The Amazing Spider-Man 2

The Amazing Spider-Man 2
PG-13
Running time: 2 hours 22 minutes
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Director: Marc Webb
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidth, Colm Feore, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field, Chris Cooper, Marton Csokas, B. J. Novak, Denis Leary, Felicity Jones.

Synopsis: We've always known that Spider-Man's most important battle has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. But in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker finds that a greater conflict lies ahead. It's great to be Spider-Man. For Peter Parker, there's no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen. But beingSpider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro, Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn, returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp.

Review: Remember how awful the marketing strategy was for that dark and brooding reboot? A reboot marked with ominous tagline 'The Untold Story' and how the story turned out to have nothing to do with Spidey's mystery-shrouded family background. Well, at least that aspect of the story is able to see the light of day in this second chapter. Running for a whopping 2 hours 22 minutes, the second chapter boldly challenges the ever perilous 'triple-threat' concept which had nearly botched Raimi's third Spidey outing. The result here is a mixed concoction of uneven tonal shift. There were times when the atmosphere should be dark and tense, yet with the web-slinger's trademarked wry sense of humour, the result is a weird coalescence of shifting tones that could and only be made accountable in comic pages. Apart from that, the effort to somehow expand the universe ala Avengers style feels forced and hasty. The filmmakers had no qualms inserting random Easter Eggs and references here and there in order to tease what's to come (Venom, Sinister Six..). As emotions intensify throughout protruding sub-plots, themes like death and family remained questionably vague, much like a roller-coaster ride, the pace was just too quick for one audience to initially capture and register that particular feel. As far as emotional cores weren't completely ignored, the video-game like action sequences were immaculately done. With wide-shots and slow-mo getting thrown in your face, there's no doubt these high octane CG effects have successfully showcased webhead's acrobatic best. The chemistry of Garfield and Stone are going as strong as a solid rock, but the highlights here should be DeHaan's psychotic Goblin performance. Foxx's Electro and Giamatti's Rhino somehow end up more like screen-fillers or essential plot devices instead of pivotal characters layered with emotional depth only to be caused by a certain tragic past of theirs. In conclusion, 'TASM2' is a satisfyingly good start to the summer blockbuster season.

Rating: 4/5 Stars