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The Amazing Spider-Man 2

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Spider-Man and Electro in a scene from The Amazing Spider-Man 2. (AP)
Spider-Man and Electro in a scene from The Amazing Spider-Man 2. (AP)
What it's about:

His most important battle has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. But now, Peter Parker finds that a greater conflict lies ahead. Being Spider-Man comes at a price: Only he can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro, Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And, as his old friend, Harry Osborn, returns, Peter comes to realise that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp.

What we thought:

I have been looking forward to second installment of the Marc Webb Spiderman series since I saw Andrew Garfield’s cheeky smile and witty persona and the happy lack of Toby Maguire. Moving on from that franchise (it’s over and done with), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 took my expectations and rocketed it to the moon. It’s been a while that I was so giddy after watching a superhero movie.

Peter Parker and his love Gwen Stacy have graduated high school and goes onto college and part-time jobs and internships, but Peter still struggles with the guilt of the death of her father and the promise he made to him. In the meantime, Peter’s childhood buddy Harry Osborn is back in town along with a new supervillain. Although it the plot seems very busy with villains coming and going and Peter finding out what happened to his parents and trying to juggle his relationship with Gwen, the brilliance that is Webb somehow manages to tie it all together and make it flow into each other.

One of the things that stood out sharply in the movie and which also made it so great is the perfect chemistry between Garfield and Emma Stone. They are dating in real life and it shows so well on-screen between Peter and Gwen. Both have good comedic timing and wit – a winning combo on all levels. But behind the funny quips there is a real emotional intensity and takes the audience on an insane rollercoaster ride where there are no breaks. Best. Love. Story. Ever.

Moving on the villains, Jamie Foxx is an actor in another league. Compared to roles he has played before, this was definitely something very different for the Oscar-winning actor. He goes from a slightly crazy nobody engineer to a vengeful superpower consumed by his loneliness and the transition moves so smoothly that one should also take second to congratulate the scriptwriters on this one. Electro was definitely a villain for the books (although something was a little off with his CGI looks) and hopefully we see more of him in the future.

Moving on to Dane DeHaan, who plays the rich Harry Osborn and heir to Oscorp, the quality of villains increases. A rising star in his own right, we should expect very interesting things from this actor as he pulls off the betrayal of Peter and psychoness of the Green Goblin well into the hands of the director. He borders on the line of over-acting, but luckily knows when to pull it back. He is definitely a great casting choice.

However, we should never outlook the importance of a great director. Although The Amazing Spider-Man has been his biggest success, there is no denying that Webb brings a certain finesse to his style – seeming chaotic at first but realising there is a point to it. He got the best out of his cast and took the film in a direction I personally think is better than what The Avengers currently stand at (despite the fact he is supposed to be in the Avenger franchise but different companies own different rights. One can hope.) Not only did I love the story line and the humour, the action sequences were insane. Over the top yes, but still badass, and it works amazing with 3D.

AND OMG THE TWIST. That is all I will say about that except that you don’t see it coming until it actually happens. Go watch the movie. Take everyone you know with. Prepare to be amazed.


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