The Amazing Spider-Man 2 The Amazing Spiderman 2 - User Review Thread! - SPOILERS! - Part 3

[NewYorkSpider]

Things I hated

I thought Electro was underused in this movie. I felt he got the Whiplash treatment. The bigger stories were Gwen and Peter's relationship as well as Harry and Peter's revived friendship. The movie seems very similar to Iron Man 2 at times.

Gwen's death. Her death in the movie felt so sudden. I feel they should have waited untill TASM3. I was hoping they would go along the lines of her nearly dying in the movie and Peter continuing to ignore Capt. Stacy's request. I thought then he death later on would have more of an impact on the audience as well as myself. I seriously felt nothing during that scene.

The pace of the movie felt off. It also felt clustered together

Gwen outsmarting Peter




Things I loved

Dane Dehaan nailed it as Harry Osborn. My favorite scene was when one the board members called him Harry and he replied...."It's Mr. Osborn".


Spider-Man quips were done perfectly. Might have went a little overboard in the beginning though.

Spider-Man swinging and the action scenes were done well at times.



I'm a big fan of seeing multiple villains on screen, but in this instance, for me anyways, it didn't work. It almost felt like another Spider-Man 3 with Electro being Sandman and Harry being Venom. I wouldn't mind if they went back to just one villain for a Spider-Man film. I feel that's what made Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and The Amazing Spider-Man solid films.

6/10

 

[AF3619]

Things I hated

I thought Electro was underused in this movie. I felt he got the Whiplash treatment. The bigger stories were Gwen and Peter's relationship as well as Harry and Peter's revived friendship. The movie seems very similar to Iron Man 2 at times.

Gwen's death. Her death in the movie felt so sudden. I feel they should have waited untill TASM3. I was hoping they would go along the lines of her nearly dying in the movie and Peter continuing to ignore Capt. Stacy's request. I thought then he death later on would have more of an impact on the audience as well as myself. I seriously felt nothing during that scene.

The pace of the movie felt off. It also felt clustered together

Gwen outsmarting Peter




Things I loved

Dane Dehaan nailed it as Harry Osborn. My favorite scene was when one the board members called him Harry and he replied...."It's Mr. Osborn".


Spider-Man quips were done perfectly. Might have went a little overboard in the beginning though.

Spider-Man swinging and the action scenes were done well at times.



I'm a big fan of seeing multiple villains on screen, but in this instance, for me anyways, it didn't work. It almost felt like another Spider-Man 3 with Electro being Sandman and Harry being Venom. I wouldn't mind if they went back to just one villain for a Spider-Man film. I feel that's what made Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and The Amazing Spider-Man solid films.

6/10

yeah that kinda bothered me too until i realized,she didn´t tecnically outsmarted him, he just didn´t remember that because when she says "when you magnetize a nail..." Peter says "it holds a charge", also is kinda a nod from TASM from the scene at Oscorp when she says "that´s why you were no.2 at class.

also i personally think her death beeing that sudden is kinda the point of the death itself you don´t know when it´s going to happen, if he almost killed her, that would´ve been built up too much, what i didn´t like is that goblin was just used for that, for JUST that scene and no more, at least he is not dead...yet

 

[SpideyZERO]

Watched the premiere in my country (Malaysia), overall, it was a mixed bag...quite a let down really.

Pros

Fantastic actions and visual effect. The action scenes were awesome, really got my heart pumping, from Spider-Man movement, creative uses of webs, Electro attacking, they were really exciting to watch.

BGM. The BGM fits the movie perfectly, especially that Electro theme.

Gwen's death. The best part of the movie imo. Even though I knew it coming, it hit hard. It was beautifully shot, from the slow motion, subtle BGM and that sound when she hit the ground. Well done.

Cons

Story. What story? From the trailers, I expected Spidey piecing the puzzles of his parents' disappearances, Electro, Harry's return until he can find the truth about the Osborn conspiracy. But what we got were a series of events that happened, just because. No central story arc linking together...and Peter just sat on his ass waiting things to happen.

Gwen Gwen Gwen. Too much Peter and Gwen moment. I love the pairing in the first movie, they were cute and natural. But this? We have Peter and Gwen moment almost every 10 minutes and it's the same old "I love you Peter/Gwen, but I can't do this" dance. The worst part is those moments were in the wrong place and could have been cut to have a more coherent plot flow. I could hear people groan when another Gwen moment showed up. This overwhelming Gwen moment lead to....

