Tonally All Over the Place yet Entertaining

Rating: 3/10 (22 March 2016)

Even though The Amazing Spider-Man was not as successful as the Sam Raimi films it did well enough critically and commercially to raise hopes for an effective sequel. I personally found the first film boring because the more serious take on Spider-Man simply doesn't work because of the type of character he is. With that said Garfield and Stone have enough chemistry to carry any film, which I'm pleased to say continues here. The film certainly has its good points and importantly takes itself less seriously than the previous film, but it is still awkward from a tonal viewpoint and suffers from a recurring comic book problem of forcing too many characters into the film.
Story: Spider-Man deals with numerous obstacles in his life including his fragmented relationship with his girlfriend Gwen, his rediscovered friendship with a gravely ill Harry Osborn and the emergence of an electricity powered villain. All the while he comes closer to finding out what really happened to his parents. As you can tell that's quite a lot to fit in and it's the inability to give all the arcs proper time that is one of the films main issues. The relationship between Peter and Gwen is excellently developed as well as the most enjoyable aspect yet again, but Electro is built-up only to be completely absent for the middle section and Harry's personality changes entirely in the blink of an eye. Also I don't think the sub-plot of Peter's parents is interesting and it serves little importance to the film overall.
Hero: Andrew Garfield does a good job once again as our title hero. I think he has just the right balance of confidence and sincerity as well as looking perfect for the role. He might lack some of the quirks and geekiness of the character, but I don't think that he's trying to play Peter in that style and the character is much more at ease with who he is here than previously which works for the film.
Villains: Jamie Foxx is underwhelming as Electro. To be fair to him the character is simply The Riddler from Batman Forever, a nerd who goes from worshipping Spider-Man to wanting him dead. He has very little motivation, the glowing blue design is distracting and he only ends up playing a small part in the film as a whole. Dane DeHaan does an impressive job as Harry. Harry's personality and motivations are extremely inconsistent (such as the way he wants Peter's blood to live), but DeHaan is a magnetic screen presence and his delivery of the dialogue is always believable.
Support: Emma Stone is wonderful as Gwen, breathing so much charm and honesty into the role. The film does deal with Gwen's aspirations and smartly the character continues to develop throughout. Once again Stone's expressions are great and she is such a warm presence that you can't help but grow attached to the character. Sally Field is also good as a more relaxed Aunt May. However the less said about Paul Giamatti's stupidly over-the-top cameo as 'Rhino' the better.
Action: The action is a little weak here. The main fight scenes with Electro look really good and are well edited, but they don't last long enough to leave an impact and the slow motion is used too much. The climax suffers from exactly the same problem. Though it is exciting to see Spider-Man pursuing criminals with the police, there is just something about the CGI used as he swings around the city that makes him lack a sense of gravity or heft.
Music: The score by Hans Zimmer and numerous guest musicians is certainly different to most. It features a lot of electronic and dance elements that work well with the action sequences, whilst there are some really eerie parts during the creepier scenes that add a lot of atmosphere. It definitely has a uniqueness that makes it standout.
Production: From a visual viewpoint the film is more colourful and interesting to look at than its predecessor. The film has a more modern look to it, with many of the buildings and technology looking especially striking. I'm also really impressed with how New York is shot as it always looks beautiful. The character designs are mixed with the new Spider-Man costume looking great, but the Electro redesign looking rather generic. Tone-wise the film is messy. For the most part it retains a more adventurous light-hearted feel with pieces of drama (like the Raimi films), but at times it does go a little too goofy, see Rhino, and at others such as Harry's transformation it gets downright creepy. I think the ending reflects that best as the scenes following Gwen's death are genuinely emotional but the film ends with Peter back to his witty old self, it's just so jarring. The romance is the best part however, the chemistry between our leads is perfect and a lot of great situation humour comes from the relationship.
Conclusion: So while I do think The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a flawed film, I do find it more enjoyable than the previous entry and almost on par with the Raimi films. Its real success comes from Garfield and Stone, who are both excellent in their roles and really make you care about their characters. The romance is what holds the film together, while I think the visuals and music are both very effective. In contrast I do find the action tedious and the tonal shifts distracting. The villains are a weak point (though the actors are fine) as neither is fleshed out enough, I seriously think that if Harry was the sole enemy and fleshed out properly then we could have had a great film. For me this is a good film from a purely entertaining stance and it's easy to be wrapped up in the plight of our two main characters despite its problems.