Synopsis: 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). We’ve always known that Spider-Man’s most important conflict 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 his greatest battle is about to begin. Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he in Electro (played by Jamie Foxx). 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.
Review: To be honest, I will admit that I have a bias against these reboots. After coming off the heels of the Sam Raimi films with Tobey Maguire and co., I really didn’t understand the need for another set of films so soon. I never saw the first TASM in theatres and waited for it to come on TV. No regrets there. I thought it was forgettable and unremarkable. However the synopsis for the sequel and the addition of Jamie Foxx piqued my interest a bit more this time around.
That’s not to say the film is good though.
The plot felt a little all over the place at times. It was crowded with all the villains Spider-Man had to face. After having green goblin and hobgoblin as such important factors in the first three films, to introduce him again here felt a bit tired. He was a complete after-thought, just a plot device for the fate of Gwen Stacy and if they weren’t going to be true to the comics in the first place I thought they should have saved it for the next film or used Electro instead. It wouldn’t have made any difference.
Speaking of Electro, Jamie Foxx gets a lot of flack for his portrayal. Let’s be real here; this ain’t an Oscar-calibre job like Ray. But I actually didn’t think he was that bad. I actually liked his super powers. The CGI was hit or miss. It looked super impressive most of the time, but then during the battles it would look extremely cartoony and he didn’t even look like Jamie Foxx anymore. The CGI also took away from the action for me a bit. I couldn’t get into it nearly as much compared to Captain America: The Winder Soldier which absolutely killed it on the fight choreography. I’m getting a rush right now as I write about it! That’s a sign of success, folks. And for me that’s where this film just didn’t stack up.
Now I will say that the overall reviews have been too harsh. I genuinely did enjoy this film more overall than the first one. And I have to give credit where it is due, the 3D is among the best I’ve ever seen in a film. It’s especially effective when he is soaring over the city. I felt like I was on a roller coaster. But even still, it’s not in the same class as its now 10-year-old predecessor, Spider-Man 2. Well, maybe in the CG department, but Spider-Man 2 gets a pass for its age and it did win and Oscar for visual effects.
Captain America 2 set the bar high for me when it comes to blockbuster films, Marvel films especially. For this year so far it’s 2 down, 2 to go (X-Men and Guardians of the Galaxy are up next), but Captain America is way ahead at this point.