Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios
“The Amazing Spider-man 2” – directed by Marc Webb (known for “500 Days of Summer”) – opened May 2 in theaters with a $92 million box office debut, similar to Marvel predecessor “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” which opened with $95 million. From the genuine character development to the excellent acting and the intricate superhero action sequences, this is no surprise. Keeping the comic book blockbuster summer season going strong, this is the “Spider-man” installment that is not only fan-pleasing but a serious piece of Marvel cinema that gets everything right.
In this installment, Peter Parker (played by Andrew Garfield) continues searching for the truth about his parents – who they were, why they left him – a question left unanswered from the previous film. As well, we see the progression of his and Gwen Stacy’s (played by Emma Stone) relationship, which is complicated and on-again/off-again given his concerns for her safety. This is exacerbated as he is haunted by his promise to Gwen’s dad from the previous film. We also see the return of Harry Osborn (played by Dane DeHaan), Peter’s close, childhood friend until Harry was shipped off to boarding school by his father. They are brought together by a difficult situation and their decisions set in motion a chain of irreversible, life-changing events. On the other hand, we have Oscorp electrical engineer Max Dillon (played by Jamie Foxx), who gives an electrical performance (sorry, it had to be done) as main villain Electro. He is a lonely man; disrespected, unappreciated, without friends. His obsession with Spider-man after a short encounter on the streets is also important in determining the direction of the film. No less significant, there is even a small story arc with Aunt May (played by Sally Field) to look forward to, in which she struggles to live life without Ben while making ends meet for her and Peter.
It is incredibly easy for superhero movies to prioritize special effects and fantastic superhero sequences over genuine character development and strong acting, given the large-scale and impossible worlds the superheroes live in. For example “Thor” uses an exorbitant amount of special effects to create the fictional world Asgard and the sequences where the characters use magic to fight. The fighting scenes dragged on and tended to overshadow any strong acting the actors displayed (such as Tom Hiddleston’s portrayal of Loki) or any character development that would have allowed the audience to better understand the characters’ decisions – not to mention the chemistry between Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and Natalie Portman’s Jane was completely lackluster. However, in this “Spider-man,” the film is a “living, breathing comic book” (Mark Hughes; Forbes’ “‘Amazing Spider-man 2’” is the Spider-man We’ve Been Waiting For” Review). It expertly combines the rich visual elements of the city Spider-man lives in and his fast-paced action sequences with excellent acting from the whole cast – a cast which embodies the very characters they portray. From Peter to Electro to Gwen and Harry – every character is wonderfully portrayed by their respective actors and actresses. The characters further are not overshadowed by the action scenes and the action scenes are well-done, not over-done.
This film is much more emotionally driven than the first, delving more deeply into the relationships between the characters. There is immense character development and both plot and story is moved forward by these characters’ growth, emotions, and choices. The film is further influenced by these choices, needs, and the consequences of difficult choices. This is the driving force of the movie, something the new film pulls off well given that the prior one established the story and characters for the new one to build on.
Going on that theme, everyone in this film needs someone and desires their love, acceptance, honesty and so forth. Whether they receive this or not, especially at their times of high vulnerability and emotional pain, is what determines the types of choices they make, which in turn determines the direction of the film. For example, Peter needs Gwen. As Harry says in the movie, Peter’s life is so complicated given his double life and his struggle to discover the truth about his parents that Gwen is someone he needs. She “makes his choices clear” to him; she is his anchor, his “path” in Peter’s words. She gives him courage when he needs it most and motivates him when he is lost in his web of problems (last pun I promise!). Most importantly, she loves all of him – both Spider-man and Peter Parker. This acceptance, her determination and her unmatchable intelligence make her not only an interesting rather than superficial love interest, but a worthy partner in crime. She is much more than just the “superhero’s love interest.” She is her own person with her own desires and aspirations completely separate from her relationship and she is someone that the hero needs, versus her needing him. Stone does an excellent job portraying these characteristics (as well as Gwen’s humor) and hers and Garfield’s dynamic chemistry infuse the film with indispensable comedic moments as well as heart-achingly adorable moments between the two.
