Amazing Spider-Man 2 Does Not Suck

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has been met with a hound of critics who perpetuate how terrible they perceive the film to be. I am here to tell you doubters who are still sitting on the fence that this film is quite possibly the BEST Spider-Man film ever made outside of Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man 2”. As many supporters of the film joked, “Maybe Sony should just call every Spider-Man movie “Spider-Man 2” because that’s when they do their best work.

First and foremost the character of Peter Parker is expanded upon tremendously. Andrew Garfield portrays a Spider-Man who is confident in his powers and his usage of them, while playing a Peter Parker who is deeply conflicted in his decisions and the looming burden of “daddy issues”. This dynamic is set up quite perfectly in the opening sequence showing the audience who Peter’s parents were, and packs a punch when you realize you know more about his parents than he does. We get the answers to the big questions like; who exactly his parents were, why they left, and what happened to them. As a viewer you know most of these answers and watching Peter suffer with his questions hits a heavy emotional mark. How can this be a bad thing? The film also goes the extra mile of showcasing that Peter Parker is a man of science and holds a vast knowledge of the subject. His scientific genius is used in the progression of the story and plays a part in his ultimate showdown with Electro.

Peter’s relationship with Gwen is also a highlight and really the best part of the film. Maybe due to their offscreen romance, Garfield and Stone have a chemistry on screen is the best in any comic book movie to date, Lois and Clark included. Their dynamic is believable and realistic, paying off in the last 20 minutes of the film. Again maybe this was due to the fact that the two are a couple in real life, but regardless of cause, the effect is plus on the screen.

Max Dillion, as played by Jamie Foxx, is a little cartoony and over the top but this actually works for the character. Fans who complain about him seem to be quite the hypocrites. How can you buy that a guy who falls into a pool of electric eels can become a blue skinned super villain and whine about this same blue guy who was a nut case prior to his transformation going for cheesy over the top dialogue? I mean we all have that friend who is exactly like Max Dillion, and we all know gaining powers is not going to change the personality of that person.  Of course his motives are a bit shaky but put yourself in his shoes for a minute, a guy who has been ignored and exploited most of his life and at a time when he is in a predicament which was no fault of his, the crowd automatically turn against him in fear. Topple that with a trigger happy cop and we have one very pissed over electro-dude to deal with.

Dane DeHaan might well be the one who slides in and steals the show in this ensemble. His character progression, while rushed (yes I admit that), still works for the film when you think about what exactly they are trying to set up here (Sinister Six!). His complicated relationship with his father is completely showcased in the three minute scene he shares with him and there’s something to be said for pulling that off. His character was obviously there to serve one purpose and he does that effectively.

Overall the film is quite entertaining and no matter what naysayers are saying, I would hope that you fans would go and check it out for yourself and make your own judgement. If you have noticed, I didn’t mention Rhino. For me he could have been absent from the film the it would still have been the same exact movie. And That’s how I feel about Paul Giamatti’s Aleksei/ Rhino,  a useless addition and filler material. But like I said, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 does NOT suck. Watch the film and critics be damned!