The Amazing Spiderman 2 (2014) Directed by Marc Webb. Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx. IMDB says: “Peter Parker runs the gauntlet as the mysterious company Oscorp sends up a slew of supervillains against him, impacting on his life.”
There is a scene in the film, where Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) and Gwen Stacy (the always gorgeous Emma Stone) are hiding in a maintenance closet to avoid Oscorp workers. During their hushed conversation, Peter leans in and kisses Gwen. Taken aback, Gwen looks at Peter. After a beat, Peter asks Gwen (and I’m paraphrasing) “What did you think?” Stammering, Gwen replies, “I liked it…. felt a bit rushed though.” I couldn’t agree more Gwen. I wanted to like The Amazing Spiderman 2. I enjoyed the first (in this article, whenever I reference the first movie, I’m talking about The Amazing Spiderman, not the Tobey Maguire films) but felt it suffered because it felt so rushed. The same happens in this film as we rush from event to event, trope to trope, as if the film expects you to feel something for these characters; I felt nothing. Even when the film hits its climax and throws a curveball or two your way and the music is swelling underneath: nothing. The story felt thrown together, almost like a placeholder for the future Spiderman and Sinister Six films. I hope it pays off, because right now, if I were a huge Spiderman fan, I’d be concerned.
The Amazing Spiderman 2 kicks off with what actually happened to Peter’s parents, a surprising move, but one that pays off as the film unravels and more and more questions become answered. I will give this movie that much credit, it does answer a fair amount of questions left open from the first film, even when it presents more. From there, we go to Spidey swinging through New York City as he helps the police chase after Aleksei Sytsevich (a wonderfully over the top Paul Giamatti), a Russian mobster who has stolen some plutonium. Along the way he bumps into Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx) and saves his life, which sets up some character arcs. Eventually, Spiderman saves the day from the terror that is (and will eventually become) Rhino. Fun fact: this is all we see of Rhino UNTIL THE END OF THE MOVIE. The trailer makes it seem like Rhino and Electro are gonna team up. Wrong. Doesn’t happen. It’s one of many wasted opportunities this film trudges through, but that’s another conversation for another day. From there, the film then splits into 3 stories that intertwine and eventually collide in an explosion of CGI action on a grand scale. We have the on again, off again relationship between Peter and Gwen. We have the rise of Max Dillon who becomes Electro and we have the return of Peter’s boyhood friend (who we didn’t hear a single thing about in the first movie) Harry Osborn ( Dane Dehaan). I really want to get into the details of these stories and their arcs, but that falls into spoiler territory and the last thing I want to do is spoil a movie that manages to sneak in some bold twists. I felt a bit betrayed as the film ended because it was so wide open. I get it. There are more Spiderman films coming, but there could have been greater closure to make this film feel like a film and not a placeholder/stepping stone.
The action and CGI are impressive. Even in 3D, everything looked pretty seamless and nothing was too overwhelming even as the scale becomes grander and grander. The performances were solid across the board. If there is one thing I like most about this iteration of Spiderman, it’s the cast. I feel like they really nailed it this time around, especially with the addition of Jamie Foxx, Paul Giamatti, Dane DeHaan, BJ Novak, and Felicity Jones. Their roles make me excited (despite my apprehension) for the future of the Spiderman franchise because these films could go in a myriad of directions. Another great part of the film is the soundtrack. I didn’t mind the James Horner soundtrack of the first film, but when you bring in Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams, Johnny Marr, Junkie XL… James Who? Its truly amazing. See what I did there? Look, if you enjoyed the first Amazing Spiderman, you’ll definitely enjoy this one. There are a lot more winks and nods for Spiderman fans of all ages, the action is more exciting, and some of the dialogue is campy enough to put a smirk on your face. It’s a great way to kick off the summer blockbuster season. But if you felt “meh” about the first film, you’ll continue to scratch your head and enjoy the action sequences. It’s your call whether you see it on the big screen or wait for the rental.
