PG-13
Stars: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dean DeHaan
Plot: Peter Parker continues his journey to discover more about his parents while fighting new villains and past demons.
Trailer
Clint Says: See this as soon as possible and spend the extra money for the huge screen
When the original Andrew Garfield as SPIDER-MAN reboot hit theaters I was nervous that it would be simply another rehash of a tired story with better graphics. I was happily surprised at how compelling and well done it was.
The second in the series is just as good and just as compelling as the first and the graphics are insanely incredible. I was thrilled to see that the director took the time to give us close up, slow motion shots of the action rather than flash through it as quickly as possible, as is typical for many other comic-book action movies.
SPIDER-MAN 2 also bucks the trend of the one-dimensional villain. Both Electro and The Green Goblin are flawed, misunderstood and sympathetic characters rather than being evil for evil's sake. Jamie Foxx does a superb job of transforming from a misfit to an angry, delusional misfit with the power to do something about his situation. The moment where he is forced to decide to follow Spider-Man or try to destroy him is heart-breaking and tragic, but entirely understandable.
Emma Stone returns as Gwen, the love interest of Peter Parker, but she is so much more than that. The dynamic she brings to the role and the way her character is written is as beautiful and strong as any leading lady I've seen in a while. It's refreshing to see her do her part to save the day to the point where Spider-Man couldn't succeed without her, both against the bad guys and in their own relationship.
Andrew Garfield may be one of the best actors in Hollywood right now. His banter and delivery throughout this two-hour plus movie keeps it light and refreshing without losing the drama of the moment.
Without giving anything away, I will say I was very excited to see the film makers make a very gutsy decision, that will have people talking as they leave the theaters. If I had any kind of heart at all I would have ugly cried.
If I had to say anything bad about this film, it's that the movie ends and then there is another half hour of movie. I'm not sure why MARVEL movies tend to be edited this way, but the climax comes really early and then there is a ton of clean-up work left to do. The climax in this movie is so powerful, but it gets watered down and even a bit lost as we sit through the tidying up process. Even so, this is an incredibly fun, exciting and well done film.
So far it's looking like the MARVEL/DISNEY marriage is a huge success, not only for their company, but for moviegoers as well.
I agree they did a fabulous job with this movie. The dialogue and action were better than the first. It almost lives up to the other Spidey 2 (which I consider the best). And I needed that ending. Leaving us hopeful is important since he's felt so much loss. My husband reflects Peter in a lot of his ways, including his background, and he's one the most resilient people I know (jokes and all).
ReplyDeleteHowever, Sony owns the rights to SM and not Marvel. Andrew kept giving hints at Comic Con to get him into The Avengers (which I'm behind 100%), but that's the road block. Same with X-Men being owned by Fox. Maybe someday!
Thanks!
DeleteYes, it is a bummer that sometimes the studios can get in the way of interesting plotlines.