor. He gives the film energy, but what we see is still not the full extent; however, the final result is convincing, not just smart, but most importantly, the entertainment value is top-notch." 

Not perfect scores, but still praise. 

And not just any praise; every single one was 90 points or higher. 

Unlike some other media outlets, these top-tier, authoritative professional publications exhibited a stricter and more demanding standard. They knew it was an excellent film that successfully surpassed its predecessor. But clearly, they could see that the combination of Sam Raimi and Anson had even more potential waiting to be unlocked— 

So, who exactly stopped them? 

Sony Columbia: ... 

In the midst of this frenzy, the most important and eagerly anticipated review from "The New York Times" arrived late. They were one of the last major outlets in the initial wave of reviews to upload theirs. This even sparked a lot of discussion within Hollywood and the media industry itself – what was going on? 

Did "The New York Times" not like the movie? 

The answer, clearly, was no. 

Like other top-tier professional media, "The New York Times" was searching for the right way to evaluate the film. After all, this was a movie about New York. They were being more careful and serious than ever, especially since their opinion was even more crucial amidst the tidal wave of praise. 

"A Masterpiece! 

Years from now, when people talk about superhero films, 'Spider-Man 2' will stand as a landmark work, completely revolutionizing the narrative style of genre films and enduring the test of time to become a true classic, akin to 'Superman II,' but going even further. 

'Spider-Man 2' continues the creative approach of its predecessor. Sam Raimi wasn't making a superhero film; he was making a coming-of-age film about justice, about dreams, about responsibility. The core focus of the camera is no longer on superpowers but on the person wielding that power. 

This isn't just true for the characters and plot, but even for the most anticipated action sequences and the ultimate showdown in a genre film. They aren't fights for the sake of fighting; everything is intimately connected to the characters, ultimately returning to the discussion of talent and superpowers, and also about life choices. 

On this level, the film is both so simple and so complex; the execution is astonishing. 

And Anson Wood's screen charisma is the final piece of the puzzle for everything we see. When he looks towards the screen, everyone sitting in front of it can't help but hold their breath because we can hear the heartbeat deep within his soul. This is what elevates the film beyond excellent and makes it a masterpiece." 

One hundred points!