Marc Webb’s The
Amazing Spider-Man felt rather lacklustre: released a mere 5 years since
the last instalment in Sam Raimi’s trilogy and in the midst of a summer when it
had to compete with – amongst others – Prometheus,
Avengers Assemble and The Dark Knight
Rises, it felt like an aimlessly wandering child being ignored by the cool
kids. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 could
similarly have felt a little unnecessary and forced, but takes on board the
lessons learned in 2012 and makes a name for itself.
The main problem with the previous film is that the central
relationship between Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) and Gwen Stacy
(Emma Stone) felt rather rushed in favour of the struggle between the young
Spider-Man and his past. In this instalment, the problems in Peter’s more
recent history are used to help develop the relationship between him and Gwen,
the latter having promised her dying father that he would leave her in order to
spare her the repercussions of his double life. Haunted by the prospect of
having to break his promise and threatened by the emergence of a new
super-villain known as Electro (Jamie Foxx), the weight of Peter’s double life
and the unravelling mystery surrounding his parent’s death are brought right to
the forefront.
The first thing of note in the film is that it makes a visible
effort to distance itself from other superhero movies by leaving the dark and
gritty tone behind and bounding into a bright and colourful comic book world. Spidey’s
trademark quips are back, the film’s general palette is a rainbow of burning,
vibrant colour and the soundtrack provides a surging aura to the various set
pieces. The overall brighter atmosphere also means that when the dark moments
do appear they are much more shocking and effective than they otherwise would
have been if the whole film remained dark and downtrodden.
One of the more noticeable elements lacking in Webb’s first
Spidey flick was the absence of a strong musical theme and score. James Horner’s
self-derivative and forgettable soundtrack pales in comparison to the wildly
diverse and energetic score provided by Hans Zimmer. Fresh from the dim and
gritty world of Nolan and Snyder, and with Pharrell Williams and Junkie XL in
tow, Zimmer gives Spider-Man a brash, memorable central theme and a deep,
thrumming electronic theme for Electro, which not only works in orchestra with
the actual sound effects within the film but is also the subject of one of
Spidey’s many in-fight jokes.
The central relationship between Peter and Gwen (helped by
the real-life relationship between the two leads) provides a stable emotional
core on which the rest of the film is built, both Garfield and Stone finding
their feet and creating a believable on-screen romance. In terms of side characters,
the dual villain structure remains well-balanced, not sinking to the ridiculous
depths of Spider-Man 3 but giving
both Electro and his associate equal (and occasionally shared) screen time.
Whilst Electro’s backstory and development feels a little rushed, Jamie Foxx
gives a fine performance, his uncertain, stuttering fan boy exterior giving way
to a gravelly, rage-fuelled core. Dane Dehaan (who has come a long way since his
breakout appearance in Chronicle)
adds a degree of charisma and insidiousness while Sally Field’s fragile but
determined role as Aunt May keeps Peter and the story grounded.
While some character elements feel a little hurried and the
continuing plot thread concerning Peter’s absent father is forced and
contrived, The Amazing Spider-Man 2
provides a solid and memorable entry into the web-slinger’s cinematic universe
and provides a link to future films that is woven into the plot without choking
the main narrative. Sporting fresh visuals, well-developed central characters, and
a proper comic book sensibility, the film is a turning point in the continuing
franchise.
4 Stars
4 Stars
