Look I know it’s the second one he’s done, but I still can’t help but giggle when director Marc Webb’s name comes up on screen in the credits. I mean his last name is “Webb”… and he’s directing the spiderman movies… seriously…. that never gets old…
——-
“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is the second film in the oh so soon reboot of the Spider Man franchise. Once again Andrew Garfield dons the mechanical web shooters, Emma Stone is back as his gal Gwen Stacey, and Sally Field as his Aunt May. The movie also introduces us to Jamie Foxx’s take on “Electro” and Dane Dehaan, who you may remember from the movie “Chronicle” debuts as Peter’s old friend Harry Osborn. and once again our webslinger is forced to overcome great evil to protect both his city and the people he loves. But can this follow up put a little more oomph in the story than the first one did, while still maintaining the fun?
——-
It sure can. And much of that has to do with this incredible cast. Garfield and Stone are once again amazing and lead an incredible group of performances. Their scenes together on screen are so good, and the chemistry of that relationship is so palpable you just can’t help but buy in. Not to mention the humor. There this understated charisma to Peter Parker’s charm that Garfield once again nails. And let’s talk about Sally Field, who puts on an acting clinic in this movie, including one scene that just about destroyed me between her and Peter. When these characters have these moments to allow development and build these relationships it gives this movie a depth that the first one was really lacking and allows for some true emotion to come across. In fact, I’d call those emotional beats the best thing about Spidey 2, as there were at least 3 different times a found myself tearing up… that is if I were the kind of guy to cry at movies… which I am. I also loved the way music was used in this, and found much of the action to be as inventive and fun as the first. Side question though, Are Spider Man’s Smart Alec comments his version of Batman voice? I mean I enjoyed the humor in some of them, but they almost seem a little distracting at this point, especially when there is so much on the line. Yes, I know that’s part of the Spider Man personality, but I’m kinda on the fence about it.
——–
You know what though, maybe it’s just the tonal shift. Either these action sequences should be handled with a legitimate seriousness or a pulpy panache. It’s hard to have it both ways. It’s as if Webb wants his Nolan mixed with a little Raimi and the DNA just doesn’t quite splice right. That cheesy factor rears it’s head and undercuts some of the well earned depth. Those convenient and cheesy moments aren’t there quite as much as the first, but they still show up now and again. But the worst thing for me? The Villians. First there’s too many of them, and they each seem to need there own origin stories and background. It makes their introductions feel rushed and can even get a bit confusing. Second, Electro just flat out doesn’t work for me. I didn’t buy his origin, I didn’t buy his powers, I never fully understood his weaknesses, and I thought Jamie Foxx played him way too broadly. Not to mention his story line is oddly reminiscent of Syndrome from “The Incredibles” And as large of a part he plays in the film it drained quite a bit of power from the story. (Pun fully intended)
——–
At the end of the day, The Amazing Spider Man 2 is a decent summer flick. The fun action mixed with incredible performances brought a much needed depth and heart that was missing from the first. With just a little bit more focus on tone consistency and the character of Electro I might have swung it higher than a B
——–
Thanks for checking out this Your Movie Friend review, stay tuned for this review’s “Best Ever” challenge here in bit but first, I’m going to put up some stuff you can click over in this area. If you’d like to subscribe, which I would much appreciate, you can do so by clicking the big gray subscribe button. Want to see more? Well, too bad! It was just Spidey this weekend. But you can check out my Summer 7. If I could only see 7 movies this summer these are the 7 I’m most excited about. You can also Click the logo up here to go to the brand new yourmoviefriend.com where you can search by title for reviews. And finally this review’s “Best Ever” Challenge, where you name the best movie ever in a particular category and also try to identify my choice. What is the “the best Sally Field movie ever”. There are certainly some good ones. Mine is more recent than you might think, and features a crazy good performance with the emphasis on the word crazy. Drop your own answer and a guess at mine in the comments and first person to guess mine gets a point! Thanks and please subscribe!