The Amazing Spiderman 2

Back in 2012, Sony had released their reboot of comic book fans’ favorite web slinger, with “The Amazing Spiderman.” This film retold the origin story of Peter Parker, a nerdy teenager who is bitten by a spider and given abilities that a normal person wouldn’t have. With these new abilities, equipped with his great smarts, he tries to also find some truth behind his parents from his father’s old partner at Oscorp, Dr. Connors. This was the film that I went bananas over, praising it to high heaven, and even giving it the title of my favorite comic book movie in a long time; this remark had given out a lot of controversy with some of my friends, with them being really baffled by me thinking about this, especially when this was during the big competition between "The Dark Knight Rises" and "The Avengers."

Now it’s been about two years, so do I still hold by that statement? Well, after re-watching the movie after FINALLY buying it on Blu-Ray…yes, I still stand by that. Even with other big names like “The Dark Knight” and “Watchmen,” this film gave me exactly what I wanted that films prior did not. A perfect balance of seriousness and fun. Marc Webb, director of my favorite film of all time, “(500) Days of Summer,” delivered a movie that flowed greatly with relatable characters and a story that worked well to its advantage, without it feeling too much like the original trilogy. Yeah, there may be changes from the source material that fans will constantly cry out “Bullshit” over and over again; but then again, fanboys will complain about ANYTHING these days.

When word of a new trilogy came about, I couldn’t have been any more hyped than I was; no, not a trilogy…but a series, with possible spin-offs. Sony’s plans were to build up more on this new universe and introduce villains that we have yet to see on the big screen, kind of like a reverse "Avengers." Then we started to get rumors and speculations pop-up left and right, people were raging all over the place, right up to when we reach to now.

Now, I’ve seen the film twice as of now, so that way I get a full understanding of the film as a whole. I saw the premiere screening with my buddy, Zack, and I saw it Friday night, because I pretty much had nothing else to do. Now let me say this…not only did I think this film was great, I found it to be just as good, if not better, than the first film.

I’m gonna bet that all of you are just SCREAMING at me, thinking I’m some kind of moron for giving this movie any kind of praise and that I have bad taste…well, to those people, I have this to say: either listen to what I have to say, or leave so no one gets hurt.

In this new film, Peter Parker has finally graduated from high school, and has reunited with his old friend, Harry Osborn. During this time, he’s trying to figure out how to balance a relationship with Gwen, even after his promise to her late father, as well as finally resolve the questions he’s had about his parents these many years. While this is happening, Oscorp employee, Max Dillon, suffers an accident and is now after Spiderman, with a little help from another who was betrayed. What works in this film is how they manage to continue the story, without doing the stupid mistake of copy and pasting the first film like with most sequels. This time around, the stakes are higher, the dilemmas are much more in depth, and the set-ups with most of these characters are fascinating, to say the least.

Andrew Garfield returns as Peter Parker, aka Spiderman, and he really brings a great performance to the screen. What I liked best about his performance, is that he was allowed to improvise his lines as Spiderman, which capture the essence of the character greatly, being a smart-aleck with a sense of humor. Not only that, but just the amount of emotion he puts into his work, I’m still completely floored by this, especially in scenes where he has to carry it solo. Garfield IS Spiderman, and he has more than surpassed Tobey Maguire, despite my appreciation for the original trilogy. Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, I have nothing bad to say about her. She was funny, pretty, and always had great timing with her lines. Her chemistry with Garfield is absolutely breathtaking with every scene, and I think it helps, since both actors are dating. There is one little detail that I’ll leave unmentioned, but I think most of you may know. Needless to say, I still was shocked by it, even after knowing it would happen.

Dane DeHann as Harry Osborn, I couldn’t think of anyone else better to fit this role after James Franco. He may be a bit snarky, but this is the same guy who was disrespected and mistreated by a rich snobby father. Like father, like son, I guess. DeHann has really evolved as an actor as of recent, always improving on his range ever since “Chronicle.” What’s also interesting is that his appearance in this film makes me think THIS is probably what Leonardo DiCaprio would have done in the role, if James Cameron’s Spiderman film actually happened. Also, I’d like to point out that DeHann IS the Green Goblin in this movie, but they managed to make it work. Even though I would have liked for them to save him for later, they are bringing him back for the sequel. But aside from that, the Green Goblin in this film is what I actually expected Willum Defoe to give us; it works to DeHann’s advantage, since he doesn’t need a stupid Halloween mask!

However, Jamie Foxx as Max Dillon, better known as Electro, triumphs heavily over the Goblin. He was absolutely PERFECT in this role, and I couldn’t see anyone else who would have done this role better than he did. The way they do this character is like Peter’s, only on a different path. Max as the nerdy outcast, constantly pushed around and treated like he’s invisible, really makes the character relatable, as there are many people who feel unnoticed. Not only that, but when he becomes Electro, the design is really slick and detailed. That, and his obsession with Spiderman made the film really funny as well. Oh, and before you say it, I’m not upset that they didn’t use the Electro suit from the comics and 90’s animated series; in actuality, I’m really glad they DIDN’T use that outfit, because that would be going back to the first Raimi film, with Green Goblin’s outfit being goofy. As for the suit he wears in the movie, I actually wished they kept the jacket hood he wore in the Town Square fight, but that’s just me. Also, this Electro actually reminded me of Cole from the “Infamous” series; did anyone else notice that?

I also liked the role that Dennis Leary was given when reprising Capt. Stacy in this film, as Peter has been starting to see his ghost when he's around Gwen. THAT was a good choice, as it shows Peter's struggle on keeping his promise but still wanting to be with Gwen. As for the other cast members, such as Sally Field, Paul Giamatti, Campbell Scott, Felicity Jones, Colm Feore, and others like them, they're great too.

The action scenes, the production designs, all of it has really been updated well from the last film. Marc Webb really knows how to deliver a film that is just gorgeous to look at, and it really is nice of him to move up in his limits and see just how far he can test his craft. Not only that, but this is the first film in a long time to make me feel tense during the climax, even after I know what’s going to happen. And BOTH times too! If a film is able to do anything like that with both sits, that shows how good a director can make a movie, especially when he has the right cast.

Overall, “The Amazing Spiderman 2” gave me what I wanted, and I felt satisfied all the way through. While I did feel like there was a bit too much, I felt the film worked extremely well in its execution. It’s so far my favorite film of the year, and I am REALLY looking forward to see what comes next. Thank you once again, Marc Webb and Andrew Garfield, for another awesome movie!

Rating: 10/10