Strong sequel worth the original

Rating: Null/10 (7 June 2014)

Marc Webb does it again, delivering an excellent sequel that continues the story line, doesn't dumb down the characters, maintains its strengths, and for the most part improves on its weaknesses. In essence a perfect sequel.
Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone reprise their roles and the two are just as adorable and lovable together as they were in the first film. And it's surprising how well their chemistry can overcome even the worst clichés. In a weaker film their particular romantic subplot would be painful to watch and you'd know instantly how it'd end. Not so much here. Their character have enough depth and they're played well enough that you not only buy it but you'll also feel like it could go either way. And that's good storytelling.
Furthermore, the special effects and all the technical aspects are just as good as they were before. The fight scenes are still a lot of fun and this time even the settings are more grandeur and imaginative. The way they have realized the so called "spidey sense" is very cool to look at.
Unfortunately the villains are still not that good. The more realistic tone and setting mean that their over-the-topness seems more silly than fun and they're not given as much room to shine as in the original trilogy. They're perhaps a bit improved from the previous film, but there's the new problem of there being too many of them. Hopefully the third installment can fix this one glaring weakness.
All in all this is a great film. If you enjoyed the first film, this is definitely worth a watch, and even if you haven't, it's one of the best superhero films in recent years.