Very well done if slightly run of the mill

Rating: 7/10 (28 April 2014)

Given that this is the fifth Spiderman movie in twelve years, it's very easy to feel cynical when the clichés start flying out of the screen before the first action set piece finishes. After all, it's not enough any more that Peter Parker is going to pull an innocent bystander out of the way of a car spinning through the air and be late to an important event which his girlfriend has put a lot of emotional investment in to. Oh no, now he's got to have a dark secret at the heart of his family and be the very centre piece of an evil conspiracy as well. Because having him played by an actor who looks uncomfortably similar to Stan Laurel isn't a big enough difference any more.
However, one inevitable side effect of the sheer volume of superhero movies being made in recent years is that Hollywood has got very, very good at making them. And The Amazing Spider Man 2 is a very, very good movie. It doesn't get close to the high water mark set by The Dark Knight of course but it's definitely a step up from the first entry in the rebooted franchise and could put in a good case for being superior to any of the Sam Raimi movies as well.
Sure, there are faults to be had but the film speeds along on such sheer, good natured fun that it's hard to be bothered by them. As Peter Parker, the annoyingly youthful Andrew Garfield (he's 30 years old people, 30 years old!) is a charming and effortlessly charismatic screen presence. As he zips through New York at high speed, wise cracking at bad guys and high-fiving firemen, you get the distinct impression that he really enjoys being a superhero. There's still time for him to be bothered by guilt and struggle with his responsibilities, but it doesn't weigh him or the film down and he's tremendous fun to spend time with.
He's ably supported by Emma Stone as Parker's on again/off again girlfriend Gwen Stacey. The pair's real life relationship translates incredibly well on screen and there's so much chemistry between them, it's hard not to shake the feeling that both actors want to get the scene over and done with so they can go back to shaking trailers together. Dane Dehaan meanwhile makes a bid for this year's Best Sympathetic Villain In A Spiderman Movie award as Harry Osborn. Dehaan is making a career out of playing traumatised young men with incredible power, but it's a credit to both the actor and the script that he becomes genuinely likable, even when he's committing appalling acts against the people he loves.
On the other hand, it is difficult to believe that Jamie Foxx could ever be a nerd, especially as the guy who bullies him at work looks like someone Foxx could break in two by breathing hard enough, but he makes a formidable villain when he inevitably becomes Electro. His Times Square smack down with Spidey is one incredible set piece and their later ruck in a power plant only ups the ante. If the appearance of Paul Giamatti's Rhino on the posters meanwhile has you worried about villain fatigue fear not, he's barely more than a cameo.
So, great cast, awesome set pieces, what's the catch? Well just like the first Amazing Spider Man, this film still can't help but be a bit unnecessary. You'll have seen all of Parker's dilemmas in this before and the needless conspiracy subplot involving his folks never comes across as anything more than a way for the studio to say "See, completely different film?"
The strengths outweigh the weaknesses however and aside from a few uncomfortable points (what's with the Mengele style German Doctor?), The Amazing Spider Man 2 is a fine superhero movie. It's great fun to watch, has an immensely likable duo at it's heart and just when it's getting a bit too familiar, it pulls the rug out from under your feet with a wicked third act. If this is Hollywood at it's money grabbing worst, long may it continue.