By David Seaman | Echo
Spider-Man is my favorite superhero. He's a teenager who happens to receives superpowers and struggles to use them responsibly. The choices he makes, whether good or bad, have consequences. He makes mistakes but ultimately wants to do the right thing. He's relatable.
So it's frustrating when a film called "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" ends up being more adequate than amazing. The story is too uneven in its writing, acting and special effects to make it truly special. The final result is sadly mediocre. But hidden inside a mediocre movie are parts of a very solid film.
Peter Parker's life seems to be better after the traumatic events of the first "Amazing." He has a steady girlfriend in Gwen Stacy, he has a loving aunt and he's finally graduating from high school. Peter's alter-ego has also improved in skill, becoming a confident and experienced web-slinger. But the life of a superhero is never easy. When a shocking new villain called Electro comes into the picture, Spidey must use all of his great power and responsibility to take him down. In between this he must also juggle relationship problems, family secrets and the emergence of an old friend. It all leads up to a conclusion that proves sacrifices come from heroic actions.
If that all sounds like a lot, well . . . it is. The truth is that "Amazing Spider-Man 2" is a very padded movie. There's an unnecessary and confusing backstory involving Peter's parents, the Gwen-Peter romance, three villains, three climaxes and deliberate setup for more sequels. It's a tangled web this "Spider-Man" weaves.
There's still plenty of good here. Andrew Garfield proves to be a more down-to-earth and likable Peter than Tobey Maguire. His Spider-Man is funny and cool, and I appreciate how he has the character try to compromise with villains before inevitably battling them. The chemistry between Garfield and real-life girlfriend Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy blows away other superhero couples. Jamie Foxx has a clear villain arc as Electro, and he comes off as convincingly creepy and menacing. Dane DeHaan also plays crazy well as Harry Osborn, Peter's old friend and eventual nemesis. There's some solid action scenes and impressive visuals to keep the audience entertained and the story moving.
The problem is that the film is just too uneven. Whenever there's a good part on screen, something disappointing bookends it. The romance between Peter and Gwen is convincing, but the film makes the mistake of turning it into a back-and-forth argument on whether they should be together. For all the cool fight scenes and special effects, there's cheesy CGI and messy choreography; for all the quick quips and emotional reactions from Spidey, melodramatic dialogue and static speech follows. With the exception of one beautifully shot scene, the use of slow-motion is overused and tiresome. The biggest mistake the movie makes is having too many villains; Electro and the two others are compelling, but the film only needs one.
I liked the film's messages about hope and responsibility. I liked that the villains were polar opposites of Spider-Man's theme (great power, terrible responsibility on their parts). One scene near the end of the film genuinely moved me and stuck in my head long after I exited the theater. "Amazing Spider-Man 2" is a good film in parts. With a little more editing and snap it could have been a great one. Still, there's always hope; "Amazing Spider-Man 3" comes out in 2016, with more sequels and spin-offs to follow.
