One word, can be used to describe the new Spider-Man film ladies and gentlenerds (cliche as it may be), and that word is amazing. This second installment delivers so much to the screen, it stands apart from its predecessor and has laid the foundation for even more great Spider-Man films.
To start off, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone once again do a spectacular job as Peter and Gwen. There are obvious changes to the characters, the passage of time aging them, their relationship now taking a new turn as they leave high school and go off into the world of college. Andrew has upped things in his performance of Spidey, really putting the 'friendly' back into Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. He cracks funny jokes, deliver's great one-liners and carries the character physically in a way that is entirely believable and helps sell the performance. And Emma, oh there was never a doubt in my mind as to her performance. Here is her character, at this crossroads of life, and she has to make tough decisions about her future, and whether or not the man she loves (plus his side career as New York's favorite web-slinging superhero) are going to be a part of it. Once again, she is bold, she is sassy, she will break your heart and then help you pick up the pieces again, only to break it once more.
There are two new-comers to the film, Jaime Foxx as Max Dillon/Electro and Dane DeHaan as Harry Osborn. Jamie has set himself up in a huge way as Electro, starting out as meek, pushover Max, who goes through this very Jekyll and Hyde like transformation when he becomes Electro, and gets overwhelmed by this power. By the time the film ends, he has become so intimidating and scary, with these small bolts of electricity crackling from his fingers, that I was genuinely in awe and afraid. As for Dane DeHaan, who is brand new to the franchise in the role of Peter's best friend Harry Osborn, he presents a young man, who was pushed aside by his father and shunted out of his life, all in the name of business. Now he has come back into Peter's life a changed person, and these changes affect their friendship, down to the very core. What comes from these changes, are events that will rock their lives, and the lives of all who close to them.
Special effects, oh what glorious special effects! The CGI for Electro starts out a bit cartoonish, but as the film progresses, it is better and better, until the very end, during the nice, splashy fight sequence, it is utterly unbelievable. Spidey's web slinging across the great canyon's of New York City skyscrapers is wonderful, at times you'd think he was going to websling out of the screen and into the theatre.
Overall, the whole movie was again (a cliche word to use) amazing. Acting, special effects, plot, pacing, all of these things contribute to put together a film that is going to be very memorable for all who see it. Face front true believers, Amazing Spider-Man 2 is worth the ticket money, and I'm giving it five out of five stars. Nuff said.
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