THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 Review; "It's the DARK KNIGHT Of The Spider-Man Franchise"

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 Review; "It's the DARK KNIGHT Of The Spider-Man Franchise"

I know that certain users have been referring to the sequel to Marc Webb's THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN as the "Batman and Robin" of the Spider-Man franchise. Well, they were VERY, VERY wrong. Come to see what I have to say after the jump.

Review Opinion
By TheDarman - May 01, 2014 10:05 PM EST

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 finally hit stateside with the advance showings. I, as the lifelong Spider-Man fan I am, picked up my tickets as early as I could at my theater but knew htat I would have to keep expectations low. What with the 56% on Rotten Tomatoes and with some users referring to it as the Batman and Robin of the Spider-Man franchise, I was surprised by how much I liked the movie. Not just liked, loved. But, let's start out with the negatives.


Negatives

The movie gets started with the obvious air plane crash scene. As a scene, on its own, it was great. However, it feels like it should've been the last part of The Amazing Spider-Man or, perhaps, just placed somewhere in there. It really feels like an add-on to what, initially, starts out as crowded, sub-plot filled movie. It really did feel like it belonged in The Amazing Spider-Man but it isn't exactly the only scene apologizing for the lack of depth The Amazing Spider-Man provided.

The beginning of the movie seems to be an entire apology note for the first one, asking fans to come back. However, this is the only issue with that: the reason it was done, not how it was handled. Aside from some very real, very initial pacing issues the movie masters the pacing and comes into its own in the second act where the plot lines truly begin to intertwine and it really doesn't seem contrived at all: it feels solid.

Electro, on the other hand, just isn't given the time for anyone to really feel sorry for him. You really get the feeling his pre-Electro scenes landed on the cutting room floor which gave the character more depth. However, the fact that Spider-Man presents himself in the way he presents himself, it is clear that Max would latch onto that.

Not to even mention Dr. Kafka. I tried to get past his supremely annoying German accent but I just couldn't get past how hammy it was like I could with Giamatti's Systevich. It just didn't work for me.


Positives

From the opening web swing, it is clear that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has created the quintessential Spider-Man. Spider-Man "yippees" and "yee-haws" as he swings across the sky. Immediately upon encountering Aleksei Systevich, he is cracking jokes at the villains expense. While the fact that Spider-Man doesn't even seem to attempt to put a stop to this guys rampage immediately may be off-putting, it gave the Spider-Man persona time to shine.

As much fun as it is to watch Spider-Man in the costume (and it does look really brilliant), the movie's focus is on Peter Parker. That's what is fun, is that it actually is The Dark Knight in terms of the services it does to the character and providing the best movie-going Spider-Man experience but the villains draw the short straw in order to focus on Peter Parker. Which is the way it should be with the villains getting their own movie to dwelve into their characters more. With a Spider-Man movie, you want the focus to be on Spider-Man and his alter ego, which this movie does so fantastically.

The plots seem to start out as multiple separate strands but they intertwine in the second act beautifully, perfectly setting up the high point of the film: the third act.

Electro, stylistically, is a great villain to look at. He has some pretty hammy dialogue but it makes sense considering where the character came from and where he clearly got some of his ideas of "how to be a supervillain". Plus, particularly in the third act, Electro really becomes a menace to behold.

Green Goblin, on the other hand, is hardly in the movie but his transformation occurs much in the same way as the original Raimi film. Except, given everything that has happened, Green Goblin has way more reason to hate Spider-Man and become the Green Goblin than Dafoe's Osborn in Spider-Man. Harry's motivations are very clear while Electro's are best explained in the song that plays during the Times Square sequence. Which isn't entirely a tragedy, it just shows that Electro seems to be the biggest victim of the cuts for the film.

Rhino is the best rendition I could've imagined. Rhino is a pretty hammy, over-the-top arrogant character that is truly brought to the big screen with cinematic justice. He is in it probably the least out of all the film's villains but he truly is a great force to be reckoned with.

The movie really does have emotional impact and really does deliver on the parents arc which brilliantly ties back into the backbone of the movie: OsCorp. As I've said before, all the stories are connected in a stroke of genius so that it doesn't really feel bloated from the second act on and makes you look at the rest of the movie very differently.

Unlike The Amazing Spider-Man, they are very careful to make sure Peter Parker is characterized closer to the classic version. With The Amazing Spider-Man, it was very clear they were trying to dwelve into the character as he was before the spider bite. With very little to go off of, Peter came across, in my opinion, as he should've but, to a lot of other people, as a self-absorbed dick. Which is basically how he was portrayed by Stan Lee in the one line he said before he became Spider-Man but to some people, it was understandably misinterpreted.

Peter Parker feels guilty for the promise he has made and broken which is made far more difficult by the fact that Gwen says that it is her and Peter's choice. It is understandable and totally in character for Peter to go back and forth. Any other criticism that can be levied against the movie: it can't be said that Peter isn't characterized correctly.

