HeroClix World - Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

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Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Eric Schaen (05/02/2014)

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Spider-Man returns to theaters for another installment. But is it any good?

Director: Marc Webb.
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan and Sally Field.
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of action and violence.

Plot: Embracing his responsibilities as Spider-Man, Peter Parker struggles to stabilize his life. The birth of a new villain, Electro, pushes Peter’s spider abilities to their limits. When an old friend resurfaces (Harry Osborn), Peter discovers his parent’s disappearance and his foes have something in common: Oscorp.

I won’t pull any punches. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a mix of everything you want in a Spider-Man film and what you don’t want in a Spider-Man film. In short, it gets several things right, while other elements hold the flick back.

Andrew Garfield once again owns the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. As Spider-Man (much like in the comics) he can’t quit with the quips, and as Peter he is quirky and convincing running the full range of emotions. Emma Stone brings the right blend of intelligence and loveliness to Gwen Stacey. She is a smart, resourceful character who offers more to Spider-Man than merely a damsel in need of rescuing.

Garfield and Stone’s onscreen chemistry can also be counted in the plus category. We really get a sense of how deeply Peter and Gwen care for each other and genuinely seem elated when together. Maybe it’s due to the couple’s real life romance, still the audiences’ benefit just the same. Sally Field’s Aunt May has limited screen time, but that hardly stops her from having a heartfelt impact. It’s great to see her have a moment to put her impassioned foot down.

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Your Comments:

Finally got to see this last night. Overall, I liked the movie.

My question is, why are we not getting a movie Spiderman HeroClix set? Not enough characters? Licensing issue with FOX? Too many movies too close together?

Posted by: superfriend on 5/12/2014 8:07:09 AM

I forgot to mention, as Spidey he does keep his mask on most of the time. That's in the plus category.

Posted by: ESchaen on 5/11/2014 11:33:36 AM

@kragnorak ya i can tell sony and fox are ruining their properties. Looks like days of future past is next along with fantastic four. Cant say ill be watching those movies. I hear the thor movies are good as is the cap america movies. One day ill watch them, but im a DC boy through and through and im holding on to hope that they will make good movies.

Posted by: Blitz23 on 5/6/2014 5:00:00 PM

@Blitz23,

Marvel's own movies are much better than the Sony and Fox flicks. Though if you're looking for good ones I would also avoid Iron Man 3.

Posted by: Kragnorak on 5/6/2014 8:31:05 AM

Let's see, Winter Soldier was just about perfect in tone. This movie was alright, but flawed. Way too much time spent on Peter being emo, which I can't imagine kids being into. Then he was a jerk to Harry. [SPOILER] It's one of those situations where he could have used his brains and come up with a solution like "Hey, best pal, I'm not just going to hand over my blood while you're distraught but we probably have a few years to figure this out since your dad lived to his 60s so form a secret science wing so my identity can be protected and we'll work on this together." But he abandoned his responsibility to his friend because it's a comic movie.

Also, this take on everything stemming from Oscorp comes from the Ultimate Spider-Man books, and it's a HUGE opportunity missed to skip straight to Harry without letting Norman be the Green Goblin first. In this sense, the Raimi movies more on the mark. Nothing was creepier than Norman feeling like Peter was his true son and feeling proprietary towards his DNA, and that would've made a better movie and been a better reason for Harry to become jealous/villainous.

Electro was portrayed excellently, but it was jarring that he was intelligent in the first place. It made his nerd rage tougher to buy. Real Electro would be one of the most powerful villains on the planet if he wasn't average intelligence, so starting with a smarter Max Dillon should have created a more dangerous enemy than just a guy acting like Zzzaxx.

Posted by: Kragnorak on 5/6/2014 8:28:44 AM

I can't believe you didn't mention the almost two and a half hour run time, which was my biggest gripe. Definatley not Marvel's strongest film, and if I was going to start watching hero films, this isn't where I'd start.

Posted by: Sharktits on 5/6/2014 8:02:17 AM

I didnt really care for this movie. It was ok. It was messy. I hate Marvel and i havent seen most of their movies so i thought id try spider-man considering superman/batman is going to have a lot going on in that movie. While spider-man wasnt teriible there are many loose ends and i hope snyder watches this movie to gain perspective on how to make a story mote fluid

Posted by: Blitz23 on 5/6/2014 7:33:15 AM

I pretty much felt exactly opposite about most of the aspects of this film. It's a mess.

Garfield is a decent Spider-man, but a terrible Parker. Stone has nothing to do most of the movie, so she's crammed into as much of it as possible. When the two are on-screen together, it's believable, but the Peter Parker in this movie is so unrecognizable as Peter Parker that it's more like a believable Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone on film rather than Peter and Gwen. After a while, the romance got tiring.

Then you have 3 villains: 2 way-over-the-top and 1 grounded in some kind of reality. Then they mix them together so the tone is off. I actually felt the Osborn story was the strongest one the movie had going for it and the villains carried this movie.

And then you get to the ending. I like most of the ending. Except the build-up to it. They need to have Gwen do something so they put something out there for her to do, but then that gets bumped up a few more times in absolutely ridiculous twists (which I won't mention due to spoilers).

Overall, it was better than I was expecting based on the trailers, but I'd have a real hard time saying that this one "saved the day".

Posted by: Matlockheed on 5/6/2014 3:42:56 AM

I actually saw it twice. The first time I wasn't really sure how I felt. Then a friend of mine asked me to go so saw it again. I think I actually enjoyed it more the second time. Not a perfect film, but better than some would lead you to believe.

Posted by: Chillax on 5/5/2014 5:57:47 PM

@ Hater
Yes, Harry and Norman were both goblins. As for my opinion the length of the film my my biggest problem. They could have shaved about 15-20 minutes off and it might have been better. There are multiple plots unfolding for sure but its not too difficult to follow or anything.

Why is it the comic movies that feel most like a comic brought to life get a bum rep?

Posted by: Chillax on 5/5/2014 4:15:26 PM

Accurate as possible? I like jamie foxx but is electro black? Is green goblin harry or norman osborn? Movie was off. Sorry to all u spider fans admit it, this movie had to much going on it that it spins out of control. The CGI in this movie makes up for how mixed and jumbled the story is.

Posted by: HeroclixHater on 5/5/2014 3:42:27 PM

I enjoyed it. I was entertained for my time in the movie.

Best part of the movie the resounding....THWACK.....best part.

As for me....I am still waiting for a decent Green Goblen. I honestly don't like the all hightech versions we had. But I am not sure what I want in a Greeh Goblin for this day and age. I am just saying I do not like these high tech armor suits we have been having. At least the previous GG had a half way decent helmet...

But screw it who cares.....GODZILLA IS COMING ! ! ! ! !

Posted by: SeekerMuadib on 5/5/2014 2:38:03 PM

The movie was a great spiderman movie, saying it is a terrible movie is just being ignorant to the fact the characters were played as accurate as possible.

Posted by: pikaforce on 5/5/2014 12:39:54 PM

Terrible movie. The reviewer is being generous. The entire movie was spoiled after all those trailers came out. Spider-man is so boring these days. Was electro really that upset because his name was forgotten? Give me a break here. Why even have rhino in the movie? Very upset with this movie. Boring boring boring.

Posted by: HeroclixHater on 5/5/2014 11:01:47 AM


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