MOVIE REVIEW: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

GENRE: Action sci-fi

RUNNING TIME: 142 minutes

STARRING: Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spider-Man), Emma Stone (Gangster Squad), Jamie Fox (Django Unchained), Dane DeHaan (Kill Your Darlings)

DIRECTOR: Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man)

RATING: 8/10

Currently screening at Ster-Kinekor theatres.

PLOT: 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, returns, Peter comes to realise that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp.

THE GOOD: Andrew Garfield’s portrayal of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in this installment shows us that Peter Parker and Spiderman are indeed two different people, one a cocky crime fighter not afraid to deal with villains, another a teenager going through the everyday conflicts of life, love and finding himself. Villains: yes we want villains, and we get three of them, Electro, Green Goblin and Rhino. The makeup and special effects used for Electro (Jamie Foxx) are amazing to say the least, and the action scenes with Spider-Man are brilliant.

THE BAD: The romance and drama between Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy seemed to drag out a bit. It felt as if you were watching a drama and kept you wondering when the action would play out. Focus on the villains was a bit slow. Rhino and Green Goblin seem to be last minute thoughts used to make up some time. The final scene where Spider-Man fights Rhino makes you wonder if there will be a number three, or was the scene simply making up for the lack of action expected from the trailer?

VERDICT: Love, sadness, power, laughter, tears and joy. What a tangled web of emotions The Amazing Spider-Man 2 weaves. This has to be one of the best Spidey films made. It is not a mind-numbing super hero film. It puts its viewers in the shoes of the characters; and we are able to relate to them, love them or hate them. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a brilliant addition to the series, re-hash or not. This portrayal of the web-slinging superhero shows you the fondness and dedication that director Marc Webb has for this franchise.

Thanks to Ster-Kinekor for making the review possible.