Written By: Klancy
I like Spider-man. In fact, if I am being completely honest, if it were not for Spider-man, I probably would never have become a fan of superheroes or comic books. While he may no longer be my favorite superhero, I still have a lot of love for the character, and would want nothing more than to be able to recommend this movie to all of you. But I can’t.
That’s not to say that this is a terrible movie, it’s just not a particularly good one. The reason for this is simple. Too many subplots. There is no way that I can understate this, there is too much happening in this movie, Game of Thrones has less stuff going on. As a result the movie doesn't feel like it has an overarching storyline, but instead just jumps from plot point to plot point. In many ways, this feels like Iron Man 2’s second act. More interested in setting up a sequel than telling a good story. Scenes that are supposed to have an emotional impact feel rushed and empty. The biggest example of this is the films climax, but I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone.
All of the actors do their best, but there is nothing here that truly stands out. Stone and Garfield still have an excellent chemistry together, but you can’t help but feel their relationship is just treading water. Newcomer Dane Dehaan probably fairs the best, but he’s characters development is so rushed you never truly feel like you know Harry Osborn. The films other main villain, Electro, meanwhile is quite possible the single most boring villain to the screen in some time. Which is a shame, because he’s character is given several scenes to introduce the character early on, but nothing sticks with you.
On the plus side, the film has some really good action scenes, and this probably is the best web swinging we've seen on film to date. Also major props Hans Zimmer, as this is he’s best score in years, with the standout being Electro theme.
Wrapping things up, this is a film that is on the edge of being good. With a tighter script and shorter run time, it could have been great. But as is, I don’t feel comfortable recommending it to anyone. If you’re a fan of Spider-man, you may want to wait for DVD, but if you decide to pass on it I can hardly blame you.
I give The Amazing Spider-man 2 a 2.5 out of 5.
