Rated
PG-13 (Sequences of Sci-Fi Action/Violence)
Running
Time: 2 Hours & 22 Minutes
Cast-
Andrew
Garfield-Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Emma
Stone-Gwen Stacy
Jamie
Foxx-Maxwell 'Max' Dillon/Electro
Dane
DeHaan-Harry Osborn/Green Goblin
Sally
Field-Aunt May
Colm
Feore-Donald Menken
Felicity
Jones-Felicia Hardy
Paul
Giamatti-Aleksei Sytsevich/The Rhino
B.J.
Novak-Alistair Smythe
Marton
Csokas-Dr. Ashley Kafka
Campbell
Scott-Richard Parker
Embeth
Davidtz-Mary Parker
Chris
Cooper-Norman Osborn
Denis
Leary-Captain George Stacy
Michael
Massee-Gustav Fiers/The Gentleman
Directed
by Marc Webb
 |
| Spider-Man faces off against Electro in the sequel "The Amazing Spider-Man 2." |
Note: Screened on Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at AMC Loews Kips Bay 15.
In
the first issue of Marvel Comics' newly relaunched Amazing Spider-Man, Peter Parker decides to get back into the thick
of things by taking a swing around New York City after regaining control of his
body from Otto Octavius, aka Dr. Octopus (it's a long story). 'YES!' he
excitedly thinks to himself, 'This is what being Spider-Man is all about!
Swinging through the sky—a New York sky—patrolling the city. Every moment a
chance to make a difference. To fight the good fight.' Although Octavius tried
to be the hero as the so-called 'Superior Spider-Man,' his actions ended up doing
more harm than good and ruined the wall-crawler's already-tenuous reputation
among the New York populace. However, Parker isn't worried. For him, this is a
'do-over, [a] new lease on life, [a] second chance, [and he's] gonna make this
work.'
There's
a certain irony to Parker's statement as only four years ago, Sony decided to
hit the do-over button with the "Spider-Man" film franchise. Despite
grossing over $890 million worldwide, 2007's "Spider-Man 3" received
a mixed reception among comic book fans and critics (63% on Rotten Tomatoes).
With director Sam Raimi unable to hash out a compelling story, what would've been
"Spider-Man 4" became "The Amazing Spider-Man" instead. While
it was born out of a cynical attempt to retain the rights to the character, the
2012 reboot was actually quite good, largely thanks to its perfectly-cast
leads. A mere two years later, we have the obligatory sequel "The Amazing
Spider-Man 2," with Marc Webb (of "(500) Days of Summer" fame)
once again at the helm. Given that 2012's "The Avengers" earned over
$1.5 billion worldwide, it's not surprising to see Sony taking a few cues from
Marvel Studios by forming their own shared universe. With two spin-offs and another
sequel already on the horizon, the prioritization of franchise-building over
story and character development proves to be a problem in the web-slinger's
latest adventure yet "The Amazing Spider-Man 2"—in spite of a tangled
web of a script and a flip-flopping tone that frequently swings between cartoon
goofiness and brooding melodrama—remains a fun and enjoyable superhero flick with
its impassioned performances, spectacular action, and sense of exuberance.
Although
Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) has settled into his new life as the
wisecracking crime-fighter Spider-Man, his personal life remains a mess as he
struggles to honor the promise he made to police captain George Stacy (Denis
Leary) right before he died: to stay away from his daughter Gwen (Emma Stone).
Following their high school graduation, Peter admits that he loves Gwen but he
is unable to commit to her due to his responsibilities. Frustrated, she decides
to break up with him…for good. Meanwhile, a meek electrical engineer at Oscorp
named Maxwell 'Max' Dillon (Jamie Foxx) suffers a workplace accident when he is
electrocuted while fixing a power-line. This causes him to lose his balance and
fall into a tank of genetically modified electric eels. Initially presumed to
be dead, Dillon soon reanimates with the ability to control and absorb
electricity. Once obsessed with Spider-Man after a brief run-in with him,
Dillon begins to view the wall-crawler as a fraud out to steal the spotlight
from him and he sets out to destroy the superhero as the power-mad 'Electro.'
