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.
