Film Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

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Has there been a bigger blockbuster of the past two years to come into theaters under as much scrutiny as The Amazing Spider-Man 2? There were all those photos from sets that comic book fans were eager to spoil, there was the multiple villains situation people were afraid of and of course there was the fact that the first one in this rebooted series was not that good. So what about the sequel, the film of which is the basis for this review? Well, though The Amazing Sipder-Man 2 is a vast improvement from its predecessor, it still can’t manage to overcome many of the problems that plagued the original.

In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, we see Peter Parker somewhat settling into his role as the webslinger keeping NYC safe. However, that is short lived as visions of Gwen’s father and the mounting pressure of fighting crime puts a strain on the relationship he has with Gwen. Add in Electro, a former fan turned electronic villain, the return of a long long lost friend Harry Osborne, and mounting pressures of figuring out his true identity and what his father were up to lead to some major confrontations that will test just how willing he is to continue on his quest.

It’s really difficult to figure out just where to go with analyzing this movie. I won’t lie and sit here like i didn’t enjoy this movie, because I did. The chemistry between Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield is so blinding that any time they are on screen together the movie is elevated. The script treats their character’s relationship so well and the movie feels so grounded when it’s dealing with them and how their real world lives are affected by him being Spider-Man is something really compelling.

Also, for what it’s worth, if you are going to see this movie I’d suggest going in 3D. The visuals and direction by Marc Webb are top notch and he’s really coming into form as a solid action director.

But for all it’s good moments, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has some moment that had me like

Much of that has to stem from the fact that these movies just seem like setups for the next one. As a fan of the Marvel Studios output I am more inclined than most excuse a movie just being a set up for the next one. However, unlike those pictures, there’s a residue of the script machinations resting on the picture. For example the Harry Osborne stuff. Harry being a long lost friend of Peter’s who comes back into town when his father is dying (of some Osborne affliction which when treated had turned him green with claws) and is apparently already coming down with the same disease so he needs to get Spider-Man’s blood. Like…whet? huh? And where that character ends up felt less organic and more like he was put there to just hit the key plot points and set up future movies.

Which brings me to my biggest complaint, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and this reboot series they’ve got going on feels like nothing more than surface pleasures and situations. There is just something missing from this film that keeps me from fully engaging with it on an emotional level. Maybe its because despite the emotions presented on the screen, they are just that, presented on the screen. Nothing about these movies seeps into my pores and forces me to reckon with it.

Grade: **1/2/**** (C+)

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Terence Johnson

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