The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Movie Review

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 Stars.

Pater Parker, aka Spider-Man, played by Andrew Garfield, is hitting his stride in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. He's graduating high school while rescuing civilians in the street, swinging through New York skyscrapers in between work and life.  Not a bad way to live.  He's comfortable in his role now, but burden and mystery remains.  Through wise-cracking silly humor hides the pain of losing his parents.  Through giving inspirational pat-on-the-backs after saving those in distress, he struggles with who and what he is.  And everywhere he goes he sees the father of Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), ex-police chef who perished in the last movie, watching, reminding Peter the promise he made and should keep.  Stay away from the girl he loves so her life can remain safe.  Out of all the burdens this is the greatest, and it echos throughout the film.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a nice mixture between humor and serious.  Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield have amazing chemistry together, which this movie uses to its full potential.  Their moments together are delightful, a nice balance between playful and drama.  I love the interactions between Tony Stark and Pepper Pots in the Iron Man/Avenger movies, but I love Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy more.

And talking about Peter Parker.  Andrew is the perfect Spider Man.  He's brilliant in his characterization and portrayal of the character.  Spidy was always meant to have a quirky sense of humor, which was completely lost in the Tobey Maguire version, but that might be the fault of the writers; his Spider Man was way too serious.

Where this movie falters is in its logic, and the use of too many villains.  Didn't anyone learn from Spider-Man 3??!!!  One villain is enough, unless the villains are well established and working as a team.  A villain version of the Avengers.  Honestly, that would be pretty cool.  But we get three villains in this film, and it felt too much by movies end.  Also, the logic of a couple plot points drove me crazy.  I can't say what without major spoilers!!!!  All I will say is that one plot point involves a message sent via plane (my real issue involves the carelessness behind it and how it was later discovered).  And the second issue deals with electricity.  I know we're supposed to suspend belief, but seriously.

Oh, heh, that underground train scene. I totally think the director was channeling TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the uninitiated).  Flashbacks to happy childhood memories.  

I know I rated this film a 3.75, mainly over logistics, but that doesn't take away the fact that I really enjoyed this movie experience, and that I'll want to see it many times over.  The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a fantastic popcorn movie.

P.S. I didn't like the X-Man teaser in the end credits.  Unlike studio Marvels end credit teasers, this interjection felt awkward and rushed, like it was a promotional after-thought.  It probably was.  I was more confused then excited.

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action/violence.

Spider-man: Movie Review

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

A few years ago, after the debacle that was Spider-Man 3, there was promise of a Spider-Man 4, with a possible 5 and 6 to go along with it.  The first movie was great, and the second movie was brilliant, so maybe those behind the 3rd installment learned their lesson and the 4th would lead the franchise back on track.  Well, needless to say, everything fell apart, and two years ago Marvel announced they were going to reboot the whole thing.  The next Spider-Man movie was going to retell the origin story with a whole new cast of fresh faces and go under the title The Amazing Spider Man. 

But do we need another one!!??  That was my reaction.  Spider-Man, the first, came out in 2002 to great success, only a decade ago.  Why the reboot?

For the longest time I was hesitant, skeptical, but the last trailer that was shone proved intriguing, and last week I saw the movie and loved it.

I didn't keep up with the cartoon series of the 90's, nor have I read the comics, but my brothers are in the know when it comes to all things geek, and they gave me the heads up about the Spider-Man film trilogy that broke with cannon.  MJ was a love interest later in Peter Parker's life, he's supposed to make his own web, there's a humor about the fight scenes that were missing, etc, so even though the trilogy was well received, true fans wished the movies stayed truer to the comics.  A reboot was the fans hope that the movies would get back to canon, and they did.

What I liked:

Though I'm not a die-hard fan, I do like the fact that The Amazing Spider Man got back to the heart of the comics.  Gwen Stacy was Peter's first love, and they did justice to her character.  I loved Emma Stone's portrayal; she and Andrew Garfield (who plays Peter Parker) have fantastic chemistry (they're also dating in real life, which proves how great they get along together).  I never cared for Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst as love interest.   

And, like the comic, Peter makes his own web device.  He also comes across as the geeky nerd he's supposed to be.  I think Tobey Maguire is a fantastic actor, but Andrew is the Peter Parker I imagined.  Overall I'm delighted with Andrews performance.  There was a lot of debate over who was going to be the better Peter, but I give the win to Andrew.

I liked Rhys Ifans as Doctor Connors.  He's a brilliant actor, and I've enjoyed some of his other work.  

Overall this was a fun movie flick.  Not perfect, but enjoyable.  All the characters felt real and relatable.  They were real people in extraordinary circumstances.

What I didn't care for:

I don't know how it was done in the comics, but I didn't like how Peter Parker ordered the web he uses from OsCorps.  Maybe its just me, but wouldn't someone figure out who is ordering all the web?  And what happens if it is no longer produced?  It's probably just a personal gripe, or a potentential plot point, I don't know.

Also, at the end when Gwen gets the antidote (to cure Doctor Connors and the police men who were turned into lizards) who gives it to her father, who then gives it to Peter, and a great antidote gas cloud heals the city, why wasn't Peter's mutation cured?  And that leads me to the mutation, animal DNA situation.  Peter gets bit by a spider and attomatically transforms.  Dr. Connors struggles, with Peter, to create a lizard formula that won't kill whatever is getting the new DNA.  How is it Dr. Connors overlooked the spiders?  And how were the spiders able to cause the mutation in the first place?  I do have to admit, the scene where Peter is in the secret room surrounded by all the spiders was really well done.

Also, one thing I think the original trilogy better accomplished was creating tension and tragedy surrounding the death Peter's Uncle, and how that ultimately shaped Peter into the hero he is.  In the new movie it was amusing watching Peter catch all these criminals, but there was something slightly hallow in it.  Though there was a great build up of Peter's character, always feeling abandoned by his parents. That struggle was believable and nicely done.

Even with those gripes, I did like the movie, and will easily see it again.  Is it up to the slandered set forth by The Avengers?  No, but it's still a fun romp.  There's been a lot of buzz that Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man is going to make an appearance in the next Avenger movie, but according to a panel this weekend at the San Diego ComicCon, Spider-Man won't be teaming up with the Avengers.  I'm honestly very dissapointed with this information.  It would have been fun to see.  Does that mean he might be in the movie, but not team up with them? . . . .

Ah well,
Have a great weekend!
Sarah