The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Rating: 8/10 (5 May 2014)

If the first film was an origin story then this is Spider-man's coming of age. We spend most of the time, not with Spidey facing off with the bad guys, but working on his relationship with Gwen Stacey. Garfield and Stone still spark off of each other making the whole relationship angle interesting without being sickly. We also get more information about Peter's father and his work with Oscorp which gives this version more depth than the original trilogy.
And onto the bad guys. The trailer has given us a glimpse of three villains and there has been some concern over bad guy overkill. Rest assured, while Rhino and the Goblin do make appearances, this is the Electro show. Jamie Foxx's transformation from super geek to super villain is a marvel (sorry) and the special effects for his look are outstanding. At one point in the film I was worried we were going to be treated to a Dr. Manhattan (Watchmen) moment, but thankfully this film is a 12A so a suit is mysteriously added to save everyone's blushes.
The new Harry Osborn is an improvement over the whiny James Franco portrayal. Dane Dehaan is suitably cast as a poor little rich boy who shows his true colours when he doesn't get his own way. By the end I wanted to give him a good slap, the sign that he played his part well.
Sally Field returns as Aunt May and, although in only a few scenes, she acts others off the screen. When she has a heart to heart with Peter I could feel myself start to choke up (but we'll keep that between ourselves).
Garfield and Stone truly shine yet again. Stone's Gwen Stacey is feisty, gorgeous and intelligent, giving the audience a girl who is a believable equal to Peter Parker and Spider-man. Garfield has a tough job having to give us a sarcastic, lovable hero whilst also portraying a young man with relationship troubles and daddy issues. He manages to pull it off, although I admit to preferring his spandex clad Spidey.
Fans will be happy to know that there are several hints concerning the future of this franchise as well as spin offs... just keep watching.