Peter Parker the jerk. All he had in his brain was Gwen (and his dad when the plot called for it), he did nothing else beside that. Peter recognized Electro as the loser he met and something happened to him. But no follow up investigation. He knew that Harry was dying, but he did nothing but rejected him twice in both identities. I know Peter's blood might cause trouble (and he was right), but the way the film showed, it's like Peter didn't even bother to try anything at all. All he had in his brain was Gwen.

As a Spider-Fan, I gave this film 7/10, so much potential...wasted. As a casual movie goer, I would give this 5, 6 top....

What a let down. The first movie is much better than this

 

[jmc]

I agree with every word.
I didn't realize the Batman Forever paralells. That's an interesting catch.

Not a hard one to spot IMO. There are moments in the film that feel virtually lifted out of the Batman Forever play book. Forever suffers from a similar problem to this film, it tries to have these serious elements, ie Bruce's mental state and Grayson's quest for vengeance thrown in and amongst cartoonish elements.

 

[starkresilient]

why would someone hate the idea about gwen outsmarting peter? I don't get it

 

[spider-neil]

why would someone hate the idea about gwen outsmarting peter? I don't get it

To be fair Peter graduates on auto pilot. If there were no alter ego he would be far ahead of Gwen.

 

[starkresilient]

but that doesn't mean he has to know or remember everything when he needs it. getting help is never a bad thing

 

[Bullseye1]

I saw it today and while the crammed nature of the film makes the narrative uneven, I really enjoyed it. Of the 3 different stories that run throughout I liked the simple Peter and Gwen (Loved their theme) story the most due to how amazing Emma Stone is, and when it intersected with the Harry and Electro stories the movie was at it's very best.

The Electro story feels tonally out of whack with the rest of the film and does have a real air of the Batman Forever version of The Riddler, but I thought his first showdown with Spidey was the visual highlight of the film, especially the stunning sequence where Spidey saved the people on the stairs, it was a jaw dropper and really felt like comic panels coming to life. I felt the Electro effects on a whole were really good and his theme was awesome.

The toughest storyline to buy into is Peter and Harry, we are dropped into it cold and unlike in other incarnations where you grow to like Harry before everything goes belly up, here Harry is creepy and obnoxious from the start, the scene with them skipping stones and talking about life is poorly written and the acting is wooden. Thankfully he goes full heel pretty quickly and comes into his own. This route for the Goblin is not what I would have chosen and the look is awful, but I thought the scenes with Spidey, Goblin and Gwen were very well done.

Peter's detour into discovering what happened to his parents delivers a great scene between him and Aunt May and a really cool scene in the subway, neat oldschool secret passage stuff.

I mentioned earlier about how fantastic Emma Stone is as Gwen, so much so that I was really hoping she'd survive to the third movie, but as soon as she started talking about going to Oxford and it exciting her I knew she was a goner, but despite not staying fully faithful to the comics her death scene was superbly done, the visual approach Webb took was perfect, allowing you an excruciating few seconds of hope before the gut punch.

The action was spaced out pretty well and within the sequences Webb delivered some killer moneyshots and really captured Spidey's agility and movement brilliantly. I mentioned earlier the part I liked in the first battle with Electro and I thought the fight with Goblin was fantastic, it could have been longer but it was kinetic and physical and swept you up in the ride.

The amount of strands that need webbing together here (pun intended. ) from the first film, this film and to set up for the 3rd film can make TASM2 ungainly at times, but it all comes together satisfyingly in the end. As for Spidey vs Rhino being the finale; I think the way they used it, tying it into Gwen's graduation speech, was a perfect, uplifting way to end the movie.

8/10

Yeah I liked how they went full circle with her speech and reminded me also of Peter listening to Uncle Bens voice message.

 

[AnneFan]

Yeah I liked how they went full circle with her speech and reminded me also of Peter listening to Uncle Bens voice message.

Exactly. Liked both, but this version was a lot better.

 

[thomass]

I said it forever ago, when they completely cut out Mary Jane, that was clear signs that this movie was not going to be good.

For a movie with a lot going on i'm glad they kept it between him and Gwen.

 

[jed]

So I just came back from watching ASM2.

My opinion is pretty mixed.


The movie is kind of too long. I wish they have ignored the whole Peter's parents backstory. It was taking way too much time, and seriously, I was bored with it.