In an effort to cover up what happened, Oscorp's board members—led by Donald
Menken (Colm Feore)—pin Dillion's accident on young Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan),
who was handed the reins of the multibillion-dollar company following the death
of his father, Norman (Chris Cooper). Harry, however, is slowly dying from a
degenerative disease that was passed onto him from his father. When he learns
that Spider-Man's blood can potentially save him, he implores his childhood
friend Peter to find some way to contact the web-slinger since he takes
pictures of him for the Daily Bugle.
When Peter—as Spider-Man—refuses to give his blood, citing that the side
effects could be dangerous, Harry flies into a deep rage and transforms himself
into the hideous 'Green Goblin,' putting him on a deadly collision course with
his best friend. In the midst of all this is the mystery behind the death of
Peter's parents, as it soon becomes clear that like his enemies, Peter's past
is connected with Oscorp.
 |
| His performance may come off as a bit silly but Jamie Foxx's Electro makes for an effective, if forgettable, villain. |
Despite
the tonal whiplash and bloated script, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2"
remains a blast to watch because director Marc Webb absolutely nails the joy
and exuberance of being Spider-Man.
This is by far my favorite incarnation of the character on the big screen and
you can tell that Andrew Garfield is having a ton of fun while wearing the
costume (which looks fantastic by the way). Take for example the opening action
scene. A group of Russian mobsters led by a pre-Rhino Aleksei Sytsevich (Paul
Giamatti) has hijacked an Oscorp-bound armored truck containing vials of
plutonium. Spider-Man learns of the commotion and swings to intercept the
truck, making short work of Sytsevich's goons. Although the property damage is
extensive, the web-head manages to subdue Sytsevich as well. What's great about
this action scene is the way Webb captures the spirit of the character.
Spidey's constant barrage of wisecracks will leave the audience in stitches but
what really stood out for me is that he goes out of his way to save everyone.
'But aren't superheroes supposed to do that?' you're thinking. Yes, they are
supposed to do that; unfortunately this aspect often gets lost in the shuffle.
As much as I loved last year's "Man of Steel," I have to admit, the
final fight scene is disturbingly too wanton in its destruction. In "The
Amazing Spider-Man 2," we see Spidey actively swinging people away from
harm as well as doing his best to minimize collateral damage. There's a comical
moment where he tries to hold on to all the plutonium vials, making sure that
none of them shatter as he bounces around like a Ping-Pong ball in the back
of the armored truck. Spidey later spots a kid being bullied on the street and
naturally chases them away but before he leaves, he helps fix the kid's science
project! I love these small touches that emphasize the
everyday heroism of the character.
The
individual character moments are quite strong as well and it helps that Webb
has such an appealing pair of leads with real-life couple Andrew Garfield and
Emma Stone. The two may be acting but it's also clear that their characters' strong
affection for each other is drawn from their own as well. Although they break
up early in the film, Peter and Gwen attempt to stay in touch as 'friends,'
leading to an endearingly sweet scene where they lay down 'ground rules' if
they are to make their friendship work. Garfield and Stone's palpable on-screen
chemistry also makes the climax all the more heartbreaking despite the fact
that I was already expecting it. Hell, you could say that I was dreading it as
the film slowly builds to that brutal moment. I won't spoil what happens for
those who aren't familiar with the source material but suffice to say, the last
fifteen minutes hit me in such a way that it effectively rendered me
speechless. It's an emotional gut-punch that's a rarity in superhero films.
As
much as I loved watching Spidey swing around the urban jungle of New York and
trade playful banter with Gwen, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" does have
its problems and fairly big ones at that. These issues can all be traced back
to the script, which is credited to Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner,
and James Vanderbilt. To put it simply, there's just too much going on in the
film. It pains me to say this but it feels like the producers have learned
nothing from 2007's "Spider-Man 3." You have Peter's continued search
for the truth about his parents, his relationship woes with Gwen, the return of
Harry Osborn and his struggle to cure himself of his degenerative disease, and
finally there's Max Dillon's Electro lashing out at the world for being ignored
all his life. There's little connective tissue among these individual subplots,
resulting in a feature that feels thin and bloated at the same time. I admire
the fact that "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" is so forward-thinking and
ambitious. It's a film that studio executives looking to plan their own shared
franchises would love but it gets too caught up in establishing future sequels
and spin-offs, to the point where the main narrative becomes muddled. When the
story zeroes in on Peter as he navigates the responsibilities and challenges
that come with young adulthood, the film is at its best thanks to Garfield's
winning performance. However, the villains aren't afforded the same luxury as
they're given the most basic of motivations. By the time the final battle rolls
around, Electro feels like an afterthought, a pesky nuisance that Spidey has to
defeat so that he can get to Harry and set up more future plotlines.
 |
| As if one villain wasn't enough, Spider-Man also has to face off against his former best friend Harry Osborn, who becomes the Green Goblin. |
In
spite of the messy script, the cast goes a long way in smoothing out its flaws.
