Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Runtime: 142 mins. Reviewed in Apr 2014
Reviewer: Fr Peter Malone msc
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A sequel to the well-received ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ reboot from 2012, this film suffers from the key problem which plagued Sam Raimi’s ‘Spiderman 3’ in 2007 – an overcrowded canvas of villains which detracts from the story’s strongest aspects. However, an engaging and lively cast, beautifully orchestrated and rendered special effects driven action, and sensitive treatment of the emotional side of the story help this overcome its shortcomings.
The plot picks up at Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) and his girlfriend Gwen Stacy’s (Emma Stone) high school graduation. Peter’s superpowered alter ego Spider-Man is busier than ever fighting crime and trying to silence his critics in the police force, and Peter is having trouble reconciling his relationship with Gwen with his promise to her dying father in the last film that – given the dangerous enemies Spider-Man makes – he would ‘leave Gwen out of it’. Add to the mix the transformation of Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx) from mild geek to powerful and endlessly rechargeable villain Electro, and the return of Peter’s childhood friend Harry Osborne (Dane Dehaan,) who is looking into dangerous treatments for his terminal illness, and Spider-Man is going to be very busy indeed.
Director Marc Webb made a number of strong choices for this follow-on. Firstly, his lack of restraint in delivering enormous, CGI heavy comic book spectacle is an intelligent progression from the previous movie’s more practical approach. The effects are better, and the use of 3D feels more deliberate and effective this time around, which delivers on the promise of outlandish action punctuated by funny character beats audiences have come to expect from Marvel tentpole movies. Stylishly lensed by Dan Mindel and with fantastic (albeit sometimes unnecessary) use of slow-motion, the fights are inventive and exciting, though the hero’s apparent invincibility can occasionally diminish the tension. Secondly is his strong handling of the emotional undercurrents, which unexpectedly provide some of the sequel’s strongest moments. Channelling his indie sensibilities from his brilliant debut film, the non-linear romance ‘500 Days of Summer’, Webb approaches Peter and Gwen’s love with intimate handheld shooting and a sparkling indie soundtrack. On that note, the score from Hans Zimmer and his ‘Magnificent Six’ (his supergroup of collaborators) is wonderful – walking between playful and epic with ease. The powerful electronic character theme for Electro is particularly fascinating, and hearing it explode forth during a Times Square set battle is truly awe inducing.
The cast is great across the board. British thesp Garfield owns both Spider-Man and Peter Parker with a cheeky wit and emotional depth which makes the teenager feel genuine, and is the closest onscreen Spider-Man to the version in the comics, which ought to please fans. Emma Stone is practically luminous as Gwen, being girl-next-door appealing, whip smart, and a capable screwball foil for Garfield all at once. The lead actors are also a couple outside of the film, and their chemistry is unsurprisingly phenomenal. Although his character provides some worrying stereotypes about lonely people being an innate threat, Jamie Foxx is a strong choice for the key villain in this instalment. His transition from the loner to the all-powerful Electro is well portrayed by Foxx, and the villainous growl he develops by the third act is impressive. Dane DeHaan shows flashes of a young DiCaprio, and though Harry’s significant daddy issues and eventual psychosis limit his range, he plays his role well. Lastly, Sally Field threatens to steal the show on multiple occasions as Peter’s Aunt May. Her veteran abilities are often brought to the fore, and hers is a welcome presence.
Warning – anyone fearing the revelation of spoilers ought to skip this paragraph. Though the script is intricately plotted and tightly self-contained, there is the simple fact that too much is going on, even for its 142 minute runtime. Sony has been very open about their plans for the Spider-Man universe, and this instalment suffers a little from the brunt of exposition and allusions it has stuffed into it for the future of the franchise. With three antagonists (Electro, the Green Goblin and the Rhino) plus the set-up for at least three more, it gets quite cluttered. If, like Harry Osborne, you ‘don’t do complicated’, this is certainly not a film for you. However, if you welcome high-speed plotting with little time to take a breath, then you will have no problems here.
Spider-Man may not quite have earned the moniker ‘Amazing’ just yet, but there are enough flashes of brilliance in this sequel to suggest that it won’t be long before ‘Amazing’ is a perfectly adequate description.
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