The opening airplane scene and the rhino chase scene, it's too unrealistic. The action gets a bit too far fetched for you to believe it.


And Electro. I thought it's really bad writing when one moment, he is worshipping Spiderman, and Spiderman is his hero and then later on, he hates Spiderman just because he can't remember his name?


And Gwen's death. I wish they have stay more faithful to the comics by having her thrown off the bridge. But in the movie, she dies in the clock tower.

It would have been better if Norman is the one who kidnapped Gwen, and not Harry.

I don't know why they go with the subplot of Norman and Harry with the illness. Norman is really wasted in this movie. He barely do anything and the next moment, he pass away.


I found it really ridiculous that Norman couldn't figure out that there is the venom in Oscorp, and Harry just got lucky with the help of Felicia and find the venom in Oscorp.

And Felicia...she has only two small scenes....I was hoping she has more screentime.


And Rhino is really wasted in this movie. I know the ending is to set up the Sinister Six, but I felt like the character is severly underdeveloped.

 

[jed]

And I thought Chris Zylka as Flash Thompson is supposed to be in this movie. But I don't remember seeing him at all in the movie.

The Norman/Harry with the illness is really a very lame subplot. They could have make Norman the villain in this movie..., oh well.

 

[Daywalker89]

And I thought Chris Zylka as Flash Thompson is supposed to be in this movie. But I don't remember seeing him at all in the movie.

The Norman/Harry with the illness is really a very lame subplot. They could have make Norman the villain in this movie..., oh well.

He was cut brother.

 

[Nathan]

What was Flash's role in the Movie, before he got cut?

 

[LizardMan07]

Probably graduation, there was a pic of him hugging Gwen I think at some point

 

[Daywalker89]

What was Flash's role in the Movie, before he got cut?

I think he was meant to have a short role at graduation.

edit ; BRAB beat me too it

 

[starkresilient]

What was Flash's role in the Movie, before he got cut?

 

[Enriquespy]

I loved the movie, the music, the sound, the story path, the emotional moments, the snap moment...
Apparently I'm one of the few ones.
Ohh well.

 

[TheWallCrawler]

I loved the movie, the music, the sound, the story path, the emotional moments, the snap moment...
Apparently I'm one of the few ones.
Ohh well.

well technically in this it's more like a "thump" moment

and yes, I loved those things too t:

 

[AnneFan]

I loved the movie, the music, the sound, the story path, the emotional moments, the snap moment...
Apparently I'm one of the few ones.
Ohh well.

No, not really. A good portion of people here have had a favourable response, me included.

 

[Spider-Ock]

Watching The Amazing Spider-Man 2 fills you with a medley of emotions: awe, intrigue, heart-pounding excitement and finally, a wish for something which will not come true. More on the last few words later.

After a prologue of sorts exploring the Parker mystery, the movie zooms in on Spidey free falling while Zimmer's score booms in the background. The visuals are downright spectacular and, from the onset, the slo-mo has been used to great effect. One feels like one is actually swinging with Spidey. The coupling of the visuals and score literally gives you goose-bumps

It seems Paul Giamatti had a rollicking time playing good ol' Aleksei Sytsevich. His hammy accent and Adidas track suit gives teeth to the stereotypical sarcasm the writers were going for.

The first action sequence itself makes Spidey feel more heroic than any other superhero we have watched on the big screen. Watching him saving the citizens of New York while cracking wisecracks is a treat I had hoped to see for a long time.

Andrew Garfield is Spider-Man, period. He epitomises every trope of Spidey and seeing him rush to his graduation really sells the duality of his identity.

We progress onto Gwen's valedictorian speech. While it foreshadows a lot of things to come, the reason I loved it is because it feels like she is addressing Peter. A future love letter to inspire him everyday.

Watching Stone and Garfield act out their graduation scene and consequently their breakup helped solidify the fact that their relationship is the nucleus of this movie.

In fact, it seems that the movie is, above all, a tragic love story.

On the way, we meet Max Dillion, played amicably by Jamie Foxx. He is a lowly employee with a deep-seeded inferiority complex who just wants to be recognised for his work.

We skip forward a year and are introduced to Harry Osborn, played amicably by Dane DeHaan. The reunion sequence with him and Peter really sells the fact that these two are very similar to each other but eventually chose different paths. DeHaan feels like the Anti-Peter in a way.

Some character development is given to Dillon before he transforms into Electro. But what really establishes Max's personality is the score and the soundtrack. Like him, it is filled with an inner anger.

