Surpasses the first film in many ways than one.

Rating: 9/10 (11 May 2014)

Having just seen ASM 2, I say wholeheartedly that the second film is leagues BETTER than the first film. There's more drama, suspense, some dark moments, but perhaps the same comic-book like feel; something that Sam Raimi's films had, but never really delivered on it's premise. Thankfully however, Mark Webb and co, gave us a film that will be remembered for ages.
Even though there are three villains in this film, they are all superbly developed and well acted, something Sam Raimi's infamous Spiderman 3 SPECTACULARLY FAILED TO DO on SO MANY LEVELS. This film when you watch it gives you the sense that the movie is more understandable and therefore plausible in it's premise and execution. True, there are some rough spots in the film, but that does not in any way, shape, or form, take away from the experience.
One has to feel bad for Shailene Woodley, who was supposed to appear in the film as Mary Jane, Spidey's love interest for the uninitiated, but given how many characters and subplots are in the film, this was a wise decision on the film -makers part; after all, we wouldn't want to suffer through the same fate as Spiderman 3, would we? And unlike James Franco's take on Harry Osborne, Dane DeHaan gives a MUCH better performance. With his menacing stare and cold, blue eyes, he felt really intimidating as Spidey's future foe.
The action scenes are really spectacular and no pun intended, AMAZING!!! Never once was I bored throughout the entire runtime of the film. It's properly paced and intrinsically plotted with hints and bits of pieces for die-hard Spidey fans to discover; with some Easter eggs thrown in for good superhero measure. Tight direction and well choreographed, there's a great sense of tension and excitement to behold the on screen hijinks. I liked some of the slow-motion shots and they highlight the action; giving the film depth in it's perception of character and action-driven scenes and although not everyone will find them to their tastes, I think they work wonderfully in showcasing Spidey's acrobatic abilities which are greatly taken from the awesome source material.
So is The Amazing Spiderman 2 better than the first one? The overall answer is an AMAZINGLY enthusiastic YES!!! Mark Webb has done a really good job on giving us a sequel that goes in-depth of Peter Parker's psyche while also giving ample screen time to the villains and other character's involved in the titular hero's life. If the ending is anything to go by(which I will not spoil by any means) then we can expect more greater things to come in the overall narrative of this rebooted series. For once, three villains on screen are given screen time of character development and to be fair, it was a huge risk, but the risk payed off thanks in part to the well-written(and at times, humorous) plot and screenplay. Best sequel to a beloved superhero I've ever seen and by the impressively AMAZING box-office results, roll on Amazing Spiderman 3!!! Great job everyone!!! Great and AMAZING job!!!