THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 review by Mark Walters – we need a hero to save this script

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 review by Mark Walters – we need a hero to save this script

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Two years ago, Sony Pictures rebooted the Spider-Man franchise with Marc Webb as director, following a very successful trilogy by Sam Raimi with Tobey McGuire playing Peter Parker/Spidey. Some questioned why the need for a reboot and not just another sequel with the proven players, though it’s safe to say SPIDER-MAN 3‘s poor critical reception and the folks involved with their ever-growing paychecks were to blame for the revamp orders. One of the biggest problems with SPIDER-MAN 3 was the script, which featured three main villains, a love triangle, and an identity crisis storyline for the main character. It’s safe to say there was just too much going on, and the end result suffered for it. What surprised me most about Sony’s 2012 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN reboot was the fact that it basically re-told the same story Sam Raimi’s first movie did, altering very little (even the villain’s origin was almost identical), and despite an ad campaign claiming we’d see “The Untold Story” never really offered anything new. Now Sony is releasing THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2, with Marc Webb again at the helm, and most of the main cast from the first film back for more. Many folks consider Sam Raimi’s SPIDER-MAN 2 one of the best superhero movies ever made… but Marc Webb’s second Spidey movie will not likely get the same distinction.

Following the events of the last outing, the story in this new film opens with a flashback to Peter Parker’s parents Richard (Campbell Scott) and Mary (Embeth Davidtz) leaving their son, and fleeing on a private jet in an effort to escape mysterious threats. Things go bad and the jet goes down, but not before Richard uploads a file to an undisclosed location. Cut to present day with Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) still saving the day as Spider-Man, fighting his latest foe, a Russian thug named Aleksei Sytsevich (Paul Giamatti in a rather thankless role). While saving the day, Spidey runs into nerdy Oscorp employee Max (Jamie Foxx), and the two have an interaction that leaves Max thinking Spider-Man is his new buddy, and inevitably has the man obsessing over the costumed hero. These crazy antics almost make Peter late for his high school graduation, where his girlfriend Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) is delivering her valedictorian speech. We are reminded that Peter promised the ill-fated Captain George Stacy (Denis Leary), Gwen’s father, that he’d stay away to keep her safe from the perils that come with being Spider-Man. But the lovers are conflicted with what to do in their relationship, and go back and forth on being together and staying apart. Peter’s Aunt May (Sally Field) seems rather oblivious to Peter’s secret life, and finds herself going back to work to bring in extra cash. Over at Oscorp, founder Norman Osborn (Chris Cooper) is dying from an incurable genetic disease, and his son Harry (Dane DeHaan) is given all of the research that was supposed to cure his dad, since he too has the same genetic defects. Peter visits Harry, and we learn they were close childhood friends. After seeing photos printed in The Daily Bugle, Harry deduces Peter has a connection with Spider-Man, and feels Spidey’s blood may hold the key to his personal healing. While Peter thinks this may be true, he also doesn’t know if giving his blood is a good idea. And then there’s Max, who we learn is a genius with electrical design, but not respected by his Oscorp superiors. On his birthday, Max is forced to stay at work after everyone leaves, and is ordered to fix an electrical problem. Things go bad, and Max is nearly killed, but his accident is about to transform him into something amazing. When two new villains emerge in New York City, Spider-Man quickly finds himself with a lot on his plate, and Peter Parker is still unsure whether staying close with Gwen (especially dealing with all this) is a good idea.

Just reading that plot description, which is dumbed down quite a bit, it should be pretty clear that there’s a LOT going on in this story. I’m not even mentioning half of the characters the audience is given to keep up with, like Harry Osborn’s assistant Felicia (Felicity Jones), or Max’s rude boss Alistair Smythe (B.J. Novak), or even the cartoonish Oscorp secret scientist Dr. Ashley Kafka (Martin Csokas)… all of who are introduced but not really resolved in this complicated script. To put it quite simply, there’s just way too much going on in this Spidey sequel. I’m not sure why we need to see Harry Osborn become the Green Goblin when Jamie Foxx as Electro is already a big and insanely powerful villain. Two bad guys is just too much, and feels forced. One thing that does work is the relationship stuff with Peter and Gwen, which Marc Webb has already proven he can do well. Watching these young lovers interact gets right a lot of what the TWILIGHT films got so wrong. Webb is a strong actors’ director, and knows how to capture the chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone in a way that makes us enjoy their interactions. But in a story like this, the action is always right around the corner, and while it’s flashy and in some scenes rather spectacular, it all just feels so obligatory.

Garfield is a very likable Peter Parker/Spider-Man, and looks like he’s giving the role all he’s got. There’s no ego present here, and his portrayal has a layer of sincerity to it that really sells the character. Emma Stone is also great as Gwen, feeling very real and easy to relate to. As much as I love Jamie Foxx, his role as Max (at least before he becomes Electro) is so over the top it feels cartoony. I got what he was going for, but it was just pushed too hard, and rather than feeling like a pathetic and lonely soul just seemed silly. It also makes his inevitable accident less tragic and more to-be-expected. Dane DeHaan fares a little better as the tortured Harry Osborn, though again with a script like this never feels as fleshed out as he should have been. The saddest or most-ineffectual casting choice is definitely Paul Giamatti, who feels more like a gimmicky cameo than a justifiable addition to the story. Chris Cooper is also wasted as Norman Osborn, which again feels like a slightly extended cameo. Even Sally Field feels underused, with scenes toward the end that feel like they’re put in there just to give her screentime, not really adding anything to the story.

So what works in THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2? Well, Hans Zimmer, Johnny Marr and Pharrell Williams’s score is pretty strong and complimentary to select scenes, and the action scenes are pretty incredible in scope. Electro is actually a bigger and more ambitious villain than I expected him to be, just in terms of what he can do, but that’s not say he’s a great bad guy. The special effects are impressive and expensive-looking, and each action scene does have a larger-than-life scale to it that elevates the dynamics of this film, especially when compared to the first movie. There’s even an effort to push forward the idea of The Sinister Six, a team of villains that would eventually be a unified threat to Spidey down the line. Sony has already expressed strong interest in doing a self-contained Sinister Six movie, which (if ya ask me) is a rather terrible idea. After seeing the messy result of just two baddies, I can’t even imagine watching Spider-Man trying to fight six super-powered foes on the big screen… I’m getting a headache just thinking about it.

In the end a lot of what we get here is style over substance. There’s no heart in the movie, no real sincerity. It’s as if we’re just going through the motions to get to inevitable moments. The screenplay by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jeff Pinkner feels by the numbers in many ways, and it may just be a case of “been there, done that”… I honestly can’t put my finger on why, but this outing just feels hollow. Comic book fans of the classic storylines are given some great glory moments, which the average moviegoer may not fully appreciate, but even as a hardcore Spidey fan who loves these types of films I just couldn’t get very invested in this sequel. Where Sam Raimi improved upon the foundation he laid out with his first SPIDER-MAN movie, Marc Webb just gave us more of the same only bigger and louder. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 isn’t a terrible comic book movie, but it’s far from great and likely won’t age very well. Like IRON MAN 2, which was loud and complex without feeling fulfilling, this sequel will hopefully push the filmmakers to do better on the next one and learn from their mistakes. Oh, and skip the 3D up-charge, as there’s nothing terribly impressive about that side of it either. I also realize a film like this is essentially critic-proof, so chances are most of you reading this will see it anyway. Just set your expectations low before going in, and let us know if you agree or disagree with our assessment.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 opens on May 2, 2014

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About the Author

Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff.