Released: May 2014
Director: Marc Webb
Run Time: 142 Minutes
Rated: PG-13
Cast:
Andrew Garfield: Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Emma Stone: Gwen Stacy
Jamie Foxx: Max Dillon/Electro
Dane DeHann: Harry Osbourne/Green Goblin
Sally Field: Aunt May
After Spider-Man 3 was released to theaters, it was a financial success. Big time. Critically, though, it got hammered and rightfully so. Too many villains, too many subplots, they cast the wrong person to be Venom, who didn’t get nearly enough screen time and went out like a punk, turning Peter Parker into an emo punk, and finally: Those dance numbers. I don’t know what Sam Raimi was thinking, but those dance numbers really had no place in a Spider-Man movie. Despite all that, it was a successful film, so it was to be expected that a fourth film would follow, and it was expected that Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire would return for the next film. Nobody would expect that Sony would reboot the live-action film series, at all. When The Amazing Spider-Man was announced, it took people by surprise and rightly so. Less than a decade had passed since the first Sam Raimi film was released. Who in their right mind would risk rebooting a film franchise that was barely ten years old? Sure enough, with a new cast and director they started over from scratch. The Amazing Spider-Man was another origin story. Instead of Tobey Maguire, they cast British actor, Andrew Garfield in the role of Peter Parker, Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, Rhys Ifans as Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard, Denis Leary as Captain Stacy, Martin Sheen and Sally Field as Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Surprisingly, it was fairly well received and was very successful. So, the logical thing was to start on a sequel.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 begins with a bang as we see Spider-Man/Peter Parker(Andrew Garfield) swinging through the streets of New York City, fighting crime as he does. Incidentally, he rescues an absent-minded employee of Oscorp, Max Dillon(Jamie Foxx), who eventually becomes obsessed with Spider-Man. One night at Oscorp, Dillon has an accident in which he ends up in a vat full of electric eels. Instead of dying, he absorbs electrical energy and becomes Electro. Meanwhile, an old friend of Parker’s, Harry Osborne(Dane DeHann)returns from some boarding school on the news that his father is dying due to a genetic disease, which Harry has inherited from his father. That revelation leads Harry on a collision course with Spider-Man.
When Spider-Man 3 was released, it was derided for having too much in it, particularly in terms of villains and subplots. The first two Sam Raimi films were successful because they had only one major villain and the movies revolved around those villains. That was also why the first Amazing Spider-Man was successful. One villain=more screen time for said villain. So, story-wise, Amazing Spider-Man 2 has a little too much in it. Again, too many subplots, and too many villains. However, it’s done in a way that’s not entirely ludicrous, except maybe for Electro. So…story-wise, Amazing Spider-Man 2 flounders a little bit. Everything else, it seems to get right. Let’s talk about the casting. When Andrew Garfield was first cast as Peter Parker, I was really surprised that he gave the character a less-geeky approach and made him a little more self-confident. It makes for a much stronger character in the long run and really amplifies the character when he puts on the mask. Brilliant casting in that department. Emma Stone is fantastic as Gwen Stacy. She’s beautiful, intelligent and funny and is someone that Parker would love to spend the rest of his life with. The chemistry between Garfield and Stone is outstanding and their relationship with each other is one of the best parts of the movie and really gives the movie an emotional impact. Jamie Foxx does what he can as Max Dillon, who isn’t that much of a likable character. He’s kinda creepy. But when Dillon becomes Elector, Foxx brings his A-game and really lights up the screen….literally. Dane DeHann is a revelation as Harry Osborne. This is a character who’s driven to desperation because of his disease and DeHann goes from someone you wouldn’t mind hanging out with to someone you don’t want to cross at all. He becomes totally ruthless in his pursuit of a cure, and DeHann really gives the character surprising depth and sympathy. The performances in this film are fantastic.
As good as the action was in the first movie, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 really turns up the heat. The scenes where Spider-Man is swinging through the city are exhilarating. You get a real sense of vertigo and speed when he’s zipping around NYC. Some of the fight scenes are spectacular, especially when Electro goes berserk. His fight with Spider-Man is one of the most spectacular I’ve seen in a Spider-Man movie. It’s a total ride. The music is done by Hans Zimmer and The Magnificent Six which was a band he had formed. It gives the film a real epic scale.
Now, when I said that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 had too many villains, I’m referring to The Green Goblin and Rhino who is played by Paul Giamatti in a very limited but spectacular role that seems to set up the next film. This movie wasn’t just a journey for Peter Parker, but Harry Osborne as well and his transformation into the Goblin. Too many, but they’re independent of each other, so it isn’t THAT much of a problem. DeHann actually does a great job as the Green Goblin, but again, it’s a set-up for what’s to come. There is an issue with which both fans of the comics and the movies have a problem, and that’s with what happens with Gwen Stacy. I won’t spoil it here, but I will say that, because of the relationship between Parker and Stacy and the performances of the respecting actors, that it really lands an emotional sucker punch.
Overall, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a visually spectacular film that really feels like a comic-book and that’s a good thing. The performances, especially by Garfield and Stone, really help sell the characters as people who have real problems, and the rest of the cast are fantastic as well. Yeah, the film could have used a few less villains, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as Spider-Man 3. So, I’m looking forward to the next film. Unfortunately we won’t see The Amazing Spider-Man 3 until 2018. Which is too bad. These last two movies were awesome, exciting and spectacular. I’m giving this film a solid 9/10.
Agree or Disagree? Comment below and no web-slinging.