We’ve all seen them. Each year they get bigger, more popular and more frequent. Whether we love them or hate them, we all have spent our money to go see them: superhero blockbusters. It’s almost summertime and superhero season has come upon us. The first one that I have seen this year is “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.” Walking into the theater I expected to see just another superhero movie. For better or worse, my expectations were met. This “Spider-Man” is a competently made film that is lacking in acting and narrative, but is heavy on action and entertainment value.
The acting in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is consistently inconsistent. Most of the characters have moments where they shine, but these moments are few and far between. The standouts in the cast are Andrew Garfield, who plays Peter Parker, and Emma Stone, who plays Gwen Stacy. They have great chemistry especially when they have their awkward “Peter says funny things really fast, and Gwen responds with a sarcastic remark” flirting moments, as they do in the first film. Sadly, the humor and sweetness of these moments are constantly sacrificed in order to continue moving the plot forward. Gwen seemed as annoyed as I was that Peter kept leaving in the middle of their conversations.
Peter himself is a much more inconsistent character in this film. In “The Amazing Spider-Man,” he was an awkward high school kid who was sad about the loss of his parents. In this film he has become a trendy hipster — rocking the fade and a stylish camera strap — and the awkwardness that defined his character is gone. He has also become more irrational in this film. Throughout the story he goes from being cocky as Spider-Man, to sad as Peter Parker, to feeling sorry about what he’s done to Gwen, to reuniting with her and being happy as Spider-Man again — rinse and repeat. Instead of solving his problems, Peter would run from them and sit there brooding, refusing to take action until the last possible moment. This was more obnoxious to watch than fun.
The story continues the idea from the first film that secrets have power. For the most part this idea is carried out — even if carrying it out is generic, choppy and gives you déjà vu. Most of the problems with this film came from the story. Despite being almost two-and-half-hours long, the film felt rushed. Granted, it did have a lot to do: introduce Rhino, Electro and the origins of The Sinister Six, develop Peter’s relationship with Harry and have Peter face his inner demons. The film has too much to do in too little time, and as a result the story suffers. The few times when the film does pause to let the drama sink in are the moments I remember most from the film. When the credits rolled, my love for the characters had not grown and, for a franchise planning at least two more films, this is a huge problem.
The entertainment value of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is easily the most enjoyable part of the film. The action sequences are elaborate, Electro looks fantastic, the visual effects are incredible and the futuristic cinematography is a visual feast. There is significantly more action in this film than in its predecessor.
“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is a competently-made superhero blockbuster. It does not break any new ground in terms of narrative, acting or action sequences. For most audiences, this is of little consequence and to them, and I highly recommend this film. But for anyone tired of superhero blockbusters, you are better off seeing something else.
