Still Has Potential, But Lacks A Push

Rating: 7/10 (17 April 2014)

The Amazing Spider Man (the questionable reboot to Sam Raimi's trilogy) is merely the beginning to this messy plot-fest that is The Amazing Spider Man franchise.
The sequel is a good film. However, the messy plot continues with Peters search for answers about his parents. It feels like they're making mountains for the sake of being complicated and to add depth, which feels unnecessary and a bit too forced. Maybe by the end of the franchise it will all add up, but for now it only acts as a pointless pendulum for Peters emotions.
But that's not what I want to focus on, my main focus is the villains. After Spider-Man 3 I've found any film that tries to handle more than 1 villain to fall short, and TASM2 does just that. Electro was rushed and not really explained, with a weak motive to carry him forward. His transformation to villain (a tub of eels) was pretty underwhelming too and the way his power works was inconsistent. One second he doesn't know how it works, the next he's flying. One second he's electrical, the next he's wearing a body suit. These inconsistencies only add to the frustration of not getting a villain who actually does ANYTHING. Electro is there for one second and gone next. There's no jeopardy in this movie until the finale, which brings me to the Green Goblin.
Dane Dehaan was brilliant in the role of Harry (probably nudging James Franco) but is again wasted. This is the problem with trying to develop two major villains in such a short space of time. They're underdeveloped and rushed, leading you to really question their motifs. You don't care for these villains, they simply become a hindrance.
With such brilliant actors and performances I feel the biggest let down in this movie is what every super-hero movie is defined by, the enemy. Having recently come off The Winters Soldier, I can't help but be majorly disappointed with Electro and Goblin (thankfully we'll see more of the latter).
The entirety of the film can be summed up in one sentence 'Peter Parker doesn't know if he wants to be Spider-Man or stay with Gwen, but due to the fact she died he's inspired to carry on saving people'. That's high-concept movie making in a nutshell. It's a shame really, because had they just used one villain and put them consistently against Spider-Man within the movie, it would have been a better film.
Which brings me back full circle. Sam Raimi. The entire plot is drawn straight out of his sequel to Spider-Man (with Peter Parker questioning his obligation to do it or to stay with his girl). Gwen Stacey dying was the catalyst I think this franchise needed to really push on. But Marc Webb needs to learn to not go bigger, just go better. Unfortunately I don't see that happening, with a Sinister SIx movie just round the corner.
All this franchise needs is one entry, with ONE villain more grounded and understandable than that of Lizard. A villain who truly hates Spider-Man for reasons not forced but developed for us to see. A movie where Spider-Man is under constant threat, both as Peter and his alter-ego, by this force of evil. This is something we haven't seen this the Green Goblin and Doc Oc, from the previous Spider-Man films.
It's all there to be explored. The potential is trying to seep through but is trapped behind the compulsive need Hollywood has to stick a dynamite and blow-up the movie for a spectacle. By taking a leaf out of Mr Raimi's book, (or even Mr Nolans 'Dark Knight' trilogy)... Heck, even The Winters Soldier! We may see an 'Amazing Spider-Man' film with consistency, depth and a villain to go up against Spider-Man, that will truly make us fear for his life.