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Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2
We all know that Peter Parker never has much luck with the ladies, but on the big screen, his love is smoldering! Who would have guessed that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was a romantic comedy? The second entry in Sony Pictures’ second Spider-Man series is all about the love shared between an arachnid boy and his high school sweetheart. Sure there are a couple of super-villains thrown in for good measure, but that’s just what you have to deal with when you’re dating the Amazing Spider-Man!
Movie Rating: 8/10 – Very Good.
I don’t mind at all that Sony Pictures wants to make a mega-franchise out of their Amazing Spider-Verse. As far as I’m concerned, director Mark Webb and actor Andrew Garfield absolutely get Spider-Man. They get the humanity. They get the drama. They get the pure thrill of being Spider-Man. They seem awkwardly obsessed with Peter Parker’s dad, but that can be forgiven when the rest of their movies are so good!
I loved the first Amazing Spider-Man movie, and praised it for the nuanced, personable portrayal of Peter Parker. The same focus on Peter returns for the sequel, and once again I have to point out that the young Andrew Garfield is light years beyond Tobey Maguire in not just his skill as an actor, and his range, but just in how he embodies the character. Garfield easily carries the film, injecting Peter and Spidey with the right amount of humor and love for his family and fellow man. He’s joined by a returning Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, who just lights up the whole film whenever she’s on screen. The chemistry between the two actors is some of the best I have ever seen in film or television, and they really do make this movie into more of a love story than a superhero flick.
But it’s also, definitely, a superhero movie. And while those elements aren’t the strongest part of the film, they are still highly enjoyable. Like I said, Garfield is fantastic as Spider-Man, especially in costume. Not only is he legitimately funny, but he has such a great rapport with pretty much everyone he meets. The special effects are also top notch. The web-slinging is wildly fun and the fight scenes are pretty epic, but I would have to say that the movie’s trio of new villains – Electro, Green Goblin and Rhino – don’t live up to expectations. All three are solidly portrayed and fulfill their roles in the film, but they never amount to much themselves beyond giving Spidey something to do in costume.
But even if the villains are kind of clunky, and even if this film uses one of my most hated fiction tropes of all time, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 succeeds on the strengths of Spidey and his love story alone. Who would have thunk it?
Join me after the jump for the full review! I will try to keep SPOILERS to a minimum!
New Amazing Spider-Man 2 Trailer is Pretty Spectacular!
Check out the new trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and try to spot all the great Easter Eggs and general awesomeness!
This was definitely one of the best superhero trailers I’ve seen in a long time. The action is superb, the characters look fantastic, and the focus is clearly on Spider-Man and the trails he faces in the new movie. Electro, Rhino and Green Goblin all look brilliant, and did you catch the quick cameos from he Vulture and Doctor Octopus? It was just their gear in display cases, but still!
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 looks great so far. I cannot wait for this film!
Higher Quality Spider-Man 2 Picture
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 poster from last week has been officially released online with crystal clear images of Rhino and Green Goblin.
Click to enlarge
Rhino looks mostly awesome, for what he is. I’m not sold, yet, on the idea that he’s a literal robotic rhinoceros instead of a guy in a big suit, but I’m keeping an open mind. The Green Goblin, however, looks stupid. It’s the hair, the hair looks ridiculous. There’s a reason why the Green Goblin in the comics doesn’t have hair. That’s the reason. Right there.
Also, here’s the official plot 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 (Andrew Garfield). For Peter Parker, there’s no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone). But being Spider-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 (Jamie Foxx), Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp.
I think I am most looking forward to seeing Rhino in this movie.
First Leaked Look at Rhino and Green Goblin in Amazing Spider-Man 2!
The internet being what it is, some industrious Twitterer found a poster in a movie theater for Amazing Spider-Man 2 that features both Rhino and Green Goblin. The two villains have never before been seen by the public! So this is pretty awesome.
With great box office, comes better costuming
Buuuuut just in case you don’t want to get spoiled, I’ve posted the pictures after the jump. You can find them there!
Paul Giamatti as the Rhino May Be the Greatest Casting of All Time
But then I liked the announcement that Topher Grace would be Venom, so maybe my opinion is just plain dumb.
Seriously though, the Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Giamatti is in talks to play the Rhino in Amazing Spider-Man 2. The guy from Sideways is going to be the freakin’ Rhino! This guy!
Two great tastes that will taste great together
First of all, awesome news that the Rhino is going to be in the sequel. We already knew about Jamie Foxx as Electro, which is cool, but the Rhino too? That’s just as badass, if not more so. I love the Rhino. He’s just so…so…a lot of things, really. He’s a cool villain. Big, brawny and a lot of trouble. I loved the fight scenes in the first Amazing Spider-Man, and I think they could do even bigger and better with the Rhino. So I am totally on board with him as a villain.
It’s the Paul Giamatti part that’s just so weird! Don’t get me wrong, I love Paul Giamatti. But as the Rhino!?
Who in their right mind considered Giamatti for the Rhino?
I could picture Giamatti doing this
How are they even going to do Rhino? Will he be CGI/motion capture like the Hulk in The Avengers? That could work. Maybe he’ll be like the Scorpion King, with Giamatti’s digital face implanted onto a big CGI Rhino. I don’t know. All I do know is that this is either insane casting or brilliant casting.
What do you guys and girls think?
Henchman-4-Hire 