The third act is truly the best act. It avoids, for the most part, the standard superhero film affair to blow everything up which actually went in the untraditional place of the end of the first act which gives it an air of freshness that is usually non-existant in these films. Not only does it become somber but it brings the film back up to a level of hope at the end of the film. And that is what makes it a really good ending: the fact that Spider-Man is able to get back to his roots because of the fact he HAS learned a lesson.

This whole movie is a fantastic learning curve for him.


Verdict

The film is a great sense of fun. It has flaws sure but so did Captain America: The Winter Soldier that many refuse to awknowledge. I really liked that film, don't get me wrong. All I'm saying is that every film has problems and you have to judge it based on its own merits.It stumbles a little with characterization of smaller characters and a little with initial pacing but when it hits its stride: it really picks up steam and doesn't ever stop. The film is the best Spider-Man film to date and is on par with Marvel's best efforts placed in The Avengers. Since I gave Captain America: The Winter Soldier 9.8/10, I'll give this movie a solid 9.5/10.
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Mrcool210
Mrcool210 - 5/2/2014, 3:43 AM
Well i hope i agree with your review, im seeing it tonight
Scarilian
Scarilian - 5/2/2014, 6:16 AM
I could rip all those positives apart - but lets just tackle the glaringly obvious issues;

"The movie gets started with the obvious air plane crash scene."

This scene makes the entire middle act of the movie (About 30 minutes or so) utterly pointless.

"The movie really does have emotional impact and really does deliver on the parents arc"

The only emotional impact is Gwen's death... and that's only if you can still care about her after all the shit she stays with Peter for. The parent arc is the same arc it was in the last film - only difference was that we saw the crash.

- We knew that he had taken research from Oscorp. Dr Connors and a work badge explained this. Dr Connors explained this to Peter in the first film.
- We knew he was doing it because he didn't want Oscorp to have his research. Dr Connors explained this to Peter in the first film.
- Peter researches his family in the first film and discovers the plane crash. We saw this in the first film in images from news paper articles.
- Peter investigates Oscorp and realises they are experimenting with weapons and that they've been interested in him. Dr Connors explains this in the first film and the end credits scene also explained this.

Everything that happened with the emotional arc and the parents was a carbon copy of the first film. They both have the same explanation about the parents, they both have the death of a Stacy, they both have an ending that is much more cheery and ruins all the events prior for the sake of a 'hopefully' or happy ending.

"With very little to go off of, Peter came across, in my opinion, as he should've but, to a lot of other people, as a self-absorbed dick"
"Peter Parker feels guilty for the promise he has made and broken"

He constantly uses her and plays with her emotions and never takes anything seriously. Dialogue in the film states that he's been dicking around with Gwen since the end of TASM - he has never been their when she needs him and he's broken up with her multiple times because of varying reasons and excuses. That's why Gwen dumps him before he dumps her, because she's sick of him playing around with her. He relies on her for everything in this film and only thinks of himself. He only tries to get back with Gwen before the final battle which he does out of his own self interest of not loosing Gwen as his object. He only attempts this so that we actually care about what happens to their 'relationship' in the ending

"the fact that Spider-Man is able to get back to his roots because of the fact he HAS learned a lesson"

He didn't - Aunt May tells him to essentially move on and he goes back to the same attitude he was at the start of the film. The city loves him even more after his return from his absence, so yeah, nothings changed... no lesson learnt... He even fights the same character he was fighting at the start of the movie.

"Since I gave Captain America: The Winter Soldier a 9.8/10, I'll give this movie a solid 9.5/10."

Sounds like the only reason you are rating this film highly is to try and show that it is of the same quality as 'The Winter Soldier' which your own negatives prove that it is not worth such a high rating, let alone the many others have listed.
TheDarman
TheDarman - 5/2/2014, 6:34 AM
@Scarlian It's called an opinion. I interpreted this differently than you did. Instead of trying to look at the most negative way possible, I tried to look at it as the movie presented it. It's cooling you don't like the movie but you've been tearing apart everyone who likes it trying to make people hate it. It'd be fine if you didn't act like a self-absorbed asshole while you did it who thinks only his opinion can be right.
ezio619
ezio619 - 5/2/2014, 9:42 AM
its insane how polarizing and mixed this film it,some people love it or like it,some are in the middle and some dislike it ,it is gonna be the MOS of this year
Abary
Abary - 5/2/2014, 1:31 PM
"It's the DARK KNIGHT Of The Spider-Man Franchise"

