Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Movie: The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Director: Marc Webb
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHann, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field
Verdict: Book your tickets now!

Disclaimer: If you want to really experience the joys of SFX, we suggest a plush 3D-pro theatre and pick the lounge seats. You will need something to sink into during ‘the crucial scene’.

Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker continues to moonlight as the costumed vigilante, who in addition to rescuing geeky kids from bullies and stopping a heist in Times Square, is completely torn over by Gwen Stacy – played by Emma Stone. Their three-year long off-screen romance is blissfully evident throughout the film generating a plethora of ‘awws’ at regular intervals. Their on-screen chemistry resembles a marshmallow amidst the flurry of electrifying moments, sheer eccentricity and spine-tingling bolts of action. The movie does well for comic book aficionados, by roping in Richard Parker, fixing up loose-ends and setting the record straight.

The Good

1. In the prequel, we were quite distressed by the lankiness of this superhero. This one doesn’t disappoint thanks to a beefy Spider-Man, and a less-than-shy Peter Parker. Spider-Man’s constant muttering may seem annoying at first, but Andrew Garfield simply grows on you as the movie unfolds.

2. We’re thankful for the clarity on Richard Parker, the reason they orphaned young Peter, and his secret obsession with Roosevelt coins. And, everything one should know about his mysterious pickings at the Oscorp lab.

3. Brownie points to the visual foreplay, the constant bursts of electricity super-infused with an equally plunging background score.  Just when you brace yourself expecting a hard-hitting sequence, you’re let down for a few seconds, only till the enormity of the situation actually erupts. And with that, you’re a fan already.

The Bad

1. Hypothetical scenes in the film are more than just a few. What is with the high-speed internet connection working full-swing in the midst of an air-crash?

2. There are moments where the movie crawls and a wee bit of editing would iron out the creases. The romantic-cum-emotional scenes take up more screen space, where we would’ve wanted to see a lot more eccentricity, more super-villain footage and a little less of mush.

The Amazing

1. What constituted the ‘amazing’ in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was Electro flawlessly portrayed by Jamie Foxx. He starts off as a lonesome engineer at Oscorp, who is also a Spider-Man groupie, but accidentally falls into a tank full of eels. He morphs into a monster, basically hungry for attention, and constantly manipulates the city’s electricity. All of this, on his birthday. We look forward to his return.

2. Making a sharp appearance in the second-half is Harry Osborne in his Green Goblin costume, played by Dane DeHann. You cannot miss out his stark resemblance to Leonardo DiCaprio, except for the receding hairline. His piercing eyes carrying the baggage of a genetic disease, adds the required depth, making the film more than just Spider-Man’s face-off with Electro.

3. The ending houses the most crucial scene of the film. We still cannot get over it. Highly shocking but quite a daring move by the makers. In the end, only the soft lounge seats will comfort you.