Wednesday, May 7, 2014

The amazing Spider-man 2


DIRECTOR:  Marc Webb  LEAD CAST:  Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Colm Feore, Felicity Jones, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Paul Giamati, Sally Field  SCREENWRITER:  Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner  PRODUCER:  Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach  EDITOR:  Pietro Scalia, Elliot Graham   MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Hans Zimmer, The Magnificent Six   GENRE: Drama, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Daniel Mendel  DISTRIBUTOR:  Columbia Pictures  LOCATION:  United States  RUNNING TIME:  142 minutes

Technical assessment:  3.5
Moral assessment:  3.5
CINEMA rating:  V 14
In one of Spider-man's (Garfield) crime-fighting adventures, he gets to save Max Dillion (Foxx), a lonely and unrecognized Oscorp Engineer who later believes that they have formed a deep friendship. Spider-man/Peter Parker gets a call from his girlfriend Gwen (Stone) who is about to deliver her Valedictory message in their high school graduation rites as Peter sees a vision of her father who seems to remind him to stay away from Gwen. Eaten by guilt, Peter confides to Gwen but she decides to break up as she can no longer keep up with the emotional roller-coaster Peter drags him to everytime he feels guilty. Meanwhile, Max falls into a tank full of genetically altered electric eels and gets transformed into a electricity-generating freak. At the same time, Harry Osborne (DeHaan) returns to New York and discovers he has inherited his father's disease and only Spider-man's blood could cure him. However, Maxx/Electro and Harry both feel betrayed when Spider-man steals the limelight and moment of recognition from the former and refuses to give blood to the latter. Simultaneously, Peter discovers the truth about his parents’ disappearance as Gwen follows her hunch about Max and snoops for his files in Oscorp. Spider-man/Peter tries to catch Gwen who is on the way to the airport to fly to Europe but Electro causes another blackout in the city and the two team up to fight and destroy him. Harry, now transformed as Green Goblin, arrives and deduces Spider-man's true identity. Vowing revenge for Spider-man's refusal, Green Goblin kidnaps Gwen.

            The Amazing Spider-man 2's greatest strength is the honest vulnerability of the characters—from Peter to Aunt May. It exposes certain human traits and allows the narrative to poke at them gently so that the audience also feels the tinge of pain and helplessness. But it does not allow the viewers to wallow in desperation or tears like a melodrama does, because very timely, goofy Spider-man comes and throws his one liners or Gwen and Peter electrify the screen with their genuine chemistry. The film is successful at garnering emotional investment from viewers so that they understand not only the characters' back stories but also their motivations. While its storytelling does have one too many webbed subplots, foreshadowing helps explain and tie the narrative together in the end. There is no question about the post production works and special effects. Every battle scene between Spider-man and his enemy is gives roller-coaster highs and thrills (even in 2D).
            The movie has several good points : a positive father-son plot where each other's love is tested and withstands time and trials, a strong warning on the corrupting influence of resentment and desperation, a superhero who becomes a role-model for children, and having courage over pain and failure. But more importantly, the message of hope and selflessness resounds throughout the movie. Explicitly laid down during Gwen's speech, viewers are challenged to be beacons of hope not only as an empty symbol or image but by doing what is right and what is good all the time, regardless of appreciation or recognition. And as one rallies to bring hope through one's choices and actions for the common good, he develops a spirit of self-sacrifice, incorruptibility and commitment to the common good. On the side, The Amazing Spider-man 2 gives us a heroine who is not a helpless high pitch damsel in distress but a strong-willed and intelligent woman who knows what she wants, makes her own choices and supports the man she loves to the end. The Amazing Spider-man 2 may not please everyone, especially those who feel that is merely an expensive movie whose director is undecided whether it is a love story or a superhero film but it does leave a positive impression which will last longer than the criticisms.  Some action sequences and themes may be too violent for very young audiences.