The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Review

-Gregg Dietz
Reviews Editor

I would like to tell a quick story before I get into this review. When I was a young and an  impressionable lad, I was really into superheroes. I was interested in Spider-man simply because I liked spiders. As I read further into the story, I realized that Peter was like me and that was a major connection for me. As I grew up with Spidey, I became more and more a fan of just how great a character he was. My first email address was Spiderman_eddie, I fell in love with red heads because of Mary Jane and I became interested in science because of how much peter was. This story and character have always been a large part of my life and will always be, so when a film comes out that has our friendly neighborhood web-slinger, I become a bit apprehensive.

With being said, I also learned 6 years ago that you cannot critique an adaptation with past influence and have it be a respected source of criticism. I want to try something new in this review, I will write a paragraph review as 3 different people, myself as I am now, myself in 1995, and myself in 2001. Let us begin as myself in 1995.

1995
This movie is so cool! It has so much action! Electro didn’t look like he does in the comic but he acts the same so it’s fine. I really liked how they made spiderman sarcastic like he is in the comics, just like I am. The Green Goblin is really good too except his costume is different, but thats fine cause he has the glider and laugh, plus pumpkin bombs! He’s my favorite bad guy because he always fights Spider-Man in the coolest ways, plus he’s Peter’s best friend. I didn't like all the love stuff, it was just too much for me. Other than that its really good, I would see it again. I give it a 9.5 out of 10.

2001
This movies sucks! Its nothing like the comics! well except for Spider-Man's costume. Why does Electro have to be blue? It makes no sense! Also what the hell is up with his parents?! Ugh! So many things about this movie are totally incorrect from the comics! I don’t want to spoil it for you but this isn’t even worth your time, I could just tell you what happened. No? Well it’s your money. I just want a movie for the fans of the comic, not one for people who haven’t read the comic. It’s so frustrating! They got a couple things right but it’s just too far and few in between, I bet I could make a movie better than these guys. I give it a 3 out of 10.

2014
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Everything they did in terms of proper storytelling and character development is done very well. The acting from the main cast is quite good too, except for a few moments from Dane DeHaan who plays Harry Osborn. The music plays well with every scene especially when Electro is doing his thing. There are a lot of really great easter eggs for fans of the comic, including the name of the assistant of Harry. The visuals are wonderful and make for great background scenery during long moments of non-action. There are things that are directly pulled out of the comics that were expertly placed in the film. The action scenes are very vibrant and over-the-top which for some, might be too much but i really enjoyed them. For example, the destruction is on a larger scale than you might think but it makes for really fun and exciting moments. A gripe of mine is the lack of intensity. I didn't ever feel that Spidey was ever in serious danger or that others were as well. It always felt like the environment was very safe. I was also not a fan of these montage moments where Peter was figuring something out, they felt a bit out of place and maybe should have been cut or filmed differently. I give it an 8 out of 10.

Ok, so you can see where I've come from and how I would have acted in the past and how I am now. I feel that I've grown to be a better reviewer and critic. I see things for what they are. I wish I had that insight at a younger age but I guess it wouldn't be growth if I just knew. Movie’s can’t be Comic books and comic books can’t be movies. It never works like you want it to, and it shouldn't.

Overall, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a fun ride with memorable moments that will delight you. An ending that will make you leave with a smile and a tear. The film is both a summer popcorn movie and a great film. I do not think this film suffers the same fate as Spider-Man 3, it is not cluttered with unlikable characters or a clunky plot. Some of the film may come off as silly and cartoonish but it is a superhero movie after all. I highly recommend people see this with the whole family. As stated earlier, I give this film an 8 out of 10.

How was this review? Did you enjoy my opinion form different time eras? Let us know in the comments below, on our Facebook Fan Page, or tweet us @MissionStartPodcast

Thanks for Reading

-Gregg Dietz (@ChubRockGeek)