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
TheDarman
TheDarman - 5/2/2014, 9:14 PM
It must be nice to have such superior intelligence and opinions that you can make fun everyone elses'.
ComicFan523
ComicFan523 - 5/2/2014, 9:31 PM
I think people who hate on this movie just don't like it because its not part of the MCU. That being said, this movie isn't on par with The Dark Knight or The Avengers, but it certainly isn't the crapfest that a lot of people are making it out to be. It was a fun movie and I enjoyed it immensely. I'd say its of the same quality as the first Captain America movie or X Men First Class (two great movies in my book).
Sephit
Sephit - 5/3/2014, 1:51 AM
Don't mind the haters man, I liked it too! It wasn't perfect and I wouldn't say it's on par with TDK but I liked it way more than the first TASM and I got teary eyed at two moments in the film, not just the one. I think a lot people didn't like it because a lot of the film focuses on Peters relationship with Gwen. I didn't have a problem with it because I found myself relating because of going through very similar situations in the past, girls moving away etc. I'm 28 also so I'm not just some high school kid talking out my ass.
I think the film could have benefitted from more screen time to certain aspects but I didn't leave the theater mad or anything. I'd give it a 7.5 or 8 out of 10.
I wanted it to be better than Spider-Man 2 but it wasn't.
Saga
Saga - 5/3/2014, 2:17 AM
Great Article man!

It had a lot of fun moments but also some truly awful moments (Emotional and touching finale ruined by unnecessary Sinister Six set up, mostly really bad slapstick and the complete ruination of the core Spider-Man everyman concept).
Its no B&R but in the context of Spider-Man movies it would be like a Batman Returns for me.

Hey, have you noticed that Electro and Rhino are the first movie villains to have absolutely no personal connection with Peter Parker whatsoever? This movie broke a Spider-Man film cliche
Devastation
Devastation - 5/3/2014, 9:48 AM
Don't worry. I agree with all of your points and loved the film as well. It's easily the best Spider-Man movie to me. I'm loving Marc Webb's envisioning much more than Sam Raimi's trilogy. I can't wait to see the Sinister Six unfold in future films and the direction they go in. I'm just emotionally traumatized still because of the film's shocking moment and grieve the death of Electro; I really hope he returns in some way. I seriously don't understand the hatred the movie is getting.

People are failing to realize they're setting up things for future installments. So, all of the little subplots and character moments people are wanting to see will no doubt be explored in the later movies. It's just the way it needs to be; people are taking the little flaws the movie has and over-exaggerating them exponentially. It's pathetic. The score was amazing; I loved those bass drops whenever Electro was onscreen and tearing up sh*t. And the hints to the future in the movie were superb, including the name drop of Felicia Hardy. I can't wait for the Black Cat to be onscreen. Felicity Jones is a perfect choice, too; in fact, all actors are great choices for their roles. Rhino's rendition is awesome as hell.

All in all, I hardly had anything negative to say about this movie. I just wanted more Electro and a more darker tone, but, still, the movie delivered. It was a fun and sentimental ride. Completely amazing (no pun intended).
Gamera623
Gamera623 - 5/3/2014, 4:04 PM
This guy gets it.
Wow this movie was fantastic. So good.
Turns out Josh's review was hating an an excellent film. Who would have guessed that? (sarcasm)

If you didn't like the movie...fine. Everyone has different taste in film.

But if you didn't like the movie and then tell me you like comic book superhero films.....just GTFO.
Gamera623
Gamera623 - 5/3/2014, 4:07 PM
And why is it so funny to say its "The Dark Knight of the Spider-man franchise"?

All he means is that it was the best one..and it was.

Its no less ridiculous than saying "The Batman and Robin of the Spider-man franchise".

Because Josh didnt mean its just as bad as B&R (he said so himself)....just like Darman isnt saying its just as good as TDK.

(Both are weird things to say anyway since the best and worst Batman films are really Batman Begins and Batman Forever)
GeekyCheekyChic
GeekyCheekyChic - 5/3/2014, 5:14 PM
HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA
This movie isn't even "The Dark Knight" of Raimi's Spidey movies.
Pointless plane crash parents back story.
Edward Nygma imitation.
The Mad Russian Giamatti
The Twirl your mustache stereotypical german Kafka
Super rushed Goblin origin arc
Piss poor score.
I live in NYC. If a guy starts shooting electricity and blowing shit up WE RUN not stand there and chant "SPIDEY! SPIDEY!"
Rhino- or should I say the VILLAIN who instead of just killing Spidey and the little kid he just sits back and says "Go ahead chit chat I'll wait"
PETER PARKER NEEDS TO WATCH A YOUTUBE SHOW TO LEARN ABOUT ELECTRICITY ??? REALLY ???
Stop it. Its a mediocre movie that kids will find entertaining. a solid 7 at best. It is a step back from the reboot.
TicklerMan
TicklerMan - 5/3/2014, 6:23 PM
^^^^^^^^^^^^
You know it's good and people just trolling a non marvel studio film when they start pointing out s--- like this. I can come up with a long list for CATWS and The Avengers but I won't cuz have no personal agenda against a film. Especially if u just cut and paste same damn comment in another article.
BoomTubeB
BoomTubeB - 5/10/2014, 11:58 PM
now we're using batman movies to describe other CBMs?!?! this quote my friends is for brainless idiots!
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