On a par with the first one!

Rating: 6/10 (7 May 2014)

My latest cinema-going of a 3D spectacle of the second chapter of the Amazing Spider-Man, whereas its first installment THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2012, 6/10), a reboot of Sam Raimi's sensational SPIDER-MAN trilogy, is a hit-or-miss in general, but the Garfield and Stone pair does stand out with their affable affinity and spontaneous chemistry, so when it is time for Stone's Gwen Stacy to take a bow and exit the franchise, as fans know it from the start, her fate is presaged by the comic books, it is a double-edged sword to separate the most adorable couple in the marvel realm, initially one might be fixated in an ambiguity of thoughts that she will survive, since it has happened in THE AVENGERS (2012, 5/10), but when the lingering shot fails to bring her back to life, it is somewhat tear-jerking and befuddling to realize she has been killed off just like that, as the expendable female character in any superhero franchise (like Maggie Gyllenhaal in THE DARK KNIGHT 2008, 8/10). It is a bold maneuver nevertheless (if Samuel L. Jackson's resurrection in CAPTAIN America: THE WINTER SOLDIER 2014, 7/10 could ring a bell), opens a new possibility for the following storyline, but I doubt anyone can follow her shoes because Stone's Gwen is not a cliché trophy girlfriend, she has brains, she leads the way in their relationship, Spidey is even willing to gives up his NYC territory and follow her to Great Britain, I would love to see a Spider-Man in London spin-off, which would be so tantalizing but sadly the production team will never allow that, Spidey represents the America's heroic spirit, so that's it, he is staying.
The 3 villains scenario has been oversold when they actually showoff in individual turns to combat Spider-man and Paul Giamatii's Rhino is basically a warm-up for next film, and the new Green Goblin Dane DeHaan pays off as a perfect choice thanks to the acute casting, his storyline is bypassed largely since Jamie Foxx's Electro is the MVP among the trio, which is rather badly written and utilized (his hatred towards Spider-man is so tediously manipulated and beyond logical reasoning). So with Gwen out of the picture, I assume next step is Spidey Vs. Green Goblin in their love-hate entanglement which is a safe bet for its mass appeal.
The acme of its standard action sequences by all means should be Electro's fluorescent and electricity-sizzling battlefield and his rampage in the Times Square, an eye-opener but the most vivid delight belongs to the affectionate magnetism, casual banters and escapades between Peter and Gwen, which is what director Marc Webb's strongest suit, at any rate, it is on a par with its predecessor, and the 3D effects are marginally passable this time, but honestly speaking I don't harbor too much hope for the third venture, there is perpetually a dearth of a weighty female counterparts in the marvel kingdom, let alone one has just been haplessly dispatched.