His journey to the Times Square is paralleled with a heartfelt sequence between Peter and Gwen. This tonal difference does not feel jarring at all. It feels organic to the theme of the movie: time. Peter and Gwen are running out of it, while Max is running out of time as himself. He is peeling away Max to become Electro.

Peter and Gwen's chemistry is really palpable in this scene. You get a sense that these are real-life characters in front of us who, even after having been dealt a cruel taste of fate, really want to be with each other.

The Times Square sequence is a joy to behold. Watching Spidey negotiate with Electro instead of attacking him head on conveys a sense of kindness and a preference for peace instead of violence in order to resolve a conflict. Indeed, the inner conflict which Max feels is illuminated by the music. It is not intrusive; it feels like an amplifier for his thoughts.

This is followed by a middle act which slows things down long enough for an epic finale. I liked Harry's degeneration into a sociopath and was especially intrigued by the Parker subplot. If the writers can manage to do that and still highlight an epic romance well, then kudos to them.

The third act of the movie is heart-breaking, to see the least. It is accentuated by the fact that Peter decides to go to England with Gwen to be with her. The Power Plant fight, according to me, is one of the best action sequences we have seen in a Spidey film.

Now, the climax. I did not want it to happen. I just didn't. I kept wishing that what most of you had clarified was false. But it was not. It came true. And the movie is the best Spidey film because of it. Having Peter suffering such a huge loss and still bouncing back from it propels this one to my second favorite superhero film of all time.

The directing was top notch, the actors were brilliant and the action felt justified and not extended. We got just the right amount of it.

At 2hrs 20 mins, you do not feel the length. Please guys, watch this movie. You will not be disappointed.

9/10

 

[LizardMan07]

Great impressions mate!

Looking forward to Andrew's and SM71's impressions later on tonight

 

[jed]

He was cut brother.

Thanks for the info, brother.


Oh yeah, I was kinda disappointed that Felicia was a brunette. I remember that she was a blonde in the cartoon.

Unless her last name is not Hardy.

 

[Waldini]

Saw this movie last week. Still have mixed feelings.

What I liked;

I really loved the chemistry between Garfield and Stone. You can tell that they are a couple in real life and act out the romantic scenes so naturally. That part made the ending hard for me to watch. Damn. Imagine that being YOUR girlfriend. I'd be devastated. Shame Spiderman didn't go back to the Goblin to punch the living crap out of him though. Would've been awesome to see. After Gwen Stacy's speech ... everyone knew she was going to die. I didn't really see THAT ending coming though. Thought they'd include the neck-snap scene but they went with a head vs concrete scene instead. Was pretty brutal with the "thump" included.

Electro was a pretty good villain. Loved the way Jamie Foxx portrayed him. A total noob getting great powers and gets manipulated in doing the wrong things. You do feel sorry for him several times during the course of the film. A guy, who is a total nobody, trying to become somebody. Had a feeling he'd help Spiderman in the end but that never happened. This Electro could've swung both ways. O! And that voice. "You LIED to me!" Difficult character to portray but everything went pretty good.

Dane DeHaan did his Harry Osborn pretty well. Loved his psychotic laugh when he entered the final battle. What I didn't like about him? Well ... I'll get back to that.

That scene between Aunt May and Peter. That feels man... that feels

The music was pretty solid! But then again, nothing really can go wrong when Hans Zimmer is doing the score for your movie.

What I didn't like;

The overuse of CGI effects! I mean ... come on!? That end battle between Electro and Spiderman felt like a big scene right out of a game. Felt unfinished.

O, about that Harry Osborn thing;

"Hey Harry! Haven't seen you in 7 years! How are you?"
"Great Peter! I need your blood, kthxbye. /dienowplox"

Two childhood friends who, in a matter of hours, try to kill each other? Could've used more work. Too much drama which felt completely out of place. Went way too fast.

The Rhino could've gotten more screentime. Might have to accept that he really was a gag-villain.

Still give this movie a solid 7/10. Not as good as the first one, not by a long shot. But still highly entertaining.

 

[The Lizard]

I agree with every word.
I didn't realize the Batman Forever paralells. That's an interesting catch.

Yes, I honestly got that feeling at a few points too, with regard to the villain storylines. It wasn't as over the top as Batman Forever of course, but there was a cartoonish feel that seemed at odds with the other, much more serious plot elements.