The Spider Can't Save Everything

Rating: 5/10 (26 July 2014)

Although it was completely unnecessary, I enjoyed "The Amazing Spider- Man" and thought it to be a good, if not great, addition to the franchise. However, I don't feel the same way regarding the latest installment, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2".
After a prologue that showcases the ultimate fate of Peter's parents, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" picks up shortly after where the first one let off. Our hero, Peter Parker has hooked up with Gwen Stacy yet again, despite the promise that Peter made at the end of "The Amazing Spider-Man". This promise, however, is a source of inner turmoil for Peter as he struggles between being Spider-Man and loving Gwen. Gwen soon breaks up with him and Peter is left alone.
It is this relationship between Peter and Gwen that prevents the film from being an outright disaster. Their relationship is one of the film's sole bright spots, and is way better than the relationship between MJ and Peter in the original trilogy. They share strong chemistry, which is in no doubt due to the fact that they are a couple off the set as well. Emma Stone gives a strong performance as Gwen and Andrew Garfield is also a good Peter/Spider-Man (although it is debatable whether or not he is better than Tobey Maguire.)
The rest of the cast is a mixed bag. Sally Field is a good, but underutilized, Aunt May. The truth of the matter, however, is that there are simply too many villains. The film has "Spider-Man 3 syndrome" and as a result, it suffers. Even though Jamie Foxx's Electro is the main villain, his motivations for wanting to plunge the Big Apple into eternal darkness are simply non-existent. His transformation from office nerd to super-villain is hardly believable. Meanwhile, Dane DeHann's Harry Osborn is initially a strong character but is then given some of the film's most laughable scenes in which he overacts. And just like Electro, his transformation to super-villain occurs way too fast. Paul Giamatti's Russian gangster is laughable and I could barely understand anything that he said during his brief appearances in the film. The only reason he is shoehorned in is to setup the upcoming Sinister Six film.
The villains aren't the films only weak point. The plot is a bit disjointed and unevenly paced, as it sags in the middle. The soundtrack, despite being composed by Hans Zimmer (who composed the soundtrack for "The Dark Knight" and "Inception"), is uneven as well, with some of the music working well and the rest being some of his most unremarkable work. Meanwhile, the action scenes are fairly entertaining with a sequence in Times Square being the standout.
However, the film concludes in what is arguably one of the most heartbreaking scenes in a Spider-Man film. As our hero tries to save the girl he loves he inadvertently snaps her neck with he suddenly breaks her fall. The resulting scenes of mourning showcase true emotion as our hero is heartbroken and in anguish. Although Gwen's death is one of the best scenes in the movie, it is also one of the worst. Her relationship with Peter, as stated before, was one of the film's sole highlights, and now, subsequent films will suffer for it. What might have seemed as a great idea during the production of this film might not seem like such a great one if Peter and any subsequent love interest lack chemistry.
Despite an uneven plot and soundtrack, as well as an assortment of underdeveloped villains, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" is somewhat saved by the relationship between our eponymous hero and Gwen Stacy, as well as the emotional scenes they share, and by some thrilling action sequences (even if I feel that the special effects weren't all there for this $200 million film.)
All in all, this film could have been worse. It could have been "Spider-Man 3".
6/10