A Reason for Hope

Rating: 9/10 (12 May 2014)

I was a pretty big fan of Raimi's original series when they were released, and the first two films still hold high among my favorite superhero movies. When the reboot was announced I was naturally skeptical; despite Spider-Man 3 and its flaws, I had confidence that Raimi could right the ship. Deep into production I began seeing trailers and clips from ASM, and it gave me some hope. After seeing the film in its entirety, I became a big fan. The story was similar to most origin takes on Spider-Man, but with some small changes to try and separate itself from the original film trilogy. Admittedly, a few of those decisions might've been less than stellar, but Raimi's version nailed the origin and that was hard to top for the new film. With the tale of how the hero came to be out of the way, the sequel could really decide where this series was going to go. It seems to be an exciting direction.
I was skeptical when the cast was announced and we met our new Spider-Man, which is a feeling I no longer have. Don't get me wrong, I thought Tobey Maguire played a great Peter Parker. For my money, he was a solid Spider-Man as well. But Garfield feels truly at home in the role. It isn't to say one performance is more accurate to the comic Spidey than the other; with as many different takes on the character as we have seen in comic book lore, both performances reflect different qualities in different versions of the character. However, Garfield's Spider-Man feels like the version of the character I grew up with. He's humble and soft-spoken at the right times and confident in others. I thought his performance in this film was one of the more defining performances of any Marvel film character alongside Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark.
Spidey's love interest, Gwen Stacy, is portrayed perfectly in not only this film, but in the first as well. I've been a fan of Emma Stone since she hit with Superbad, and she really gives Gwen some life. Her dynamic with Garfield is surprisingly one of the strongest portions of the film. They have such great chemistry that it's impossible not to feel like you're in the moment with them, and Marc Webb knows it. Dane DeHaan shines as well, giving Harry a unique sense of frustration and abandonment. He's dark and brooding, but also sly and cunning when necessary. Jamie Foxx holds well in the film as well. Admittedly the Electro/Max Dillon character is goofy and strange, but I like his motivation. In a world of so many it's easy to feel neglected, and it's clear he has a lot of problems that motivate his transition from bumbling Max to the powerful Electro.
As far as the plot is concerned, there is a lot going on. However, I felt this film did a markedly improved job on balancing the numerous subplots. I never felt as if the characters were fighting for screen time or that any of the plot points were necessarily rushed. Between Peter's parents and his love life and the growing problems arising from Oscorp, it would seem like there's too much happening. But Webb never lets the story lines stray too far before reeling them back in; each plot point directly connects to the finale and ultimate message of the film: Hope. Peter often tells others Spider-Man gives those around him hope, but the ultimate test of the film is how well Peter Parker can maintain that hope himself. Indeed being a hero has a cost, which results in one of the most powerful comic book moments in history coming to fruition on the big screen. Gwen's death is the turning point for our titular character, and one that will certainly drive his actions in future installments.
Ultimately, ASM2 is an ambitious film that does attempt to do a lot in just one film. However, Marc Webb keeps the story moving with enough confidence to tie the plot points together in one swift finale that will change Spider-Man forever. Amazing Spider-Man 2 ****1/2