Just as significant, Aunt May (played by Sally Field) needs her nephew. She is a character whose importance to Peter was de-prioritized in favor of Peter and Mary-Jane’s relationship in the first installment. However in this film, we get a moment that shows us quite simply that family is everything, that this one family member Peter has left is so much more than just an “aunt.” Field makes use of her limited screen time and gives us an emotional Peter and Aunt May scene that surpasses any such scene from the Sam Raimi trilogy. She is his mother and he needs her as much she needs him to need her, especially as she struggles with moving on after the loss of the love of her life.
Also, we have Electro and Harry – two tragic characters, both thrown away by society and yearning for acceptance and love yet have all the odds stacked against them. Harry, after being shipped off to boarding school only to come back and watch his father die, must brunt the burden of the Osborn legacy alone. He needs Peter’s friendship and later on needs him in a very critical manner and the two’s choices in response to that is essential to the plot. It is difficult to live up to James Franco’s Harry Osborn but DeHaan fulfills that challenge, portraying Harry’s brokenness, pain, and anger with ease and unparalleled emotion. Similarly, Electro is another lonely character. He too is desperate for acceptance, recognition, and love. He wants so much to be appreciated for once by the people around him yet he is mistreated, disrespected, and ignored constantly. Foxx portrays him in a way that makes him quirky yet completely loveable and completely human. He does not start out evil but that is the result after he has been neglected and mistreated for so long until he finally falls over the edge. Then when he finally becomes Electro and unleashes his intense powers and equally intense wrath, we as an audience not only enjoy the high-powered fighting sequences between him and Spider-man that follow, but we also pity him because of the vulnerable, hurt man he once was and arguably still is. This is in part due to Foxx’s skillful acting and even more, due to the writers’ and director’s focus on character development.
The script continues to do an excellent job developing and building on the characters so that when we watch the film, we see three-dimensional, fully fleshed out characters. We see their pain, feel their pain and vice versa, their happiness thanks to the actors. There are so many emotional, moving moments in this film that are equally balanced with humor and wit. Every character in this film – even Electro and Harry – have their time in the humor spotlight and it is a pleasure to see that. Such humor and wit made fans fall in love with Spider-man in the first place. The focus on the characters is critical as fans’ appeal to Spider-man was that he is a “normal” and relatable guy. What happened to him easily could happen to us – well, if we lived a in world of radioactive spiders that is. Spider-man at the end of the day is someone that is only trying to make his way in life, like the rest of us. His cheesy, sweet, goofy personality shines in this film thanks to Garfield’s effortless performance once again. It is also complemented by Peter’s newfound swagger and confidence, thanks to his comfort with living as a crime-fighting superhero and having an amazing girlfriend to boot. Yet inside, he is still the same angsty, insecure teenager we saw in the last film – keeping it true to his character. This focus on the characters’ lives and emotions is refreshing to see in a Marvel film as it is easy to overlook the importance of this for elaborate fight sequences and special effects instead. However, Webb balances character moments with flawless, seamless superhero sequences. There are not a lot of short, quick cuts or over-done special effects, rather the scenes are easy on the eyes and easy to follow. We are able to follow along and see as Spider-man fights with Electro or chases after a local criminal. Fans should not worry – there is no shortage of the classic Spider-man “flying through buildings, making webs” scenes that they adore.
“The Amazing Spider-man 2” is a respectable piece of Marvel cinema thanks to its stellar cast, valuable character development, and consistent action sequences – not to mention the soundtrack, scored by Hans Zimmer and including collabs from Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys and Kendrick Lamar, and songs from The Neighbourhood etc. It is incredible to listen to and it is just another key factor that makes this good movie a great movie. Ignore the negative reviews out right now – especially if you are hesitant as a fan of the previous trilogy or film – and give yourself the chance to determine if “The Amazing Spider-man 2” is amazing or not-so-amazing for yourself. This movie is worth it.