THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2 (2014) ***** out of ***** or 10 out of 10
( Sniff… Someone pass me a tissue....)
CAST:
Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Sally Field, Colm
Feore, Paul Giamatti, Felicity Jones, Dennis Leary, Chris Cooper.
DIRECTOR:
Marc Webb
WARNING:
Some SPOILERS and some damn good arguments to stick to stay the hell out
of Washington D.C. - straight ahead...
IT'S LIKE THIS:
Paris Carver (Teri Hatcher), one my favorite Bond Girls, once memorably
told James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) in TOMORROW NEVER DIES (1997) that his job of
being a secret aent is "murder on relationships." Sadly, our poor, lovely, doomed Paris had no
idea just how right she was. Had she
survived TOMORROW NEVER DIES, she could've warned the equally-lovely Gwen Stacy
(Emma Stone) about the perils of dating someone who battles evil for a
living.
As you folks well know, Gwen Stacy was the
heroine of THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN from two years ago. Now, she's back in THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2 -
and still dating the titular hero of the story: the, uh, amazing Spiderman. When he's not wearing a skin-tight
blue-and-red spandex costume that emphasizes his small but perfect tushie quite
vividly, Spidey walks around in the normal-guy "aw-shucks" guise of
Peter Parker (Andrew "Ssssssssmokin'" Garfield).
If you folks will also recall, at the end of THE
AMAZING SPIDERMAN, a dying Captain Stacy (DENISE LEARY), Gwen's cop father,
made Peter promise that he would stay away from Gwen - or risk endangering her
because of his secret identity as Spiderman.
Judging from the fact that THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2 opens with Peter
planting a big ol' wet one on Gwen in front of a whole high school graduating
class, I think it's safe to say that that Peter ain't paying too much mind to
the late Papa Stacy's concerns.
But then a new baddie turns up in NYC. Last time we had bizarro freak Lizard, AKA,
Dr. Curt Conners (Rhys Ifans) who was basically, um, a giant lizard with the
intent to turn the entire Big Apple into giant lizards. This time, we have bizarro Freak Electro,
AKA, Dr. Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx) who is basically, um, an electrically-charged
asshole who wants to turn the entire Big Apple into a giant cinderbox.
Then there's Peter's old best pal, Harry Osborne
(Dane DeHaan), who is heir to the sinister and mysterious Oscorp - which may be
conducting unethical and illegal genetic experiments. Seems Harry is inching closer and closer to
the dark side: apparently, along with
millions and millions of dollars, Harry also inherited a mysterious disease
that killed his father and most of this progenitors. Hence, it's been called "The Osborne
Curse." And Harry will do anything
to cure himself - even hurt someone else.
Hence, the "edging closer and closer to the dark side"
comment.
Seems like our boy Spidey is going to have a busy
summer...
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW: How will Spideman contend with not just one -
but two villains? Is there anyway to
stop Electro? And what happens when
Harry recklessly injects himself with the same mutant spider venom that transformed
Peter into a webslinger? Will Harry turn
into another Spiderman? Or something...
much worse? And how can Gwen stay out of
the crossfire? Does she even want
to? How can she stay loyal to Peter and
protect him without getting herself killed, as well? Gwen, sweetie, learn from Paris Carver's
mistakes and you'll live longer...
WHAT WE LIKED ABOUT THE MOVIE: Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone once again
burn up the screen with potent chemistry, are just adorabe as in the first
movie. Their connection and the
relationship between the characters they play is emotional engine that powers
this film. Dane DeHaan is terrific as
the good-boy-gone bad Harry Osborne.
Jamie Foxx gives a surprisingly vulnerable edge to Electro/Max Dillon.
WHAT WE COULD'VE LIVED WITHOUT: This movie is pretty much perfect.
AND THE "SEXIEST EYE CANDY" AWARD GOES
TO: Andrew Garfield - all the way,
baby...
FINAL ANALYSIS: Just like the first THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN, this movie is a moving, exciting combination of action, thrills, suspense, character, and romance. Director Marc Webb, as before, anchors the narrative in Peter Parker's emotions. While the first film stemmed out of Peter's surprise at and growing appreciation of his powers (as well as his desire to avenge his uncle's death at the hands of a mugger)the second film rests the story squarely in Peter and Gwen's relationship - which was in its infancy before, but fully blooms now. And because Peter and Gwen are such energetic and vibrant characters, their chemistry lends the same spark to the entire movie.
Contrast the dynamic rapport that Peter and Gwen
have in this film and the last one, with the Peter version played by Tobey
Maguire and Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) from the first trilogy by Sam
Raimi. Garfield and Stone (who met and
fell in love on the set of the first AMAZING SPIDERMAN and have been dating
since) turn the couple they play into a pair that you can't help but adore and
get pulled into the fray with. Maguire
and Dunst's duo, however, were such morose drips that the film bogged down
everytime that story focused on them.
That doesn't happen in THE
AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2 because our central couple are an active, engaging,
interesting one. Peter Parker and Mary
Jane Watson from the Raimi trilogy were boring in comparison.
So potent is Peter and Gwen's connection here, that
director Marc Webb decided to completely remove Shailene Woodley's scenes as
Mary Jane Watson - who was originally
supposed to be introduced in this installment.
Upon seeing the initial rough cut of the movie (including Woodley's
scenes), Webb decided that having Mary Jane in the movie detracted from the
Peter-Gwen romantic thread - and would have undermined the powerful
finale. He was right. As much as I love Shailene Woodley and the
fact that she was cast as Mary Jane, her presence would have taken away from
Gwen's showcase. With Mary Jane
completely excised from the movie, Peter's heartbreak at the end is all the
more poignant. Reportedly, Woodley's
introduction as Mary Jane will be saved for THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 3.
Dane DeHaan and Jamie Foxx are also quite good in
their villainous roles. In keeping with
Dr. Curt Connors from the first movie, these new baddies are essentially
decent, damaged peope whom circumstances force into awful situations that finally
push them past the point of no return.
DeHaan in particular, makes Harry's transformation from laissez-faire
rich heir/playboy to the raging, vengeful Green Goblin, both sad and
chilling. Foxx also taps into Electro/Max
Dillon's sense of isolation and abandonment that turns into explosive rage. DeHaan and Foxx do themselves proud.
Colm Feore, Felicity Jones, and especially Sally
Field are all vivid and solid in their important supporting roles, but in the
end, this movie is all about Peter and Gwen.
Without Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone's wonderful
"cat-and-mouse" chemistry that they lend to their characters, this
film would not have been as perfect as it is...
