Artistic Directing and Thought-Provoking Themes Prove a Great Spidey Flick

Rating: 8/10 (3 May 2014)

The Amazing Spider-Man series I think is the prime example of critical injustice. Raimi's original films were so highly praised by critics that these new films, despite holding a different taste, are victim to the burden of comparisons. Raimi's films were exaggerated and cheesy, when Webb focuses more on psychological principles. That's why I loved the first film so much, but "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" is a superhero sequel superior in almost every aspect. While being 2 hours and a half long the film keeps a steady, and fast pace where it always has a conflict building to keep you invested. Each scene feels important to the emotions emphasized in the film so no minute is wasted. Peter and Gwen are one of the most believable couples in cinema and their relationship is the core of the story, and it never gets overshadowed by the main villains or sub-plots. A major complaint I hear of the film is that the reveal of Peter's parents backstory is disappointing, but the movie explains it's only a tidbit of information, and that Marc Webb is building up the whole truth within each movie. Therefore, it builds the suspense immensely in this film and we get to see his parents as fully breathing and living characters rather than a plot catalyst. The strongest aspect of the film though is the theme: No human deserves to be alone, and isolation and abandonment costs immense psychological damage. Every main character has this theme imposing them somehow, and it really adds to the relatability of the characters. Even the villains have humanity in their motivations due to this theme, and that is very rare for a superhero film. The directing is almost Stanley Kubrick-esque in some senses. Action sequences rely on musical cues and tones for movement and emotion, which has not been implemented well in superhero movies until this film. It makes the fights all the more memorable and impressive, as my heart was racing during the climax of the film. Several scenes possess an almost dream-like quality, with dramatic lighting and celestial-like movements. It drifts you away from reality, unlike other superhero movies which usually emphasize upon the realistic world. Spider-Man's world is advanced and foreign, yet familiar in emotional comprehension. Only real issue that holds this film down is that it perhaps drags on a bit after the climax, as the following scenes don't flow together as the rest of the film does, making the ending perhaps a bit overdone. This is definitely a more artistically-directed film than the first one, and it accomplishes that well. Overall, I must exclaim that it replaces "The Dark Knight" as my favourite hero flick. It's a universally emotional and significant film, with a more meaningful and overlooked theme than the Dark Knight offered. It made me realize how much others do impact who we are and how it defines our virtues; a film that is emotionally powerful rather than philosophically can just sometimes mean more. This movie is the only one that has EVER made me shed a tear. Hate me all you want, but I love artistic liberty in film and interpreted the themes in this movie personally. You can make this film your own, and that makes it all the more fun and meaningful. I give "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" a solid 8/10.