Directed by Marc Webb
Produced by Avi Arad & Matt Tolmach
Story by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Jeff Pinker & James Vanderbilt
Score by Hans Zimmer & The Magnificent Six
Cinematography by Dan Mindel
Distributed by Columbia Pictures (Sony)
Don't adjust your perception with my ranking with Amazing Spider-Man 2. Seriously, this is not a drill. I hold this film in high regard, all things considering how people have felt with the direction of the character has taken. A couple of think-pieces nor a significant event at Sony is going encourage me to cave into the "franchise fatigue" talking points. In order to understand ASM2's plight, it all starts with Sony and their haphazardness for not having confidence in their true vision of the character. Then again, companies do desperate things to stay in the current. Before I go into appreciating the film proper, since this is a "best of" list, I have to excoriate Sony's ridiculous ideas for their once-promising universe in the "Amazing" series. When the company dealt with a hacking scandal of their own, one of the leaks discussed an Aunt May film, where Peter Parker's aunt, apparently, was once a spy in the eyes of the executives at Sony. Now, I'm not a "that wasn't in the comics" guy, but that's a big stretch for a side character who only offers her kander to Peter. Other properties, such as The Sinister Six, Black Cat, Venom are either on hold or don't exist in the plans for Marvel/Sony with their joint relationship into. With the license now co-produced by those two companies, the Spider-Man Cinematic Universe is all but dead. The movie, itself, is my favorite Spider-Man film until the newest one comes out in 2017. It's a shame that Andrew Garfield wasn't realized sooner, because, he's an excellent Spider-man, more so than Tobey Maguire. Yes, the basis of the film is structured as an origin story with a couple of new touches, but if this is the Spider-Man film we got back in the early 2000s, instead of the movie we actually got during that era, I think it might've been treated better, nostalgically. Now, I don't find it revolutionary or daunting; however, the film hits on some heavy emotional moments, like the way Gwen Stacy's death is depicted. Given its lasting appeal, or Sony's erratic vision, this was the Spider-Man film that I wanted for decades, for better or worse. I'll just have to live with the insults from people who weren't as enthralled as I was.
The Stacy/Parker Connection
From the get-go, you're pulled into the realm of the Stacy/Parker relationship. Of the things TASM 2 gets right, it's the love story. To be fair, it's more than just a situation of love, rather than just a buddy-buddy relationship. To the casual comic book fan, such as myself, we know the legend of Peter Parker and his heroics. Gwen Stacy's a compelling character, because she's not another damsel in distress needing to be saved, a tired cinema trope, to be honest. She doesn't mind doing heroics deeds for Spider-Man, even if he doesn't request for her help, so her safety can be assured. She wants to help defeat Electro? Check. Tips on Battery overcharges? Check. Isn't afraid of consequences? Big Check. It isn't so much that Gwen is dependent on becoming something meant to be revered, it's that she doesn't allow some of the people in her life to control destiny. As for Peter, well, he doesn't want her to be harmed at all. Typically, he doesn't want anyone to be harmed, since, we know that a big character trait about Spider-Man is on the impact of losing a significant other. Him being a significant level of responsibility for allowing that to happen. What makes Andrew Garfield & Emma Stone's roles impactful is, you believe they are these characters, because, they work so well together, regardless of their off-screen relationship. It's what makes the tumultuous demise of Gwen Stacy all the more heartbreaking during Spider-Man's fight in the clock tower with the Green Goblin. Despite all of his actions to keep her safe, something grim was bound to happen during the course of the film, we just didn't expect it to be so wretched. They have that innate ability to engage the audience without it all feeling like a derivative of the older films that tried to add the varying ranges of drama, comedy & action, but waned over time. At least, in this iteration, character development between the two was superb.
Electro
When Marc Webb selected Jamie Foxx to play Electro, I didn't have any concerns about his approach to him. Some seemed to be resentful to the fact that, Foxx might not be up for the role or nerds would slam his performance because it represented a significant change for how, perhaps, he was represented in the comics. I think if they went with the classic yellow and green spandex, we'd probably more scrutiny compared to what it received beforehand. His Max Dillon comes across as crazed & needy. A man with smart ideas for Oscorp, but he never gets the credit for his products. Once he's picked on, he has these thoughts in his head of what he'd like to do those who mess with him, but he doesn't do anything to them. Of course, when he gets his powers from an accident, he's unsure of the power he gains (no pun intended) and when feels Spider-Man turned on him, as a result of a Sniper fire, when NYPD attempted to neutralize Max. Electro's also interesting since it feels like a sociopath surrounded by people who don't like him. The usage of Pharrell's voice to add to Max's instability adds another layer to him.
The Future of Spider-Man Movies/Closing
With Sony feelings a ton of uncertainty from fans & critics from the last film, they did the very thing to revitalize their franchise player, put him in the MCU along side Marvel Studios other characters. Also, Andrew Garfield will no longer be the webhead in later installments of the series, since Marvel wants a younger Spider-Man. Tom Holland looks to meet those requirements to be the one, given he's only 19 and can actually do things a Spider can't. Sony & Marvel will now co-produce the movies, put they can use the character in Marvel properties now. Whatever the next story in this franchise is, hopefully will be in well hands. I did love Amazing 2, and I say that with no regrets at all. I'll definitely miss Garfield's enthusiasm, charm, wise cracks, etc. He was a believable Spider-Man, but with the next one going in a different direction, it should be interesting how things are developed.
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