Monday, April 21, 2014

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - Spoiler Free Review


Damn they ruined a lot of police cars to get the Spider-Man opening scene perfect. But that is okay if you want to give me a huge superhero experience and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 delivered for me. I loved how everything from how Spidey moved throughout the city to his cellphone ringtone hit all the right buttons for me. Even the things I had trouble with were plot points that I could live with. The ennui runs thick here as sad sack Max is given the power to control electricity and become ELECTRO after he fell into a tank of mutated electric eels. Just like Stan Lee would have written it.


Garfield really captures the humanity and fragility of Peter Parker and Emma Stone is once again luminous as Gwen Stacey. Their 'make-up' date is the most charming thing I have seen in a long time. These two actors have a real connection with each other and it's fun to see their relationship develop. The film has some of the best romantic comedy moments of any superhero movie we have seen. It's perfect for a Spider-Man movie.


 
Spidey as a hero of the city is another nice touch to a story that can be dark and sad as well. There are many different kinds of battles going on here.



 
The CGI effects are done very well, especially when they show off how Spider-Man's powers REALLY work. You can see how he moves in the physical space. You understand what truly makes Spider-Man such a unique hero and why he is so hard to kill. They showed me the AMAZING part of the Amazing Spider-Man. There are many scenes of Spidey using his full powers to save people. The variations put into showing off these powers were numerous and thrilling. This is one that I want to watch over again just to soak in all the great slow motion coolness. 3D and in IMAX is the ONLY way to see this film.
 
 
All of the live action stunt work and choreography is state of the art.
It was a fantastic combination that I found continuously thrilling.

 
 
Harry Osborne is well played by Dane DeHaan who was also a part of the excellent CHRONICLE from last year. His strained relationship with Peter Parker is nice to watch develop. But can a Parker and an Osborne every truly be friends? Or are they destined to destroy themselves and all those around them who they love? It's complicated but do we really need a Green Goblin in this sequel?
 
 
Jamie Foxx is good only after he get's his powers. His 'nerd' persona is a bit over the top especially for a movie that has much more depth to it than any superhero movie deserves to have. I have a hard time taking him all that seriously. It's like watching Steve Urkel.
 
 
Did we really need the Rhino as a giant robot?
I will leave that to you to decide.
 
 
To me he seems like a lot of complicated moving parts, any one of which can break down and cause it to shut down. What is the purpose of such a 'suit' anyways? Oscorp seems to like to overthink everything. Simple is often the best weapon.
 
 
We've always known that Spider-Man's most important battle has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. But in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker finds that a greater conflict lies ahead. It's great to be Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield). For Peter Parker, there's no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone). But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp. (c) Columbia.
 
 


1 comment:

Hobgoblin238 said...

And BOO that they changed Electro's ethnicity...Just because. It is a slap in the face to comic fans.