Though spoiled for me, TASM2 did not disappoint.

Rating: 8/10 (16 May 2014)

After almost two weeks of not seeing the Amazing Spider-Man 2 (College. Finals. Fun times.), the inevitable happened. People talked about it and spoiled it for me. I heard words like "intense," "awesome," and "so sad". Oh, and "Gwen dies." Thanks. Words couldn't express how happy I was when one of the largest moments in Marvel movie history was ruined for me! (Sarcasm intended.) After a day of sulking, I still wanted to see the movie. In fact, knowing that she died, but not knowing how made me want to see it even more!
I don't care what other people say, I am a much bigger fan of the Amazing Spider-Man movies than the original trilogy. Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man > Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man. Garfield plays Peter Parker with a more natural feel. However, he's just a bit corny at times —"Alright, laundry sheriff." The way in which Garfield portrays Spider- Man is extremely cocky, but hey, he backs it up. The only category that I feel Maguire was able to pull off better than Garfield was the dramatization. Screaming, crying, yelling, etc.—Maguire's performance was better, but that's not what Spider-Man should be about. In the original trilogy, I felt that the dramatic love triangle between Peter Parker, MJ, and Harry was the main story, and Spider-Man was the fourth wheel. On the other hand, with the much anticipated reboot, the story of Spider-Man was finally done right with Spider-Man actually being main focus of the movie.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was no exception. The action of this movie was much more intense than it was in the first Amazing Spider-Man. My only complaint was that I thought it was too rushed and congested with too many characters. (Three villains, really? Didn't Marc Webb take any notes after watching the embarrassment known as the third Spider-Man movie?) Rhino's character seemed a little unnecessary to me, however, I felt that his part in the end of the movie brought Peter Parker's need to be Spider-Man full circle. Before he went to fight Rhino, Spider-Man said, "There really is no place like home." I was impressed with Jamie Foxx's portrayal of Max Dillon/Electro. I was amazed with how much the actor made me feel sorry for his character in the beginning and then how much I just wanted him to lose when he joined Harry. His motivation for being the villain was easy to understand. Stupid, but simple. He (just like a ton of other people) loved Spider-Man. Spider-Man saved him, temporarily forgot who he was, (Come on, Max was blue and completely unrecognizable so you got to give Spider-Man for even remembering who he was!) got mad, and then wanted to destroy Spider-Man and apparently the rest of the city. A slight overreaction.
I wish the writers would've elaborated on the friendship of Peter and Harry a little more. "Hey, it's been a while. You got your braces off. I'm dying." Clearly exaggerated, but that's what it felt like to me. Don't get me wrong, I loved Harry's character, but he was just too dark. Not in a bad way, but as I mentioned earlier, it just seemed like his motives and dark side were rushed into. On top of going a little crazy after finding out that he was dying, his excessive drinking probably had a little something to do with his break down. By far, I was most impressed with the character of Harry. His presence on screen was so unpredictable and mysterious that his scenes just radiated importance. Dane DeHaan's look as the Green Goblin was menacingly outstanding. Like most people, I was just a "little" enraged that he killed Gwen. (Luckily for people that only watch the Amazing Spider-Man to see Emma Stone, she is confirmed to still play a role in both the third and fourth installments of the series.)
Overall, the Amazing Spider-Man 2 was an intense and emotional red and blue roller-coaster ride. (Ha-ha I couldn't resist.) It constantly kept me on the edge of my seat. Some parts were just too much to handle. The camera work was done incredibly well, and the random shots of Spider-Man swinging through the city looked unbelievably realistic. It was a little fast-paced, but I think that was a much needed change from the first one. It was by far one of the most difficult superhero movies for me to sit through, and it was unlike anything I expected to see from a Spider-Man movie. I highly recommend it to any Spider-Man fan and even if you aren't a fan of the Amazing Spider-Man or just the character in general, watch this movie because it will most likely change your perception of the character. This movie can't come to Blu-ray fast enough.