Movie Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
Written by Anthony Sargon
Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man 2″ is one of my all-time favorite movies. I watched it in theaters a total of 10 times, and still consider it one of the greatest comic book movies ever made. Spider-Man is hands down my favorite superhero, and the only reason I ever got into in comics in the first place. I didn’t exactly mind the idea of a reboot; in fact it was the only way for me to move on from the traumatic “Spider-Man 3.” I ended up really enjoying “The Amazing Spider-Man” and couldn’t wait to see where the series would go next. While the sequel is a bit of a mixed bag overall, it’s still a highly enjoyable piece of summer entertainment, and includes a final half hour that packs a big emotional wallop. It won’t replace Raimi’s “Spider-Man 2″ as the best Spidey flick yet, but it’s far from being the next “Spider-Man 3.” Director Marc Webb may have bitten off a bit more than he can chew, but he’s delivered a very solid – if not amazing – Spidey adventure.
Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is finally embracing his role as Spider-Man. He’s more comfortable with his powers than ever before, and seems to have hit the perfect balance between being a superhero and a devoted boyfriend to Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). But Peter can’t shake the promise he made Gwen’s dad at the end of the first film, which was to stay the hell away from her. As Peter and Gwen try to make their relationship work, Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx) – a socially awkward but affable electrical engineer – experiences a rather unfortunate accident and transforms into Electro, who’s capable of bending electricity to his will. The film also marks the return of Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), who we learn is suffering from the same blood disease that is slowly claiming his father’s life. In order to find a cure, Harry enlists the help of his old friend Peter. When that falls through, Harry is pushed to the point of desperation, and before long, Peter finds himself with two enemies to face: Electro, and Harry as the Green Goblin. The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been for our favorite wall-crawler, and he’s not coming out of this one unscathed.
If that looks like a lot of plot, there’s actually a good deal more of it in the film. I didn’t even mention Peter’s ongoing investigation into his parents’ death, or the many references and allusions made to other characters in the Spideyverse. There’s plenty to discuss, so I’ll start with the bad: For one, Electro is absolutely wasted in this movie. Jamie Foxx does what he can with the role, but the character of Max Dillon is just badly thought-out, and it was really hard to buy his transformation into a villain. The filmmakers are clearly trying to make him relatable and likable, but he’s too much of a bumbling weirdo. Along with the Lizard, this is the second villain that this reboot has failed to make compelling.
My second gripe with the movie is that, like most sequels, it assumes that bigger is better and tries to do too much. Not only is the film balancing multiple plot threads, but it’s also attempting to establish a larger, overarching universe for future Spidey films and spinoffs. It feels forced, especially when we’re already dealing with two primary villains. We get a glimpse of the Rhino in the film, and while I have no issues with Paul Giamatti’s performance as Aleksei Sytsevich, his role is being severely oversold in the film’s marketing. Comic book aficionados will surely get a kick out of seeing Alistair Smythe and Felicia Hardy, but general audiences aren’t likely to notice. I have another small nitpick, and although it did little to lessen the film’s final emotional impact, it definitely took away a lot of the shock. I don’t want to get into spoilers, but anyone who’s familiar with Spidey comics should have a pretty solid idea of what I’m talking about. The scene in question is still difficult to sit through, but a tad less foreshadowing would have made it a lot more shocking for casual viewers.
What I loved most about the first ASM was Peter and Gwen’s relationship. It was the most authentic on-screen romance I had ever seen in a comic book film, and while the chemistry between Garfield and Stone is as great as ever in the sequel, their constant breaking up and making up got a tad repetitive. But again, I can’t stress how engaging Garfield and Stone are, and they make it work regardless. Gwen is the exact opposite of a damsel in distress and actually assists Peter on more than one occasion, making her a great role model for young girls as well. Dane DeHaan is an absolutely brilliant Harry Osborn, and I love his character’s arc in the film. He can be both extremely likable and highly menacing, and his Green Goblin is absolutely terrifying. I honestly think it’s a better Goblin that we got in 2002′s “Spider-Man,” although it’s hard to beat Willem Dafoe’s Norman Osborn. Still, this is a great incarnation of the Goblin, and my only gripe is that he wasn’t the main foe instead of Electro.
Effects-wise, the film looks great, and while getting a CG Spidey to look believable remains challenging, the film is a visual feast that should certainly be experienced the way it’s meant to; in a theater. Watching Spidey zip through New York is as exhilarating as ever, and the sequences highlight director Marc Webb’s growing confidence behind the camera. In a way, this sequel feels like a reboot of the first film, making it a reboot within a reboot. Some plot strands and characters from the first film have been entirely dropped, and the whole thing feels a lot more “comic book-y” than last time. The first ASM was touted as a more “grounded and dark” take on Spider-Man, but this sequel sometimes feels like a saturday morning Spidey cartoon with its abundance of villains, references, and Spidey’s trademark one-liners and quips. It seems like everyone in the production has finally embraced the character and the world for what it is rather than forcing a specific tone where it doesn’t belong.
Webb does his best to keep things moving at a brisk pace, but the story’s ambition makes the film feel like it lacks focus. It’s trying to do so much that even a running time of 142 minutes doesn’t seem enough to wrap it all up. I’m actually surprised that Webb was able to make it work as well as he did, and he deserves a lot of praise for that. Everyone’s biggest concern has been the film’s bloated plot-line, and while there’s a lot of room for cuts, it works better than it has any right to. But Webb is at his best when getting great performances out of his actors in smaller, more intimate moments, and that remains true here. I’ve already mentioned Garfield, Stone, and DeHaan as standouts, and I can’t forget the amazing Sally Field as Aunt May. She’s still Peter’s number one fan, and is lovable in the role.
The Verdict:
“The Amazing Spider-Man 2″ is the first of a different kind of Spider-Man movie. A reboot within a reboot, it nixes what didn’t work in the last film and focuses on building an expanding universe. The film sadly overreaches and, as a result, ends up feeling a tad bloated and disjointed, but excellent performances and a massive emotional payoff keep it from going off the rails. I can’t say whether or not I like it more than the previous film, only because it feels entirely different. It definitely improves upon its predecessor in a number of ways, but by trying to accomplish so much, its given way to new flaws that’ll hopefully be ironed out in the next flick. For now though, it’s exciting, colorful summer movie fun, and should do enough to satisfy casual fans as well as Spidey connoisseurs. It’s not the best Spider-Man movie out there, but it’s far from the worst. I just can’t believe it took five movies to get his eyes to look right!
Numerical Score: 7.5/10
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