A Swing and A Miss
A Swing and A Miss
Any Spiderman movie is worth watching in 3-D. Just the sight of that blue-and-red suit swinging like Tarzan through Mid-Town will put a smile on anybody�s face. Fortunately, the creators of Amazing Spider-Man 2 did not stint on these scenes. There are other scenes, however, that they certainly could have left out completely.
Though I adore Campbell Scott and wish he�d show up in many more films, the entire subplot of Peter Parker�s mother and father could have been excised from this movie and left no gaps. It could have easily been saved for a third film, and you know as sure as sunrise that there�s going to be a third film. The grief Peter undergoes in this film could have been used to drive him to find out more about his family. But instead it is just one of three, perhaps four, subplots in this movie.
I�m not sure there was a central plot, to be honest. Plenty of incidents, lots of action, some sexy chit-chat between Peter and the exquisite Gwen Stacey (portrayed charmingly by Emma Stone). Andrew Garfield works his geeky charm as the web-slinger, though I seriously could have done without the hipster knit hat. He meets up with an old friend, Harry Osborn (talented Dane DeHaan), and some new enemies, played by Jamie Foxx and Paul Giamatti (almost unrecognizable but obviously having a great time!)
Jamie Foxx has perhaps the greatest character arc of anyone in the movie. His Max Dillon, put-upon and terribly lonely, is a sympathetic character. But like all too many people in a Spider-Man movie, his ability to forgive a slight seems to extend to everyone *except* Spider-Man. He is more enraged at Spidey than at his boss who mistreats him or the company that stole a multi-million dollar idea from him. It�s a little too facile a plot move to have him suddenly decide he hates Spider-Man when something happens that is really beyond Spider-Man�s control.
The same flaw drives Harry Osborn. Yes, he�s a poor little rich boy who just found out he�s doomed to die from the same disease that is killing his father�though Dad made it to at least the mid-fifties! So why is Harry suddenly falling apart? �Cause it�s in the script, apparently. And instead of insisting that his medical research firm get to work on a retardant or a cure�he decides that only Spidey-blood can save him. He instantly hates Spider-Man when he says no way despite his having excellent reasons.
Yet the scenes where characters are allowed to be human beings instead of plot/script-driven monsters are tender and fun. You believe that Harry and Peter were childhood friends, you believe in the deep affection between Peter and his aunt (Sally Field, pretty much holding in her tendency to over-act), and you really root for Peter and Gwen�though I sure wish she�d gotten on the plane to England. Sheesh � traffic.
But there is no central story. Peter Parker is like the main character in a first person shooter. He really doesn�t have anything to do except react to the crap flying at him. He�s not particularly invested emotionally in the troubles of anyone in the movie, except his girlfriend. And cute and fuzzy though Garfield and Stone are together, it isn�t enough to power an entire superhero movie. We needed a bigger and more important set of dangers, something world-shaking.
I hope Paul Giamatti returns in AS-M3. He didn�t have much to do but yell in this one, which was a waste of a great talent. Further, I must mention someone who is competing hard for Hugo Weaver�s �Appearing Most Often In Noisy Movies� Award, the very talented Colm Feore. He has appeared in many big films, �Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit�. �Chronicles of Riddick�. �Thor�. Plus countless television shows. He�s always good, always reliable. Those are the kinds of actors I just love.
Any Spiderman movie is worth watching in 3-D. Just the sight of that blue-and-red suit swinging like Tarzan through Mid-Town will put a smile on anybody�s face. Fortunately, the creators of Amazing Spider-Man 2 did not stint on these scenes. There are other scenes, however, that they certainly could have left out completely.
Though I adore Campbell Scott and wish he�d show up in many more films, the entire subplot of Peter Parker�s mother and father could have been excised from this movie and left no gaps. It could have easily been saved for a third film, and you know as sure as sunrise that there�s going to be a third film. The grief Peter undergoes in this film could have been used to drive him to find out more about his family. But instead it is just one of three, perhaps four, subplots in this movie.
I�m not sure there was a central plot, to be honest. Plenty of incidents, lots of action, some sexy chit-chat between Peter and the exquisite Gwen Stacey (portrayed charmingly by Emma Stone). Andrew Garfield works his geeky charm as the web-slinger, though I seriously could have done without the hipster knit hat. He meets up with an old friend, Harry Osborn (talented Dane DeHaan), and some new enemies, played by Jamie Foxx and Paul Giamatti (almost unrecognizable but obviously having a great time!)
Jamie Foxx has perhaps the greatest character arc of anyone in the movie. His Max Dillon, put-upon and terribly lonely, is a sympathetic character. But like all too many people in a Spider-Man movie, his ability to forgive a slight seems to extend to everyone *except* Spider-Man. He is more enraged at Spidey than at his boss who mistreats him or the company that stole a multi-million dollar idea from him. It�s a little too facile a plot move to have him suddenly decide he hates Spider-Man when something happens that is really beyond Spider-Man�s control.
The same flaw drives Harry Osborn. Yes, he�s a poor little rich boy who just found out he�s doomed to die from the same disease that is killing his father�though Dad made it to at least the mid-fifties! So why is Harry suddenly falling apart? �Cause it�s in the script, apparently. And instead of insisting that his medical research firm get to work on a retardant or a cure�he decides that only Spidey-blood can save him. He instantly hates Spider-Man when he says no way despite his having excellent reasons.
Yet the scenes where characters are allowed to be human beings instead of plot/script-driven monsters are tender and fun. You believe that Harry and Peter were childhood friends, you believe in the deep affection between Peter and his aunt (Sally Field, pretty much holding in her tendency to over-act), and you really root for Peter and Gwen�though I sure wish she�d gotten on the plane to England. Sheesh � traffic.
But there is no central story. Peter Parker is like the main character in a first person shooter. He really doesn�t have anything to do except react to the crap flying at him. He�s not particularly invested emotionally in the troubles of anyone in the movie, except his girlfriend. And cute and fuzzy though Garfield and Stone are together, it isn�t enough to power an entire superhero movie. We needed a bigger and more important set of dangers, something world-shaking.
I hope Paul Giamatti returns in AS-M3. He didn�t have much to do but yell in this one, which was a waste of a great talent. Further, I must mention someone who is competing hard for Hugo Weaver�s �Appearing Most Often In Noisy Movies� Award, the very talented Colm Feore. He has appeared in many big films, �Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit�. �Chronicles of Riddick�. �Thor�. Plus countless television shows. He�s always good, always reliable. Those are the kinds of actors I just love.
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