Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is at it again in the second installment of The Amazing Spiderman series, directed by Marc Webb. (I swear I’m not lying when I say that the guy who directed Spiderman has the last name Webb).
Massive, enormous spoilers ahead.
Minutes before his high school graduation, Peter, as Spiderman, saves Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx), an electrical engineer at Oscorp Industries. Thanks to the sweet irony of the universe, it’s the very man Spiderman saves that becomes the newest of the series’ antagonists: Electro. You don’t really need spidey senses to see that one coming. Meanwhile, his old childhood friend descends into becoming the Green Goblin (Dane DeHaan).
Despite the predictability of the film (GASP! Another skinny white guy becomes a super villain!), it has a very well-written script. The triumvirate of Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Jeff Pinker effectively captures the witty sarcasm of the Peter Parker from the comic books. Spiderman’s wit makes his butt-kicking so much sweeter.
What makes The Amazing Spiderman 2 stand out from other superhero films is the fact that the script has some substance. Although the characters are clichéd, they are still interesting, multi-faceted, and real. For example, Max/Electro isn’t wholly evil. When Max first became Electro, he didn’t have malicious intent, and his backstory sheds some light on his descent into darkness. There are also the intimate moments between Peter and his Aunt Sally that somehow bring a realistic element to the movie.
Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) is a precious gem in this film. Frustratingly, Webb essentially ignores her as a character (even though every single one of her outfits is on point) . Gwen is a smart, dynamic female whose presence in the comic books is all but crucial. Yet in the film version of Spidey’s story, and especially towards the end of the film, Gwen Stacy’s badass-ery has been reduced to an unsatisfying ‘damsel in distress’ trope. Quite honestly, she’s too good of a character for Webb to do this to her. And not only is her character treated this way, but the film doesn’t even remotely pass the Bechdel test (click the link for more information). My love for Gwen Stacy (sorry, MJ) made her (SPOILERS!!!!) death much more tragic. The scene is extremely well-timed, heartbreaking, and one of the best moments in the film.
On the technical side of things, Webb was a little overzealous in his use of the slow motion; but, even though he undermines Spiderman’s amazing feats by making them cheesy, he effectively uses this technique with Gwen’s death. The scene is juxtaposed with all of the other scenes in which Spiderman saves large groups of people, emphasizing Peter’s inability to save Gwen — the one Peter wants to save the most.
The score of the film is an unusual mixture of dubstep, contemporary pop, and classical music. The classical music captures the hopeful tone of Spiderman’s heroism because he “gives hope,” according to, well, Spiderman. It’s a bit of a narcissistic thing to say if you ask me, but, then again, the man does wear spandex.
Classical music is also (rather lazily) used in the torture scene between Electro and Martin Csokas’s Dr. Ashley Kafka. (Really? Another evil German scientist?). To quote Alex from A Clockwork Orange, “Using Ludwig Van like that! He [Beethoven] did no harm to anyone.” Webb, you could have done better.
Throughout the film, there is a battle between classical music, representing Peter, and dubstep, representing Electro. During many of the fight scenes, there is often a mixing of the two genres. This enhances the fight scenes and creates a new tension since these two genres are so different.
An interesting note is that Webb breaks the fourth wall through music. He does this during the battle scene in the power plant between Electro and Spiderman. As Electro bounces from power cell to power cell, the sounds from Electro’s movement create a dubstep-like song. Then Spiderman comments on how much he hates the song, referring to the sounds Electro is making. Webb shows how the score of a film can be used to not only set the tone, but also for humor. The score of a film can make it or break it, and Webb does a great job of using music effectively in this film.
Overall, The Amazing Spiderman 2 is a fun watch if you’re looking for a cheesy superhero movie. It’s a great combination of light-heartedness and seriousness, and Spiderman continues to be the ever-lovable combination of a superhero and a mopey teenager. Throughout it all, he never fails to remind us that “with great power comes great responsibility.”