Amazing Spider-Man 2, the newest addition to the already well-known movie franchise, proves to be a mediocre sequel to the many movies that have come before it.
The story catches up with Spider-Man, also known as Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), and his girlfriend Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). The plot focuses on Peter and his life after graduating high school. The movie also focuses on two of the newest creations of the famous and successful Oscorp industries, a company that deals with mainly cross-species genetics. Oscorp introduces two Spider-Man-hating villains: Max Dillon, also known as Electro (Jamie Foxx) and Green Goblin (Dane DeHaan).
This new incarnation of an already well-known character proves to be a disappointment. Andrew Garfield does not play a convincing Spider-Man, or even a convincing New Yorker; his accent is atrocious. Many of the other characters felt fake as well. Max Dillon, for instance, had an unhealthy obsession with Spider-Man. His acting didn’t feel real at all; rather it felt like he was overacting a minor role.
Another annoying feature in this movie was the soundtrack. Not only did it fail to add anything to the scenes, it also drowned out some of the character dialogue.
Watching the movie felt like watching a two hour commercial for the next installment in the series. The ending did not give sufficient closure, but instead screamed “sequel.”
There is one saving grace for this movie. The Spider-Man costume is now redesigned to pay homage to the original comic version, and Gwen Stacy’s outfits are also very similar to what her comic book counterpart wore. Patterned blouses and her trademark knee-high boots had classic charm during the 60s and 70s, but actress Stone pulls them off with a polished modern-day-businesswoman twist. Many scenes also featured small details that any comic book fan of Spider-Man can easily recognize, while still being accessible and enjoyable for those who are new to the Spider-Man franchise.
Overall the movie was lacking in substance. Instead, it was just used as filler for the spin-offs and sequels that will surely come later. I will not be buying the DVD, nor will I want to see it ever again.