The Amazing Spider-Man 2 The Amazing Spiderman 2 - User Review Thread! - SPOILERS! - Part 1

[Thread Manager]

This is a continuation thread, the old thread is [split]476493[/split]

 

[TeeKay]

Since the film is coming out in a few weeks, we can all post our reviews here. I'll post mine towards the release of the film.t: Have fun.

SPOILERS must be tagged!

 

[Iceman]

Saw it about 8 hours ago. Overall a bit disappointed although I'd need to see again to have a proper opinion as there were 4 very young kids (and a rude mum) sitting behind me screaming and crying throughout the whole thing ruining it. The action was great throughout but otherwise the film didn't seem that coherent and many of the build up scenes were just not good at all.

I do love Garfield as Spider-man though (& Emma Stone as Gwen) and every sequence of him doing regular everyday Spidey business was awesome (& there are quite a lot). This is the wisecracking Spidey I always wanted to see and could watch him swinging around the city taking care of minor crooks and saving citizens all day.

The emotional subplots didn't really hit home for me or fit well, intercut with more zany villain encounters. [BLACKOUT] I hadn't been looking at spoilers before I watched so I didn't know Gwen dies which was done well and very sad but for such a big event seems a little wasted in this film. And a shame we won't see her character any more. Spidey putting his mask back on and returning for the end after hearing Gwen's speech seemed too reminiscent of SM2 but the ending to the film is still a good way to go out.[/BLACKOUT]

Electro's powers were very cool but I'd have preferred the main villain to be more serious. And this Harry Osborn had plenty of personality but he's not a patch on Osborn from SM1-3. I can't tell how much of an impact the screaming kids had on my opinion but as it stands the film was not as good as I was expecting but the action is great, Spidey/Parker & Gwen are both great. Apologies if this affects anyone's excitement, definitely not my intention. I think others fans may like it more than me.

 

[Spider-knight]

Sam's channel(mixed)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5RVJ-wCOBo

also anyone else disagree with hsi statement of peter being an unlikable character and him coming off as deadpool? what scenes besides his interactions with gwen do you find the character more likable in?

 

[Picard Sisko]

Sam's channel(mixed)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5RVJ-wCOBo

also anyone else disagree with hsi statement of peter being an unlikable character and him coming off as deadpool? what scenes besides his interactions with gwen do you find the character more likable in?

Oh I hate Sam's channel.

 

[Spider-knight]

Oh I hate Sam's channel.

he's a very nice, mature, and intelligent guy though i normally don't agree with most of his points like tones and peter's characterization and his unliking of not wanting to relate to a handsome person when clearly peter in the comics has always been handsome and every handsome guy are like him. sure it's appealing for a normal looking dude to be relatable but give the handsome guys a chance and really the average looking dudes don't look all average at all. they look really good.

 

[Ms. Marvel]

Every superhero has been depicted as "good looking" in nearly all mediums.

 

[TheLastBlade]

he's a very nice, mature, and intelligent guy though i normally don't agree with most of his points like tones and peter's characterization and his unliking of not wanting to relate to a handsome person when clearly peter in the comics has always been handsome and every handsome guy are like him. sure it's appealing for a normal looking dude to be relatable but give the handsome guys a chance and really the average looking dudes don't look all average at all. they look really good.

Probably due to the fact that the Spiderman universe suffers from inconstancies

 

[Spider-knight]

Any thoughts on moviebob's view on the trilogy and moviebob in general?

 

[Ms. Marvel]

I like moviebob, he's hilarious. His review of TASM was brutal though.

 

[Picard Sisko]

he's a very nice, mature, and intelligent guy though i normally don't agree with most of his points like tones and peter's characterization and his unliking of not wanting to relate to a handsome person when clearly peter in the comics has always been handsome and every handsome guy are like him. sure it's appealing for a normal looking dude to be relatable but give the handsome guys a chance and really the average looking dudes don't look all average at all. they look really good.

He at least makes good points, and I'm sure he is a good guy, but I just don't care for his reviews. That's all.

 

[Spider-knight]

Every superhero has been depicted as "good looking" in nearly all mediums.

I know. Heck, some people have viewed someone like josh hutchertson and Tobey maguire for being average or normal looking when clearly they look really good looking. It's also unfair to criticize the Everyman or average joe character for being handsome.

 

[Spider-knight]

He at least makes good points, and I'm sure he is a good guy, but I just don't care for his reviews. That's all.

