The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Rated M (action violence). 142 minutes.
Directed by Marc Webb. Screenplay by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jeff
Pinkner.
Verdict: A bloated Spider-Man outing that both rewards and tests our
patience.
Given the saturation of superhero films, avid movie-goers could be
forgiven for waking up in the middle of a dream starring the big, flickering
Marvel logo. The studio’s output can only be described as prolific, and the
trend for their films to run way too long is perfectly encapsulated in this
Spider-Man sequel, which balances precariously on the edge of riveting human
drama and an experience you might also find yourself waking up in the middle
of.
What keeps it interesting is Andrew Garfield’s return to the title
role. Garfield, like Captain America’s Chris Evans, constantly threatens to
out-class the material, and his tortured, soulful Peter Parker gets as much
screen time as his daredevil, smart-mouthed Spider-Man.
Cinematographer Daniel Mindel (Star Trek) unleashes a frenetic
combination of moods and tones, while Webb places us firmly at the heart of all
the action. What emerges, though, is the distinct impression that Garfield is
more at home deep within the drama than the acrobatics, which accounts for the
beautifully played scenes between Peter and Emma Stone’s perfect Gwen Stacy, Sally
Field’s divine Aunt May, and Dane DeHaan’s outstanding performance as Peter’s
childhood friend Harry Osborn/Green Goblin.
Jamie Foxx’s Electro starts out brilliantly, but ends up with far too
much screen time, most of which is too effects-heavy to ever be totally
convincing or as interesting when compared to the characters that remain
resolutely human in the face of all the tedious, electrically-charged chaos and
destruction. When DeHaan’s more relevant and invigorating Goblin eventually
turns up, it unfortunately feels like someone has just served you up your
nineteenth helping of apple pie and ice-cream.
This review was commissioned by the West Australian Newspaper Group.
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