This sequel to the reboot of Marvel Comic’s Amazing Spiderman movie franchise is pretty amazing (if you ignore a few slip-ups).
After getting off to a slow start in the first few minutes, this Marc Webb-directed sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man is high on action and adrenaline. Set in Manhattan, New York City, our favorite Marvel comic superhero Spider-Man aka Peter Parker, played by Briton Andrew Garfield, is once again in hot pursuit of not one, but three villains.
One of them is the conceited, narcissistic and very much disregarded engineer of Oscorp, Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx), who starts to hero-worship Spider-Man after being rescued by him. When an (literally) electrifying accident transforms him into the spark-wielding Electro, fan turns into fiend.
But that’s not all. Things get really messy as Electro teams up with Green Goblin, the evil alter ego of Parker’s childhood friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan). Osborn has just returned from boarding school to take over his father’s company, Oscorp, when the older Osborn finds himself dying from a rare genetic disease. To avoid succumbing to the same ailment, he needs the blood of Spider-Man.
Nobody’s surprised that Spidey doesn’t want to make a blood donation, which naturally angers Osborn to the point of murderous fury. See, all you rich parents, this is why you shouldn’t spoil your kids.
One of the highlights of the film is the high voltage scene at Times Square. Well-fleshed out, it succeeds at conveying the webbed superhero’s inner turmoil even as he tries to save his city from the danger at hand.
Amidst fending off his foes, Parker continues his investigation of his parents’ mysterious death (see the first instalment). As with all superheroes, he also risks losing his loved ones who he endangers by their sheer association to him. He is torn between staying with his genius girlfriend, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) or leaving her in order to make good his promise to her deceased father to keep her safe. There’s a nice chemistry between Garfield and Stone (thanks to their real-life romance), and their playful banter adds some light-hearted fun into the mix.
Unfortunately, the ending abruptly and is, frankly, an anti-climax. More could have been done to develop the character of the Russian gangster, the Rhino. And yet, despite these slip-ups, the complex emotional palette and wide array of subplots made this two-hour thrill-ride well worth the watch.
| Rating: |  |