Yeah he's a good guy but I found most of his points his his review iffy, unfair, and just hypocritical

 

[Spidey03]

So, I have some time now and I am a little bit bored... so I am doing a quick review

Start

Spoiler

First of all, I enjoyed it.

Before I dig into the story (which is most relevant to me) some other stuff:

I have to say that the 3D is stunning, best I've seen so far. Really amazing shots. Soundtrack OK, but I preferred James Horners Theme - although I have to admit that for this movie the Zimmer Score fits as well.

As I said above, I really enjoyed the movie - but it leaves me, even a bit more than the first one, with an unsatisfied feeling of 'missed potential'.

It has an amazing cast, it has really nice moments but in my opinion it lacks certainly in terms of an "overall" flow. The storylines does not lead to a clear story- or character-development.

I think my biggest criticism (story- and character development) is the result of a shift in focus during the production and of a too-weak script to save the story from that change of direction.

It just feels that the film started with Electro as a main villain, maybe with the goblin, but ended with an additional RHINO and a too pushed pre-sinister-six set up.

It seems that they shot a lot! of different scenes and story options and just did not make always the best decision.

Here what I wished to be different:

Overall:

Peter learning another defining and tragic lesson in growing up and as being spider-man.

In Detail:

A slighty better treatment of the Electro/Max development without a Frankenstein-Kafka and a better explanation of his powers, where the final costume comes from and more scenes of a Pre-Electro Max that makes us understand how mistreated he felt.

A better arc in terms of Oscorp. Harrys kick out arrangement, the bio-weapon interest explained, what Ravencroft is and not a such offensive sinister six set-up + Harry being involved in that.

A better tie in of Peters own search for answers.

The ending. I wished that Spider-Man being involved in another civilian dead should have been followed by more scepticism about him among the NYers. And the overall ending, even with a RHINO fight, should have been more "bitter-sweet" and only a tease that "life has to go on". With such another tragic death in the life of Peter Parker it should have been more like "I will try to go on *somehow*" and not like that *back to normal* "coming-home" line during the final RHINO battle - because that is exactly what I meant: The final ending gives us almost the same Spider-Man we have seen in the beginning.

Conclusion

Spoiler

I saw a movie with great and inspiring scenes rather than a great and inspiring movie.

It has great actors but a story that feels bended between different interests that have nothing to do with this movie itsself. Additionally I sometimes missed a little balance in tragic, fun and lightness in the important scenes.

But of course I enjoyed it and I love the cast and give it a 7/10.

 

[Galactus123]

Jut saw it. It was ok and I liked it more than the first one. Few thing that I didn't like were the Green Goblin and Rhino. Their character design was not good at all in my opinion.

 

[pstomi]

What happened with this scene in the movie? There was not in the movie

Where is the "We have plan for you Peter Parker" ??

and there is lot of scene, what was in the trailer but not in the movie...

 

[jonathancrane]

The film suffers from the same problem the Lone Ranger did: there's about 15-20 minutes that could have been excised, thus raising its quality a letter grade. As it exists, it's a beautifully executed tragedy. B+

 

[k1dn1nj4]

Hey guys,

Long time since I've posted. Just thought I'd give a review after seeing the latest cinematic adaptation of my favourite superhero.

This is my take on TASM 2. It’s kind of frustrating to hear the divisive stance viewers have had about the new movie, because I thought it was very good. Obviously not 2001 A Space Oddyssey good or anything, but a great superhero film, and very true to Spidey’s core character. Here is a summary of what I liked about the movie and Webb’s interpretation of Spidey as a whole, along with commentary on a lot of the recurring complaints I’ve been seeing on the internet (not necessarily here). One thing to note is that I’m sort of posting this in a rush and haven’t had time to read the rest of the messageboard thread, so if I repeat something someone else has already said, or say something that somebody else has already sorta dismissed, sorry about that. Anyway, here goes:

SPOILERS ABOUND

It had quips, struggling with the double-life, a likeable female lead, personal conflict, great webslinging, relatability and an exploration and continuation of the untold story from the first film. For anyone that said the backstory of Peter’s parents weren’t necessary, what do you mean? That was the main crux of this new interpretation/iteration of Spidey: Peter dealing with his being orphaned/abandoned, and finding out about his past. It’s something new that hasn’t been dealt with very much in other media (besides the comics) and is a new angle for cinematic Spidey. It’s very much integral to the story this iteration of Spidey is trying to tell, and I think it does it well. The parent plot line is also integral to the plot in the current day, not just for the completion of Peter’s character arc, but for Harry’s story arc.

