The Amazing Spider Man 2: Review

Spiderman Has Been Redefined.

 

I had the privledge of going along tonight to the first screening of The Amazing Spiderman 2!

Now I am no real critic, I am almost like a regular guy, so my opinion doesn’t hold much weight. Also, this is my first “draft” if you will of the review. Better reviewers will go more in depth, this is just my initial reaction from an incredible film.

Before I read anything on twitter, I assumed the film would be universally loved, but apparently some people did not like it. Do not know why.

ANYWAY, TIME FOR THE REVIEW

Spiderman, an iconic hero, a superhero that is genuinely human, a superhero that I have always loved. It was with great sadness then that The Amazing Spiderman was a little underwhelming, in fact, had in not been for the great chemistry between Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacey and Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker then I shudder to think what may have become of the movie. However, today it is my task to review the movies sequel, and it is certainly a case where the sequel is far better than its predecessor, I just did not except the leap in quality to be so high.

Seldom does a movie come along that is so masterfully put together, so powerfully written, so complete. The Amazing Spiderman 2 is masterfully crafted in a meticulous fashion and creates a story that will not only appease hardcore fans of the Spiderman franchise, but convert those who did not believe this reboot could manufacture anything of significant value. Let it be known, this is no cash grab, this is no random flash of brilliance that will fade away quickly and not leave a lasting effect on the audience. No, do not fret, this film will forever be known as one of the best Comic Book Movies of all time, it is that spectacular, or should I say, amazing. It is certainly the best Spiderman film out there, and will have filmgoers not just attending it once, but multiple times. I am truly surprised, I did not expect it to leave me this shell-shocked at its objective, definitive brilliance, but I can tell you in no uncertain terms that it is the perfect amalgamation of everything that makes a movie so great.

I am at odds as to how I can do the film justice, but not spoil it for filmgoers, I will not spoil the plot explicitly, but I will explain why I may do so implicitly further on in my review.

The film makes use of the POV shot effectively; Spiderman has never looked so good! A variety of shot type and angles are used, in fact, I think the cinematography was indeed spectacular in the film. I particularly enjoyed the way in which the emotions of the characters were portrayed through the viewing angles, you could feel the emotions of the character around you, each moment framed in such a way that it had a certain implicit nod to the beauty of human emotion and its consequential effect on the character. This is what made the film so pleasing, is that the wonderful script was amplified by cinematography perhaps only beaten by The Dark Knight.

CGI in the film was handled with aplomb! Although you may have seen this in the trailers, it is not until you actually see the movie on the big screen, with sweeping battles between Electro and Spiderman that it really comes to life! Spiderman’s suit moves with the wind! It is truly an amazing achievement from Sony and a real work of art! The Mech suit for Rhino was, off-putting, and I am glad he plays a smaller role in the film as if he played a larger role; I think it would have detracted from the film. Whilst, story wise, it is weird to have Harry Osborne as the Green Goblin, he does look fantastic, truly insane even, and very scary.

The score of the movie was breathtaking, it was a mixture of upbeat, happy tones and despondent, slow, powerful tones which gave the movie a generally serious tone. I really enjoyed it and will be purchasing the OST for the film. It was one of the better soundtracks released this year in my opinion.

Although there were concerns regarding the overcrowding of the film, they are unwarranted. Yes, Spiderman, 3 suffered from an oversaturation of villains, but The Amazing Spiderman 2 manages to overcome this by allowing all villains to perform together in perfect synchronicity, whilst maintaining a quick and upbeat storyline that is sure to enthuse. Rhino is more of a running gag, Electro forms the main protagonist and Harry Osborne, without giving much away, is heavily involved in the major plot points of the film.

The Amazing Spiderman 2 is a defining movie for not only the new Spiderman universe, but also comic book movies as a whole. It breaks precedence in regards to heroic tragedy, and sets the scene for darker comic book movies in the future. Like the comics before it, TASM2 has redefined the genre with powerful dialogue; eye watering action sequences and a genuine plot that will leave no eye dry during the viewing of this masterpiece. One scene in the movie, without spoiling it for you all, could define Andrew Garfield as “the” Spiderman in popular culture. Toby Maguire did a great job, but was never given the opportunity to perform such a heart wrenching scene as the one that appears in The Amazing Spider Man 2. Andrew’s performance is Oscar worthy, and completely typifies what makes Spiderman so great, his heroic tragedy. I felt Goosebumps during his performance; it was of a quality never seen in a Spiderman movie. I will not go into more detail regarding this scene, but remember to bring some tissues.

The Amazing Spiderman 2 is not without its flaws, to be honest, I thought Emma Stone’s performance was a little, off. She played a great Gwen Stacy, but there were parts of the film where you got your typical “Crazy Stupid Love” or “Easy A” Emma, and not the Gwen Stacy she portrayed so aptly in the first Spiderman movie. It isn’t a bad performance by any stretch of the imagination, but it did sort of ruin the immersion of the film at points. The love story between Gwen and Peter is wonderful however, and looking back on it with foresight, it brings a tear to my eye how wonderfully they portrayed Peter Parkers first love. If I must be super negative, I thought Norman Osborn should have been the Green Goblin; this is because Harry and Peter’s relationship seems rushed to create a friends-conflict-enemy scenario as fast as possible. They do definitely pull it off well, but I wonder if the movie and its sequels could have been improved through Harry staying human longer, unfortunately from a story point of view, he cannot actually stay human. Electro I have no qualms with, they could have done nothing better to portray him!

The Amazing Spiderman 2 is by far one of the best comic book movies I have ever seen. It is powerful, but witty, it somehow manages to do what Spiderman 3 didn’t, it successfully grabs 3 of Spiderman’s most iconic villains and creates a truly great story that is paced perfectly. In the context of a Spiderman movie, nothing beats it, in terms of Comic book movies as a whole, this would be in my top five for certain. I wholeheartedly recommend this movie to every moviegoer who enjoys that special feeling of watching a true classic for the first time, because I have just witnessed a defining moment in Spiderman Film history.

Mark Webb, take a bow.

Andrew Garfield, take two bows, you are an absolute star.

Kind Regards,

Muhesh Spaleesh- An Indian Smile

NOTE: The opinions expressed in this post are by definition, amatuer. I wrote this IMMEDIATELY after seeing the film, this is my raw, undetailed reaction. I am no official critic, but I think the movie was out of this world.