There's some problems but Spidey's still good in my book!

Rating: 8/10 (8 May 2014)

While there were elements I enjoyed with Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films (yes, even in the third. As awful as that one was, the special effects on Sandman were incredible), I found that I infinitely enjoyed "The Amazing Spider-Man" much more. So, I was a little bit excited for this next go-aroundand I wasn't disappointed.
The critics may not be digging the film but Spider-Man has been a big part of my life for a long time—actually, superheroes in general have been a big par of my life. While Tobey was a decent Spider-Man, I never felt he really fit the character I knew from the various cartoons and comics I grew up with. When Andrew Garfield stepped it, I saw an actor who nailed the geekiness, the cockiness when the mask was on and the awkwardness when it was off, and, most importantly, could nail those corny one-liners Spidey always tossed around. Garfield keeps that spirit alive and keeps the chemistry he has with costar Emma Stone.
The new additions to this sequel, like Dane DeHaan as Green Goblin/Harry Osborn and Jamie Foxx as Electro, fit right in. DeHaan was impressive as Harry and made James Franco's portrayal of the same character look weak (even though Franco was one of those elements I really liked from that trilogy) and Foxx was just awesome as Electro. First off, it was cool to see the character of Electro hit the big screen because it was a refreshing sight to see this villain make the jump to the big screen and not another one of the fellows we've seen before and the way the writers combined the established Marvel character with Marvel's "Ultimate" Electro really made for an exciting villain for Spidey to face. When you combine that with a great performance from Foxx and killer special effects, you have a recipe for some fun, exciting stuff.
The only real complaint I had about the film was the fact director Marc Webb couldn't balance a story that was inherently both a sequel and a springboard for the upcoming spin-off for the Sinister Six. Both elements are at play as we see Peter/Spider-Man evolve and deal with his personal relationships and his responsibilities as a hero and we see the depths that Oscorp is going and a plan that Green Goblin is hatching to stop Spider-Man that will culminate in the Sinister Six film. This ended up causing some of the parts of the film to feel rushed or tacked on and it also rode the line of hitting the same problem that the third, jazz-dancing film had: Too many villains. Along with Green Goblin and Electro, the film also has The Rhino coming in to make a cameo and, even though he was there for the Sinister Six setup, it might have been too many villains—especially when you include that other Spidey comic characters have cameos along the way. However, being a geek, seeing Rhino come to life on screen was too cool and this complaint is so minor for me that it is pretty much nonexistent.
Ultimately, I really enjoyed "The Amazing Spider-Man 2." While the story may have some hiccups, it was still fun, funny and had just the right amount of drama where it can be moving and touching but not a two-hour, "Let's watch Spider-Man blubber and snot on himself" film like Raimi's trilogy. Additionally, the film had tremendous sound and awesome music that really helped create the tone—the music played for Electro really helped sell the confusion and frustration the character is going through. Finally, the action is fast and never boring. Overall, I feel this was a great addition to the rebooted franchise and I'm excited for the upcoming spin-offs and sequels.
Good afternoon or evening or morning! Wanna read a more in-depth review of "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" or other non-superhero films? Well, if you answered "yes," you can check out my blog for rants, ramblings, reviews and bad jokes. Just head over to revronmovies.blogspot.com. If you answered "no," then do whatever it is you were already planning on doing.