Spoiler

It’s revealed that Richard Parker sabotaged the spiders to work only with his DNA, which is why all other human trials failed, and is the explanation for why the spider venom caused Harry’s condition to worsen and ultimately have him transform into The Goblin.

Oh, and about Harry becoming the Goblin instead of Norman. Well, though I still think maybe we won’t see the last of Norman in this universe

Spoiler

(his “death” might’ve been a red herring),

I think having Harry become the Goblin instead was very apt. 1) We’ve already seen Norman as the Goblin on the big screen, which more or less did that arc justice, we haven’t seen Harry properly depicted as the Goblin besides surfer Goblin in Spidey 3. 2) It makes more sense, at least in this iteration, for Peter’s arch nemesis to be Harry. We don’t have a longer time to tease out the relationship between Peter and Norman. Two best friends who turn foes narratively makes sense. And not just two best friends, but kind of mirror images of each other: 1) Peter’s middle class struggling to pay bills, Harry’s a trustfund baby who’s head of a major corporation, 2) Both face the loss of their father figures, but while Peter uses Ben’s loss as inspiration to save others, Norman’s loss motivates Harry to solely focus on saving himself, 3) It’s a generational thing.

Spoiler

It’s hinted at and shown briefly that Norman Osborn worked extensively with Richard Parker and were “best friends” before Norman’s less than ethical actions caused friction between the two and eventually got Richard killed, and the same thing has passed down to their sons. It just makes much more narrative sense and is cleaner to do in this interpretation.

Peter and Gwen’s dynamic came off as organic, the two seemed to genuinely like each other, and their banter was a joy to watch, which paid off very well in the end I think. Without those scenes, the poignancy of the last part of the movie would not have come through.

Aunt May’s character had some depth to her instead of playing just the doting old mother figure or providing some words of wisdom.

Spoiler

Her trying to make ends meet by getting a new career at her age was very relatable to me particularly because it’s the same thing that’s going on with my mom, and I feel that it’s the same thing going on with a lot of people in today’s economy. Her insecurity about being less than an ideal mother figure to Peter in relation to his “perfect, scientific” parents was also a nice touch and was a unique emotional beat that I don’t think was dealt with ever in cinematic Spidey. Also, it was kind of cool to me to see Aunt May going from always being in the hospital from heart attacks and fainting spells in the comicbooks, to WORKING at a hospital in this contemporary interpretation. It’s kinda funny in a “look how far we’ve come” sorta way.

Rhino’s inclusion in the story was great. I mean, people complaining about Rhino’s hammyness or that he was used as comic relief. Really guys? This isn’t Lex Luthor here. It’s the Rhino... not exactly much depth to work with here. I think he was used in the only way he could have been in this movie, a nice shoutout to the fans, and to move the plot forward.

Spoiler

His appearance at the end of the film mirrored his appearance at the beginning, forming a nice narrative symmetry. Also, the brief fight at the end drove home that Spidey had bounced back from the tragedy and it’s another day in NYC crime fighting. It showcased Spidey’s trademark resilience and not giving up in the face of adversity, which I think we all like about the character.

There are also some great thematic continuations, parallels and motifs from the first movie:

Spoiler

1) Peter listening to Gwen’s speech at the end was a nice callback to Peter listening to Uncle Ben’s voicemail at the end of ASM1, to cohesively tie up the narrative’s themes and have Peter learn from his losses. 2) The physical comedy in the scene with Peter distracting the guards so Gwen could get away at Oscorp was very reminiscent of the train scene in ASM1 I think

Also, to anyone that says Tobey is a better Peter than Andrew, I suspect they grew up with the Raimi trilogy and have a case of rose-colored glasses. Not to say those films weren’t great in their own right (Spidey 2′s still my favourite Spidey movie and one of my favourite superhero movies), but to say that was a better depiction of Peter Parker is kind of crazy. Here, Peter is self-deprecatory but witty and kind of a wiseass, he’s an everyman without being an outdated archetype of a nerd, and he experiments, researches and actually uses science against his opponents. I seriously think it’s a shame that maybe a lot of these reviewers (not all) have maybe been exposed only to the Raimi films and so think that interpretation of Spidey represents what he is, and can only see these new interpretations in relation to that frame of reference, because they’re missing a really solid interpretation of the character. I think this interpretation of Peter deals with things that the Raimi interpretation never had the emotional depth to have dealt with, and handles it like a champ, bouncing back stronger than before.

