Didn’t Do What a Spider Should
Grab your seats, class is in session.
So yeah, it’s been a little too long and I’ve been slacking when it comes to my reviews, so I’m going to try to make up for it today (particularly since I had a personal request). Today I’ll be throwing up two reviews from two recent movies. The first one I’ll do was the most recent one I saw. So the first review? Twhip twhip kiddies.
Let me start by saying I really enjoyed The Amazing Spider-Man 1. I’m not usually a fan of reboots, but for me, it was a good movie. Was it perfect? No, course not, it had it’s issues, but to me it laid out the right groundwork for a new series. I didn’t hate the Maguire/Raimi series, outside of #3, but I liked this take on Spider-man better. The real webshooters, not that organic garbage. Peter actually felt like a true high school kid to me, he didn’t in the previous 3. Honestly, the one thing the first series had for me over the new series so far? J. Jonah Jameson. He’s been mentioned in the new ones, but hasn’t made an appearance yet. Frankly, unless they get J.K. Simmons to do it again, it won’t be the same anyway. So with all that said, I sent into Amazing Spider-Man 2 with very high hopes. I was mostly disappointed.
It wasn’t a bad movie, not really, it just had a lot of issues. Let’s talk about some of those issues, shall we?
First and foremost, the unfortunate worst part of this movie was by far the script. It….wasn’t good. About halfway through it seemed to me like they had two scripts, couldn’t decide which one they wanted to use, so they just cut their favorite parts together to make one movie. It was really disjointed, certain characters got way more screen time then they needed, certain characters didn’t get enough, and it never really flowed properly. They would start into one story, jump to something completely different, jump back to the first story, then back to the next, etc. While it wasn’t hard to follow, it just didn’t work properly. I also didn’t like Jamie Foxx at all. While I’m not a huge fan to begin with, this character didn’t do anything to help that. Most of it, honestly, was how the character was written. Electro was always a 2nd or 3rd tier villain in the comics to begin with, so I was kind of surprised he was going to be a main focus in this one. What they did with him, though, was just weird. He was basically a social outcast who has a brief run-in with Spider-Man, and becomes almost a creepy stalker. While he doesn’t follow Spider-Man around, he does EVERYTHING else you would consider a stalker to do, including plaster his apartment with pictures and talk to them like Spidey is in the room with him. I was ok with the freak accident that gives him the powers, because it fit into how these movies are being written, so that was ok. Foxx’s performance however? A little brutal. Again, not sure if that’s how it was written or just how it was performed, but it wasn’t good. Dane DeHaan, while better than I expected, was also not really that memorable. Course, how could he be with the honestly limited time he was given on screen and what he was asked to do. If you know the story, you know who he is and who he becomes. It should have either been the focus of this movie or used for another one, not slapped together the way it was here. I really didn’t care for was the time spent explaining what happens to Peter’s parents. I would have preferred to see this left to the viewer’s imagination. While they do explain their involvement in all the events from ASM1 and Peter’s life, I think it could have been explained in a brief, almost side like moment, and didn’t need the time it received. What may have bothered me the most though, is the way one of the most iconic parts of Spider-Man history is portrayed at the end of this movie. Since I try not to do spoilers, I won’t explain other than to say it was way too rushed and completely took away from what should have been an extremely emotional scene.
While that’s not a lot of things, it’s a lot not to like. The things done wrong, really did the movie as a whole wrong. That being said, there are things I did like as well. I like Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. I think he does a much better job than Maguire did. I know people hated the whole “teen angst” thing in the first movie, but to me it worked better. I also enjoyed the way his relationship with Gwen Stacy is done. Again, to me, this whole piece fit best with the way things are in the comics. He loves the girl, more than anything, but is completely terrified that his being who he is just makes it too dangerous to be with her. That has always been the one theme that has survived forever in this character. And just like always, the woman turns out to be even stronger than Peter, not letting him make that choice, and willing to take the risk because to them, Peter is worth it. What guy doesn’t want that girl? The other piece that saves this movie are the effects. I have seen a lot of people complain that it’s too much CGI, but come on. It’s a movie about a human spider, fighting a guy made of electricity. How exactly are you supposed to do that otherwise? I loved the visuals. I love the shots of him swinging around the city, posing in ways that are literally pulled right from comic panels. I even enjoyed how the fight scenes are planned out and filmed. Totally enjoyable. I was even ok with the way the Rhino was done, though I know most people will hate it. Again, spoilers.
So, bottom line? It was an ok movie, but a little bit of a let-down for me. I was hoping now that the origin story was over and done with that this movie would take off and it just didn’t. Will I purchase it on bluray when it comes out? Yes, I will, I liked it enough for that, Would I go back to the theatre to see it again? Unfortunately no. This is probably more of a rental for most people. Unlike the next movie I’m going to review shortly. I already saw that one twice and would absolutely go again and again. We’ll get to that “star spangled” movie shortly.
Until next time (which is in like 15 minutes)…
Class dismissed.
