The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has got a lot to live up to. For starters, it follows Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man franchise, which only really ran out of web in Spider-Man 3. Second, it’s a sequel following a strong series reboot. Thirdly, the title The Amazing Spider-Man 2 puts a bit of pressure to keep it well, amazing. More to the point, it’s hitting the big screen in an age where only the best superhero blockbusters rule the box office.

Marc Webb did a fantastic job of reinventing Spider-Man, despite having Tobey Maguire still firmly planted in our collective psyche. Turning to a fresh villain in The Lizard for The Amazing Spider-Man made it a reboot that functioned like an unofficial sequel. We got to relive the novelty of meeting Peter Parker meeting his alter-ego and all the comedy that went with it.

The sequel has a much tougher job. Spider-Man now realises he’s “that Spider guy”, he’s grown accustomed to his neighbourhood duties and the city are used to his web-slinging vigilante heroics. It’s routine to see the skintight red-and-blue guy tying up New York’s criminals just in time for the city’s red-and-blue light brigade to take over. So how do you keep things fresh?

As with most sequels, going bigger and deeper seems to be the only answer. Marc Webb re-introduces Peter Parker’s parents and their tragic ending to frame the story. This one is all about Parker confronting his fear of loss – his parents, his Uncle… he’s haunted by the past and struggling to invest in his on-and-off relationship with Gwen Stacy. At the same time, he’s working overtime as saviour of the city people, protecting the public, who seem to have become naive spectators to “The Spidey Show”.

Webb drills down into the emotion of Peter’s budding romance with Gwen. Parker’s trying to sever ties with her, afraid to get close, yet finding it difficult to stay away. It’s an uncomfortable gray area for the relationship, keeping it taut as they find the magnetic pull drawing them together more often than pushing them apart. The focus is so strong, it sometimes feels as though the superheroes and villains are just padding for a next generation Nicolas Sparks romance.

The languishing romantic overtures take away from the fast-forward/slow-mo superhero actioner desperately trying to be taken seriously. Spider-Man gets a chance to be Spidey, but for all intents and purposes Peter and Spidey may as well be in their own movies. Spidey’s taking hits from a celebrity-obsessed fan (who becomes Electro) and rekindling an uneasy friendship with new-rich-kid-on-the-block, Harry Obsorn. While Peter’s doing all the sweet-talking, “Spider-who?” and playing the “it’s complicated” card.

“Unlike you, my mother encouraged me to play with electricity.”

On paper, the cast is impressive. Andrew Garfield is more human than Tobey Maguire, Jamie Foxx has the potential for greatness, young Dane DeHaan stole the show in the dark found footage superhero thriller Chronicle, Paul Giamatti is always a welcome addition to any movie and Emma Stone’s got that twinkle in her eye that makes her gravelly voice and pixie charms on-screen dynamite.

Andrew Garfield is still a great Spider-Man, blending his very human and likable Parker with the funny, fun-lovin’, no sweat attitude of Spidey. Jamie Foxx is a good comic book actor, adding his presence to a difficult and problematic CGI-intensive role as Electro. Dane DeHaan comes across like an evil version of a young Leonardo DiCaprio. He suits the role more than James Franco did, but doesn’t have the same intensity as he did in Chronicle. Paul Giamatti’s over-the-top Russian role is comical and deserves further exploration, and Emma Stone, is well… a blonde Emma Stone.

Each of these characters is dying to tell their story and with so many different platforms in the mix, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, seems to be driving from the backseat. We’re trying to connect with the “high school” romance, intermittently being wowed by the video game action and then finding everyone wants a piece: Spidey’s elastic costume can only stretch so far.

We accommodate the static moments that border on the superhero soap opera of Smallville. The variety of larger-than-life characters, the swirling blend of villain origin stories and the sometimes exhilarating action sequences smooth over the Twilight hemming-and-hawing between Peter and Gwen. While the overriding production values and superhero elements give The Amazing Spider-Man 2 enough entertainment value to keep us locked in.

Unfortunately, you can’t help but feel a creeping disappointment. Electro isn’t a strong villain. He’s erratic, unhinged and just looking for attention. Worse still, the rules governing his power aren’t laid out, making his wardrobe changes and movement even more perplexing than The Hulk’s stretchy pants. Jamie Foxx is a nice psycho and while the inner voices certainly help, he lacks motivation and is about as intimidating as the Duracell bunny.

All in all, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 isn’t all that amazing. It’s an over-inflated superhero sequel that’s trying to snare Twilight audiences, whilst retaining its traditional fan base. The film has many positive qualities and is street smart enough to keep this sequel thrill ride enjoyable and entertaining, but in trying to be everything to everyone, it fumbles and doesn’t continue the same trajectory as its solid predecessor.

The bottom line: Clunky

Release date: 25th April, 2014
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