In addition to Garfield and Stone, we have the supremely talented Sally Field,
who brings heart and humor to Aunt May. You can't help but feel a lump in your
throat when she tearfully explains to Peter her protectiveness over him
regarding the details of his parents' disappearance. Although his performance
might conjure up unpleasant memories of 1995's "Batman Forever,"
Jamie Foxx remains sympathetic with his goofy, tragicomical portrayal of Max
Dillon, who becomes the maniacal Electro following a workplace accident. That
being said, his motivation behind his hatred of Spider-Man is rather thin. He
essentially feels slighted by him and lashes out at the world like a petulant
child. Still, his clashes with the wall-crawler make for some truly spectacular
action scenes and it's nice to see Spidey use his scientific know-how to defeat
him even though it doesn't really make much sense. Dane DeHaan brings a
riveting intensity to Harry Osborn that was sorely missing from James Franco's
performance. The film unfortunately doesn't devote enough time to the
character's friendship with Peter but DeHaan and Garfield still manage to
create a believable history—as well as an unspoken jealousy—between them. It's
no mystery that Harry becomes the Green Goblin and I love the look that the
filmmakers have come up with. Let's be honest, the armored bodysuit that Raimi
used for the 2002 film looked silly and the green-and-purple costume from the
comics would never have worked on the big screen. While Webb kept the armor motif, the
appearance is more militarized and in regards to Harry, the director has him
mutate into a goblin-like appearance, inspired by the Ultimate Spider-Man comics. Finally,
there's Paul Giamatti as Aleksei Sytsevich, who becomes the mech-suit wearing Rhino
in the film's final scene. The role amounts to a glorified cameo but Giamatti is
clearly having a lot of fun, playing things big and broad with his ridiculously
thick Russian accent.
When
Webb was hired to direct the 2012 reboot, his only feature credit at the time
was "(500) Days of Summer" yet he managed to tell a solid story while
also satisfying the film's blockbuster aspirations. For the sequel, Webb
greatly opens up the scope and the result is a picture that feels like a
living, breathing comic book—perhaps even more so compared to the films from
Marvel Studios. The action is dazzling to watch and while the amount of CG
being used can feel somewhat excessive, there's no denying that "The
Amazing Spider-Man 2" is a visual treat for the eyes, one that's well
worth the premium price to see in IMAX 3D. The musical score from Hans Zimmer
and the so-called 'Magnificent Six'—whose members include Pharrell Williams and
Johnny Marr—is eclectic to say the least. Some of the themes are forgettable
but the one that accompanies the arrival of Electro ended up growing on me and
certainly added an adrenaline rush during his first confrontation with the
web-slinger in Times Square.
Released
on May 2, 2014, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" has received largely mixed
reviews with 54% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the worst-reviewed
"Spider-Man" film so far. Critics noted that 'the cast is
outstanding and the special effects are top-notch [but] the latest installment
of the Spidey saga suffers from an unfocused narrative and an overabundance of
characters.' It's a consensus that I agree with yet it's hard to deny the
film's fun factor and I believe that general audiences will for the most part
embrace the sequel. As for its box office prospects, "The Amazing
Spider-Man 2" has already grossed $155 million after opening two weeks
prior internationally and its set to debut with at least $90 million
domestically. Given the problems with its script, "The Amazing Spider-Man
2" doesn't quite live up to its title but the sequel remains a thoroughly
entertaining affair due to the way it wholeheartedly embraces its audacious
style while managing to not lose sight of the story's main characters.
Hopefully, Webb takes the criticisms he received to heart and delivers the best
"Spider-Man" film ever when he returns for the third installment.
Final
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
"I
will cut the light and soon, everyone in this city will know how it feels to
live in my world. A world without power, a world without mercy, a world without
Spider-Man!"
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