Okay For A Day At The Movies

Rating: 3/10 (23 August 2014)

I can't talk about the Amazing Spider-Man 2 without mentioning the first film of this new franchise and it's predecessors in the first franchise at the same time. The biggest disappointment I found with all of these films is that the origin and characteristics of Spider-Man and accompanying characters have been altered from those of the original comics.
In the original comics, Peter Parker was a college student working on a project that involved radio activity. During testing, a normal spider gets caught in the way of the radiation and then winds up biting Peter, causing him to transform into our hero. The spider then goes off and dies. Both of the new franchises have chosen to change the way that the spider becomes capable of transforming a person into a super-human. Furthermore, the original story eliminates the possibility of anyone else encountering the same circumstance. In the first and second stories, it's feasible that other people could be bitten and become super-human just like Peter. In fact, in this film of the second franchise, they use this possibility to create the Green Goblin which is another character origin alteration and disappointment.
As far as it goes, the first franchise stayed closest to the original story line with one significant difference being that our new Spider-Man could spin webs directly from his wrists. In the original story, Peter, being a science major, had to develop web shooters to enhance his new physical capabilities. The shooters depended on web fluid cartridges and this was part of his limitations during villain battles. In both franchises, this fact was either significantly altered or just omitted.
Casting in both franchises had it's ups and downs. In the first franchise, I wasn't sure about Toby McGuire as Spider-Man. Surprisingly, in the first film, I thought he did exceptionally well. I can't say as much for the second and third installments. The whole emotional break-down he goes through in each felt ridiculous and painful. As for the other characters portrayed in the first installment, I thought a really good job was done in the first movie, but the follow ups weren't as well received.
In the second franchise we have Peter Parker/Spider-Man played by Andrew Garfield. Garfield is a taller, thinner and more confident character in contrast with McGuire. Though I wasn't too sure how to accept him in this role, all in all, I thought he did pretty good as well. I definitely liked his improved confidence over McGuire's character, but I did have a hard time accepting his thinner physique.
This franchise uses Sally Field playing the role of Aunt May. To me, this was a big mistake as Sally just doesn't fit the bill of the original character from the comics. Neither her script or her appearance and persona worked for me. Rosemary Harris was a far better Aunt May in the first franchise.
In the first film of this franchise, I thought the Lizard was done well. I can't remember his comic origin, but I liked the character and the effects used to bring him to life.
In this film, I can't say that I liked any of the villains. Again, big alterations to their origins and or characteristics where executed. Electro's character from origin to end was cheesy to say the least. The Rhino was majorly ridiculous and completely altered from the original comics. In this story Rhino is turned into a man in a robotic suit. This was nothing like the original where he was simply large, powerful and fast and wore a protective suit that looked like a rhino. In fact, in both franchises, the choice to alter villain costumes for the Goblin and the Rhino into metallic and/or robotic suites was again an unwanted disappointment.
I could go on and on comparing the two franchises and knit-picking them for their shortcomings. However, its best to say that I was impressed with both at the start. Unfortunately, as with the first franchise and its follow-ups to the first film, I wasn't terribly excited with the second installment in this latest franchise. It was okay for a day at the movies, but it isn't a film I will want to see over and over again.
Before closing this review, there is one thing I would like to add. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm growing rather tired of seeing Stan Lee do his little cameo appearances in every one of the Marvel films. It only increases the cheese factor.