Critical consensus seems to have come
down firmly against “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” which I don't
really understand. Particularly when they say it's not as good as Sam
Raimi's movies. Sure, I found his version of the wall-crawler to be
cheesy and corny. But cheesy plots, especially for a comic book
movie, are nothing new, and at times it was somewhat enjoyable. But
Raimi's franchise could make you gag on cheese, and the movies' plots
weren't merely by the numbers; you could actually predict them with
your eyes shut. Was the villain just bad enough to cause trouble but
not enough make people truly uncomfortable or threatening? Check.
Did they die through no fault of Spidey's? Check. Oh, and my
favorite...is Mary Jane going to do absolutely nothing AND get
captured? Check again. Seriously, remember when she tried to hit
Doc Ock on the head with a piece of wood and she couldn't even manage
that? Jesus.
But “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is
not only good in comparison with Raimi's vision, it actually manages
to be good on its own terms too. It has depth, wit,
and a love interest who is a
highly intelligent, competent, budding scientist in her own right,
and who is actually useful. There's also a good backstory that
involves Parker's father, Oscorp, and its CEO Norman Osborn. In
other words? This is the kind of Spider-Man I've been waiting for.
The movie finds him still fighting the
good fight in NYC, saving everyone he can, and even stopping to offer
encouragements to some. One such rescuee just happens to be Oscorp
employee Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx, who is actually VERY good at playing
awkward). He's a nerdy, isolated, and very lonely man who develops
an obsession with Spider-Man after he saves his life. Soon after, he
just happens to have an electrical accident after-hours at Oscorp,
turning him into the villain Electro. And his transition from
longing, pitiable, and worshipful to angry, corrupt, and heartless
is done a lot better than the abrupt flips in Raimi's version.
But he has a little help from Peter's
childhood friend Norman Osborn (Dane DeHaan of “Chronicle” and
“The Place Beyond The Pines”). He's back in town after his
father passes, and finds he's inherited his company and the disease
that killed him. But he thinks that Spider-Man's blood may be able
to cure him.
Of course, this soon means war...or at
least a showdown with high stakes for the city, as well as some very
hefty emotional ones for Peter. Not to mention tons of supervillains
that “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” sets up. (Hoping it'll be kind
of like an evil Avengers thing. Sinister Six, anyone?)
That's not to say there aren't a few
plot holes. Why can't Peter study his blood somewhere else with
equipment provided by Oscorp or something? What about the Daily
Bugle? Peter is still selling photos of Spider-Man to them. Can't
we see any of that? And shouldn't he have gotten over the whole
dating Gwen Stacy anyway thing? And why didn't they use more of the
hugely talented and almost unrecognizable Paul Giamatti?
But there's just too much fun to be had
here. Peter and Gwen are actually interesting, fun, and adorable to
watch, have great dialogue to work with, great chemistry (evidenced
by the fact that they're dating in real life) and they have great
talent to work with in the supporting cast.
And of course, the action scenes are
incredible. Spidey of course does the usual web-slinging, but it's
also a marvel as he swings through his high-tech environments,
dodging the electrical blasts, various supervillain weapons, or just
plain bullets, while also incorporating his premonitory spider-sense,
is just breathtaking. So frankly, I'll take THIS franchise, plot
holes and all.
Grade: B+
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