Everything you could want from a Spiderman movie!

Rating: Null/10 (5 June 2014)

After the reboot in 2012 the sequel The Amazing Spiderman 2 arrived at the cinema this month as one of the most hotly anticipated releases of the year. Although I enjoyed the first installment I wasn't blown away by it and felt it could've done more with such a talented cast and greatly improved special effects. Thankfully, the sequel is a massive improvement and I really loved it. It's everything you could want from a Spiderman movie; action, great characters, romance, a thrilling story and heartfelt emotion.
Acting and Characters: Although acting isn't normally the main focus of a superhero movie I thought everyone did a brilliant job. This may be biased because I have a huge crush on him but Andrew Garfield played Peter Parker absolutely spot on. He owns the role and his charm, witty one liners and youthful energy makes him extremely relatable. It's important to remember that Peter is an adolescent so of course he's going to be a bit cocky when he can fly around New York bounding off buildings! He can also be relied on to bring emotion and depth to the heavier scenes, his reaction to a certain plot twist at the end of the film was genuinely heart-breaking to watch. Emma Stone as Peter's love interest Gwen Stacy is also wonderful and her chemistry with Andrew is so natural and sweet that its a joy to watch. The sparks they give off in their romantic scenes together easily equal the action scenes. Its refreshing to see a female character in a superhero film who doesn't conform to the damsel in distress cliché. Gwen is an intelligent, determined and extremely motivated young woman who plays a pivotal part in the defeat of Electro. Dane Dehaan as Harry Osborn is also a welcome addition to the cast and despite their little screen time together him and Andrew make you believe that they were inseparable childhood friends. It's a much darker and less likable interpretation of the character than James Franco in the original trilogy but it makes Harry much more interesting as he hovers between arrogance and unstable desperation. His Green Goblin is also pretty damn terrifying and creates a lasting impact despite his limited screen time. As we all know Jamie Foxx is an absolute badass (see Django Unchained) and he creates a truly menacing presence as Electro. He didn't have as many scenes as was teased in the trailers and I felt like Harry was more of the main villain but Foxx did the best with what he was given, even making some god-awful cheesy lines work like 'It's my birthday, now it's time to light my candles!' I would never have guessed that his nerdy, shy alter-ego Max Dillon could come up with such witty banter! Max is slightly cartoonish and his imaginary conversation with Spiderman felt slightly off but that's down to the writing rather than Foxx's performance. He succeeds in making the character tragic and sympathetic. The consistently excellent Sally Field is also on top form and gives the film some much needed gravitas. Lastly, and sorry to end on a negative, but what on earth was that mad German scientist who experimented on Electro all about? He left a bit of a stain on an otherwise impressive acting ensemble with his pathetic attempt at a German accent and shocking acting (if that's what you can call it). If I was German I'd be pretty offended that Hollywood are still using the stereotype that all Germans are sadistic Nazi psychopaths!
Action: There wasn't as much action in this compared to more recent Marvel films but when they did occur they certainly packed a punch! The fight with Electro in the power station was one of the highlights and despite the slight overuse of CGI you felt like you were in the midst of the action. The final fight with the Green Goblin was also extremely intense and despite it being fairly short it kept me on the edge of my seat as the friends turned enemies engaged in a brutal and emotional battle. Maybe take some extra tissues with you too if you're like me and get far too attached to fictional characters!
Music: You're probably thinking why on earth am I reviewing music in a Spiderman film but I was really impressed. Every song and tune complimented each scene perfectly. I've still got Gone Gone Gone by Phillip Phillips in my head and the use of contemporary music by Pharrell Williams and Kid Cudi gave the film a youthful, energetic tone. The dubstep that accompanied every Electro scene also stood out for me, whenever those beats were played you immediately knew something was going to kick off!