Movie Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Good morning everyone! Dusty here with my review of Sony's latest entry in their superhero franchise: The Amazing Spider-Man 2. After a controversial reboot in 2012, the folks behind the new Spider-Man franchise have been hard at work to bring us the next installment and the studio's marketing department has been working overtime to make sure we all know it. Trailer after trailer built up the excitement but also left some of us worried, thinking maybe there is a bit too much going on to pack into a two and a half hour film. Having been pretty underwhelmed by the first one, I was cautious to get too excited about this one but now 

I've seen it and I'm here to give you my two cents.

The Good

Spider-Man's history on the big screen has always been marked by one thing: amazing visuals. The second "Amazing" installment is no different. In fact, I daresay this one beats Spiderman 2, the previous champion, when it comes to excellence in visual effects. Electro is awe-inspiring from a visual standpoint! Seeing entire sections of New York City leveled has never looked so awesome.

As always, Andrew Garfield proves why he is the man for the job. The emotion, comedic timing and thoughtfulness he displays would have you believe he thought this film was an Oscar contender. Standing tall alongside Sally Field is no small feat but Garfield steps up and proves, as he has before, that he will be a mainstay in cinema long after this particular gig is over. While we're talking about performances, I should mention Dane Dehaan as Harry Osborne/The Green Goblin. It's so fun to see an actor completely buy into a villainous role and own it. It happened with Tom Hiddleston in Thor, Heath Ledgar in The Dark Knight and I believe its happened again with this film. Dehaan makes you believe he's evil and loving it.

Without giving any spoilers, the last point I will make is that I love the way it sets its eyes on the future. Any studio in the superhero movie-making game that isn't looking at least two films ahead is falling behind. Sony clearly has a plan and is hinting at it every step of the way.

Also Read: Warner Bros. Finally Announces a Justice League Movie is Coming

The Bad

One piece of the movie pie I felt was sorely lacking was the musical score. With a name as big as Hans Zimmer involved, my hopes were high. After all, did you hear the Man of Steel score? I was disappointed to find the movie's music lacked anything unique. Often, the score and the scene were mismatched in a way I actually noticed. In my experience, when a musical score is done well, it fades into the background until it is needed to hammer a point or a feeling home. This score failed to stir anything in me.

While visually amazing, the character of Max Dillon a.k.a. Electro was pretty one-note and predictable as played by Jamie Foxx. Pre-transformation Max Dillon just kept reminding me of Jim Carrey's Edward Nigma from Batman Forever. A little too goofy for my taste. To be fair, though, Electro didn't need to be the movie-carrying villain so maybe one-note is how we avoided another Spiderman 3 (shudder).

The Verdict

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a massive web-swing up from the so-so first installment with only minor exceptions. With stunning visuals, nuanced and heartfelt performances and a clear direction for the franchise, this film has renewed this reviewer's faith in Sony to give us more of the wall crawler and his colorful cast of villains.