The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
Certified: PG
Duration: 142 minutes
Directed by: Marc Webb
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Colm Feore, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field
KRS release
While I was a bit doubtful when it was announced in 2012 that there was going to be a reinvention of Spider-Man, I found the resulting film to be solid and entertaining, with the focus being the origin of Spider-Man.
Fans of the first movie will find that the action in the second web crawler movie has increased, the affluence between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone is evident, and the film has enough bang for one’s buck to really make one want to see the third film in the series.
While I still prefer Tobey Maguire for his geeky look, Garfield has grown on me and his Peter Parker is a playful character and he has filled the role well. His Peter is all scrawny and intensely charming but never in an adult manner; he looks more of a young boy who suddenly finds himself in a position of power.
The film’s core is his relationship with Gwen Stacy (Stone). The two seem so well together and their act is really natural. However, Peter had promised her father he will stop seeing her and so the relationship will find some hitches.
Peter is also making his own investigation into his parents’ death, while both Gwen and Aunt May (Sally Field) are going through a period of family bereavement. Meanwhile, the corporation Oscorp increases its machinations as New York comes under siege from criminals of all kinds.
Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx), an employee at Oscorp, is a huge Spider-Man fan. During an incident involving electric eels at the laboratory, he becomes Electro, a villain with the ability to throw off high voltage. Also on the horizon is the rise of Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), Oscorp’s heir and once Peter’s best friend.
This sequel does not lose its way even though it has more than one bad guy. Field comes out shining like roses as she has now made the character of Aunt May her own. Foxx is – no pun intended – electrifying as he takes a secondary villain of the Marvel universe to a new level. Giamatti simply has a hoot in his small role while Stone is the perfect dream girl. De Haan is as usual wiry, confident and a very worthy villain.
The action in the second web crawler movie has increased
The film boasts a scintillating and sparkly visual look; just take a look at how it portrays the Big Apple at night. The fight sequences are well edited and this leads to some key sequences which are particularly eye-catching, especially Electro and Spider-Man’s face-off in New York.
The joy of Spider-Man has always been the mix of teen angst (plenty to be found), the web slinging (the view we get here is exhilarating) and the geek getting the girl (three out of three) which the film accomplishes with aplomb and a whole lot of swagger.
Already planned and in motion are two other Spider-Man sequels set for 2016 and 2018, while spin-offs from the Spider-Man comic books of two other movies for the web slinger’s arch-nemesis Venom and The Sinister Six have all been announced and are planned for release before 2018. The Spider-Man reinvention train seems to be going at it full steam ahead and with all hands on board.