A film comic book fans will love but tries too hard

Rating: 7/10 (2 May 2014)

Consider Christ in the Garden of Gethsemene. He didn't want what was to come to happen, but He knew it had to happen.
The same sentiment is echoed in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2", as we find ourselves knowing deep down exactly what has to happen, but we don't want it to.
For comic book aficionados, or at least people who know anything about the comics, we know exactly what we're referring to, but you still have to see it for it to sink in. Which is what makes this film, in one sense, a very powerful story and a strong addition to the franchise.
On the other hand, this film is suffering from the same affliction that "Spiderman 3" did: sub-plot-itis.
We have Max Dillon, an electrical engineer with serious social issues who becomes Electro, Harry Osborn, Peter Parker's friend who eventually becomes the Green Goblin, and then we have the whole Peter-Gwen Stacy- Spider-Man trio going on all at the same time.
There's one more villain that gets thrown in at the very end, but let's not beat a dead horse. It seemed that the people at Sony and Columbia Tristar have forgotten the lessons that forced them to reboot the Spider-Man franchise in the first place.
Make it, and fans will come. Don't try too hard, or you'll end up shooting yourself in the foot. Again.
While this film hardly does that, it does sound a word of caution to the creators. There is certainly sequel material, but look what happened with 'third time's a charm' last time.
In short: fans of the comics will love this film. Serious film buffs may not like it for its fairly shallow and predictable character development. However, by the time you leave the theater, you will be filled with conflicting emotions over what you just saw.
And that's a good thing, in this case.