The Amazing Spider-Man 2

WARNING: This review is hidden because it reveals the content of the film.
Click here to show this review. “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is a sequel that is better than the first not only because it is no longer forced to introduce its hero and the world it’s set in, but because it develops the relationships of these characters further, patches up some of the problems with the first instalment and introduces some exciting threats for our hero to go up against. To briefly recap the events at the end of “The Amazing Spider-Man”, Captain George Stacy (Denis Leary) succumbed to his wounds from the battle with the Lizard/Dr. Curt Connors, but not before making Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) promise that he would stay away from his daughter Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) When the film begins, Peter and Gwen are dating, but Peter is uneasy with breaking his promise to the fallen officer. While pursuing a Russian gangster (Paul Giamatti in a small role), Spider-Man rescues a mentally unstable electrical engineer named Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx) Dillon, a nobody who becomes obsessed with Spider-Man is caught in an accident at Oscorp and obtains superpowers. At first, Dillon is confused but quickly becomes dangerous and angry at his idol. Peter has to battle the newly created Electro, figure out what to do with Gwen and stumbles upon more information about his parent’s past. If that wasn’t enough, he is given a big dilemma: his friend Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) has returned from boarding school to find out that he is dying. His only chance at a cure is Spider-Man’s blood and he asks Peter for help tracking down the masked hero. This film lasts nearly two-and-a-half hours but it is worth the sore butt because it is consistently exciting and every element pays off, or will pay off in the sequel (s) The strongest element in the first film, the characters and their complex relationships are back but this time there is also a heavy emphasis on the action. The tangible chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone is still there and their relationship has evolved since the first film. Peter and Gwen are now at that stage where it’s not just two teenagers with some affection for each other, they’re becoming part of each others’ families. Unfortunately for both of them, Captain Stacy’s death weighs heavily on Peter’s mind and with the threats he is having to deal with escalating far beyond the ones he faced before, he is really uneasy about being close to her. Speaking of threats, what the first movie lacked in terms of action and big knock-you-out-of-your-seat sequences, this movie makes up for in spades. Electro is a terrific foil for Spider-Man, not only because of his sheer range of powers and strength, but because of his unhinged personality. When we’re introduced to Max Dillon, you’ll think to yourself that this guy, he’s just too broad and weird to really fit well with the rest of the movie. He’s got bad teeth, bad hair, has no friends and is being bullied at work. Then, as you are slowly exposed to more of the character, you realize what this guy is. He’s a man that genuinely has some mental problems, but ones that aren’t severe enough to make him a non-functional member of society. He’s just off enough to be considered a weirdo, but ok enough to realize that he is not getting the same treatment as everyone else. When Spider-Man saves his life, his mundane world is turned upside down and he becomes obsessed. That event alone would have probably gotten him in some serious trouble at some point, but instead he ends up becoming just as powerful and capable of getting attention (something he was desperately craving) as Spider-Man when he becomes Electro. There are two big scenes of combat between Spider-Man and Electro and they are truly spectacular. It’s fast-paced, inventive action with Spider-Man trying to outsmart a foe that outmatches him in terms of power several times over. In 3D, it looks terrific and the score and musical choices during these intense moments are particularly memorable (in fact the music and sound in this film are particularly good, but this is the highlight of the movie) Electro on his own would have been enough to carry the movie but there is so much more here than just the one bad guy. We’ve got the increasingly complicated relationship between Gwen and Peter and we’ve also got complex moments between him and Harry Osbourne. Thanks to the ample screen time the two friends are given together these guys really feel like friends. Harry is also given a good amount of time to develop his character alone and to interact with other characters in the film as well so when he finds out that he’s dying, it doesn’t feel like just a cheap plot point to make his character sympathetic. His character actually brings an element to Peter’s life that he desperately needed: a friend. Remember that with Uncle Ben, his father and even Captain Stacy Gone, Peter doesn’t really have any men to talk to or bond with. Same goes for Harry, who finds himself back home with a father that frankly, couldn’t care less about him. Unfortunately for Peter, that Spider-Man costume seems to be creeping into every aspect of his life because once again, his dual identity is what causes the rift between them and will ultimately have some profound effects on our hero. I don’t want to give away too much about what happens between the two because it comes into play mostly towards the end but let’s just say that there are some really good and memorable moments between the two. There are actually a lot of interesting scenes with Harry interacting with characters besides our hero as well. He is given his own arch-enemy in the form of Donald Menken (Colm Feore), a man who carries on the tradition of unscrupulous higher-ups at Oscorp and runs circles around Harry. There is a moment that really stood out to me, where Harry shows a true moment of weakness and desperation. Despite the fact that you know this instant where he cries for help and begs an unscrupulous man for help can’t end in any way that’s good, you actually do sympathize for him (credit to Dane DeHaan, who really did a good job) For fans of the Spider-Man comics, this not only gives you a multitude of your favorite characters, but it also hints at several future plot points and events that will take place in the sequel. I myself found it particularly interesting to see the film also go into some of the events of the previous story, explaining more about what happened to Peter’s parents and why the spider bite affected him the way it did. It’s just what the first film needed: a sequel that addresses the problems with the first, patches them up and actually ends up improving the story overall, building itself not only as a sequel but as a piece of a soon-to-be franchise. There are some minor quibbles to be had with the film such as a couple of characters that are drawn very broadly and a few plot points you can see coming pretty easily (or maybe that’s just because I’m familiar with these characters) Like I said, they’re minor flaws in what is otherwise a complicated film packed with both emotional and adrenaline-fuelled payoffs. In 3D, the film looks particularly good with its scenes featuring Electro and also anytime Spider-Man is swinging through the air (Which as you may expect, is quite a bit) Stick around for the credits as well, there’s a preview of another movie about halfway through. The first film stumbled quite a bit, but “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” has caught its feet and is a terrific piece of entertainment. (3D theatrical version on the big screen, May 8, 2014)