Lastly, I’ve been hearing everywhere that the film’s plot or themes were muddled and there were too many villains. Although I can see people’s perspectives on this, I think that the multiple villains were all written in to have a role in a cohesive story, unlike in 3 where it felt like, say, Venom was a last minute add-on to appease fans. And the film did have a singular theme: it was time;

Spoiler

From Gwen’s valedictorian speech, to Harry racing against his disease’s spread, to Gwen and Peter seemingly drifting away due to her impending Oxford acceptance, the singular motif presented itself clearly I think, and everything else stemmed from that (The first shot being Richard Parker’s stopwatch, the climax of the story taking place in a clock tower). It’s the short time we have, choices, what to do with that time, and dealing with the frailty of that.

To summarize, I very much enjoyed the film, and can’t wait for the continuation of this interpretation of Spidey. With that said, there are some things that threw me off and completely messed with the tone of the film in some cases:
1) Some of the villain dialogue
2)

Spoiler

Doctor Kafka. Seriously. For a movie with much of the characters being grounded, real interpretations, you have this classical music listening scientist with a thick german accent in the middle of the movie that came straight out of a saturday morning cartoon. Also, why was he trying to restrain Electro, a man comprised of free flowing electricity, with electric shocks. What the hell.

3) Once again, the marketing. If they kept more of this film a secret, several things would’ve been nice surprises for fans, instead of just “Oh. It’s that scene from the trailer.” For instance, why did they market Rhino to be one of the main adversaries of the movie? Well I know why. To get fans excited to the theaters. But seriously. If they kept his appearance secret and it was just a thing that happened in the movie, it would’ve been a nice little easter egg and surprise, and fans wouldn’t have expected anything more from it.

 

[Spidey_62]

Okay, hey. It's been a while and I haven't said anything! I went on Thursday to an early IMAX screening, I got one of those neat Mondo posters. I went on Friday night. I went on Saturday night. I went again tonight. My goodness, that's 4 times so far.

I enjoyed it the first time around enough, the film's weaker points were jumping out but they didn't bother me too much. Not like it seems to bother many. I found a lot more to enjoy that overshadows any of the problems in the script and whatnot. I found myself enjoying it more and more (despite seeing it in IMAX that first time is hard to top!).

So, the big thing that really drew me in was Peter Parker and Spider-Man himself- thanks to Andrew Garfield. This is the character I've loved my whole life, it was a joy to see Spidey done so right. He goes out of his way to save people all the time, he focuses on the little things, he sticks up for the little guy because he is the little guy, that kindness just showed and it reminded me of why I love the character so much.

The other thing that got me was Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy. She was wonderful. Both Emma and Andrew are the highlights for me. I've never really cared for the superhero/love interest dynamics usually presented in superhero films all that much. That's a very integral part of Spidey, so I think it's a strong point that this has been done so well in these 2 films and came to that natural conclusion that was built up. I got the feels during the end.

Now lets see what else... I got a huge kick out of Paul Giamatti as the Rhino. It was pretty much what I wanted to see out of that villain. I think as a very small bookend villain, he didn't need any real fleshing out here. Since he's coming back for more, flesh him out then when he has more time in the spotlight, give him some nuance. But I think what was done here worked! A real good way to go out for a Spidey flick, I think. It's a toss up between that or the final swing in SM1.

Sally Field does well with the scene's she's got, and does a real swell job in a few scene's in particular. The 'you're my boy' scene was something I felt was needed because it put things in perspective regarding Aunt May & Uncle Ben's importance here.

I don't want to ramble much more, yurgh. Dane Dehaan was a good Harry. I can see what he was saying about respecting what's come before but being a different take on the character. I dug it. The Green Goblin is just sort of there. Not much time to really form an opinion on him. Jamie Foxx's Max Dillon scenes: I can totally see where the Bats comparisons are coming from. Some of the Max Dillon scenes work for me, others don't. Doesn't bother me a great deal! Electro was a visual treat, character-wise was just ok. Glad they got the inferiority complex in there.

Overall, I just wrote too much of nothing here and there's too much else to cover so I will stop here. But I welcome you back to the BONUS ROUND *Harry*! I give it a solid 8 out 10. I'm a pretty lenient guy. I can see the issues and the complaints- I found a lot to enjoy, though.