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Movie Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

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Dare I say it? This movie was Amazing. I am going to begin this review by making it known I was not in love with the first installment of the reboot. I am a big Andrew Garfield fan and an even bigger Emma Stone fan, however in the first movie I was left a little confused at the casting. Peter Parker was played a little too awkward and Gwen Stacy was just very blah. The first movie was a little boring, rehashing a story that seems so familiar.  The origin was done better than before but I know that story, I have read it countless times and watched it as well.  It wasn’t until halfway through the movie I really started to get into it.  It was just too forgettable.  In saying that, I love the cast and I love Spider-Man so I definitely enjoyed myself during the first film, I just hold my Spider-Man films to very high standards. The reason I bring up the first movie is so you know I entered The Amazing Spider-Man 2 excited for the potential but skeptical of the execution. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 blew me away. This is the Spider-Man movie I didn’t even know I wanted.  Here are five Amazing reasons that you are going to see this movie and going to love it.

1. Amazing Visuals

The webslinging scenes in this movie are beautiful.  From the first opening scene to the final battle, it is a visual feast. My eyes came in hungry and they left both satisfied and somehow at the same time wanting more. I could have watched Peter websling for 2 and a half hours.  I went to Universal Studios in Florida 8 years ago and my favorite ride was a 3D ride where you went webslinging with Spider-Man.  It was a dream come true.  It really felt like you were flying through the buildings, barely missing cars in the street and free falling your worries away.  This movie brought me right back to that experience.  I have never seen such impressive webslinging scenes.  I was right in the action and it was breath taking.

2. Amazing Electro

Whoa! I love this version of Electro. Jamie Foxx plays a anger filled electrical engineer that finds himself with incredible power for the first time in his life. The early performance of Electro by Jamie Foxx completely sets up the psychopathic nature of  a lonely but power crazed man.  One thing this movie does so well that I think some superhero movies miss the mark on is conveying the power of Electro.  You can tell the power this guy contains is something to really be afraid of.  I felt nervous throughout the film and upon the climax of the movie was wondering how he could possibly be stopped. Electro should keep you up at night and this movie definitely gets that point across.
 
 

3. Amazing Cast

This cast is amazing. I felt like Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone were under utilized in the last film. Either they stepped up their game or the writing got that much better for round two.  Their chemistry is not forced, as it felt in the first film.  These are the type of performances that had me exited in the first place for the reboot. Now that we have the main two actors out of the way there are so many other fantastic performances in this movie. I will start with Sally Fields as Aunt May.  I know we all wish that Sally Fields was our aunt and she blows it away in this movie.  There are a few aunt May scenes that may have fallen short in lesser hands, but Sally Fields absolutely delivers a few great moments. Next we have Jamie Foxx as Electro.  Jamie Foxx is a fantastic versatile actor and he does a great job of both portraying the lonely engineer as well as the power hungry super baddie.  Finally I would like to touch on Dane DeHaan as Harry Osborne. Dane does a terrific job of playing the boy who has everything except the love and approval of his father. Dane plays a great Harry and again like I mentioned with Electro he plays a Harry that I am actually a little afraid of.

4. Amazingly Entertaining

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is 2 hours and 22 minutes and I saw it twice (that’s a lot of 2s). When I sat down for the first viewing I got a little worried.  I am going to be sitting in a theater for 5 hours tonight, how will I stay awake?  The movie started off with a bang and right away I was sucked into it.  I didn’t once think I was in a movie that was dragging.  When it was apparent we were close to the end I was a little sad that it was going to be over.  When I sat down for the second viewing I definitely thought I would be able to feel the length this time around.  Sure I didn’t feel it the first viewing but now that I know what is going to happen it must drag.  Honestly again on the second viewing I was wrapped right in, to the point where I was surprised when we quickly approached the ending.

5. The Amazing Payoff

Any sequel that actually makes the original better is a damn good movie. The set up of the first film payed off big time in this sequel. I was a little disappointed in the first film but after watching the second I appreciate the first film for setting up the story to make the second film great. As you know Captain Stacy dies at the end of the first film and Peter makes him a promise to stay away from Gwen.  Well this movie starts off and Peter has not kept his promise.  He is still dating Gwen but because of this the memory of the Captain haunts Peter. It is very effective and somehow they are able to pull us into those emotions and feel the difficult situation that the two must be going through. It turns this movie not into a Spider-Man movie but a Peter and Gwen movie, which is exactly how I want it.  This movie gives me the feeling of an independent romance film.  I often forget I am watching a superhero movie and then all of a sudden I get blasted with some incredibly visual action scenes.  It is the best of both worlds.

Is this a perfect movie?  Of course not.  There are a few things that I did not love.  I don’t think the story about Peter’s parents is necessary and although it is prevalent in this chapter of the story I don’t believe it is needed.  However this movie is extremely entertaining.  This is exactly the type of Spider-Man movie I want.  The movie has everything, action, adventure, humor, emotion and even a little horror.  There is something in this movie for everybody and everything in this movie is for me.  Cancel your dinner with that boring couple who still discuss how Miley Cyrus has fallen so far and go see this film tonight!

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 lives up to it’s name.

(Make sure to listen for the name dropping.  I missed a few the first time.)