The More or Less Amazing Spider-man 2

Full disclosure: Spider-man is hands down my favorite superhero. I've always found Peter Parker to be a much more interesting and sympathetic character than Bruce Wayne or Clark Kent, arguably the only two heroes that match or eclipse Spider-man in popularity. I also love the webslinging, wisecracking, and the general radness of his superpowers. The Amazing Spider-man 2 delivers on both of these in a huge way. In this installment of the rebooted Spidey universe, Peter Parker (The Social Network's Andrew Garfield) freshly graduated from high school, is still struggling to come to terms with his parent's sudden disappearance, and his being Spider-man putting the woman he loves, Gwen Stacey (Easy A, and The Help's Emma Stone) in danger. His Aunt May (Forrest Gump and Lincoln's Sally Field) is struggling to find a way to send her beloved nephew to school and care for him in the absence of her husband. Peter's troubles are only intensified when his childhood friend, Harry Osborn (Chronicle and Place Beyond the Pines's Dane DeHaan) returns from boarding school to visit his dying father, Norman (The Muppets and American Beauty's Chris Cooper) and New York is threatened by a new villain, the once overlooked technician Max Dillon turned sentient lightening bolt, Electro. (Ray and Collateral's Jamie Foxx) We are also introduced to The Green Goblin and Rhino here. 

To many, myself included, this over-stacked rouges gallery brings back less than wonderful memories of 2007's Spider-man 3 and it's dreadfully crammed narrative. This film suffers from the same cramped narrative, but not so much that it ruins the film. Tonally, the movie will move from cheeky, glossy, pulpy, Spider-man wisecracking to dead serious with little room to breath in between. There are at least three separate story threads moving at any given time making for a somewhat choppy experience. Jamie Foxx gives a worthy effort to what is ultimately a cliched and slightly underwhelming villain. The origin of both he and the Green Goblin are a bit rushed, but with a run time of nearly two and a half hours, there wasn't room for much else, I suppose. The Green Goblin shows up hurriedly to more or less let us know that he'll be back for more when the next Amazing Spider-man film rolls around in two to three years. Add what could rightfully be called a cameo from The Rhino and you have a rushed third act threatens to derail the film entirely until it takes a few moment to slow down and let the preceding events sink in, and then ends on a decidedly higher note despite a few missteps getting there.

Despite the weak characterization of the headlining Electro, the tonal inconsistencies, and the cramped storylines, there is A LOT to enjoy here. The film's saving grace is that it really isn't about Spider-man much at all. This is a movie about Peter Parker. The inner turmoil of the character, his relationship with his friend, his aunt, and his on-and-off love interest are front and center. Andrew Garfield IS Peter Parker. The chemistry he has with Emma Stone's Gwen Stacey is nothing short of breathtaking. Stone is radiant as the stubborn and fiercely intelligent woman that Peter loves. She's not a wilting damsel, but a partner that is every bit as strong as Peter/Spider-man and even more intellectually gifted, helping him out in more than one way. These two are the core of the film and even when the script gets dodgy, their performances remain some of the best in the genre. Sally Field as Aunt May delivers a sense of struggle and unconditional love that isn't often well conveyed by parental figures in superhero films. The pain of her loss is apparent in every word she speaks and every weary expression. Dane DeHaan's Harry Osborn is a sullen antithesis to Peter Parker's outward optimism. The scene where the two reunite for the first time in a decade was pitch perfect. If you've ever experienced that weird kind of elation combined with the realization you have nothing to say to your best friend who you haven't seen in ages...you'll see why. DeHaan, like the previous three performers I mentioned carries the burden or characterization through an inconsistent script with deft ability and aplomb. This Harry Osborn is one who feels wronged by his dying father and is stubbornly after a better version of things for himself. His relationship with Peter is sincere but strained by a massive span of time, an equally massive income gap, and a a dark Osborn family secret. The company to which he is heir is a sinister place with dark secrets of its own. These secrets manifest and change the lives of all parties involved setting us up for more Spidey, more villains, and hopefully a more "Amazing" story. At least a consistent one, maybe. At any rate, Sony has found the most perfect Spider-man possible in Andrew Garfield. There are scenes in this film that will likely evoke some waterworks. The love story between Peter and Gwen, the relationship Peter has with his Aunt May, and even some of Harry's scenes of struggle elevate this film above its own clutter. Marc Webb directs the heavy stuff and the fun stuff with equal skill and the effects positively dazzle! This may be worth the 3D if you're here for the action. Come for the action. Stay for the actors. If the writers can get things straight... the most "Amazing" things this franchise has in store...may still be yet to come.