(Beware possible SPOILERS…)
I never thought I’d say this about a film with the word “Marvel” attached to it, but The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was a huge disappointment. Some critics have pointed out the film’s poor writing, which I agree is part of the deal. AS2 tries to push Spider-Man into the kind of story, and resulting level of action and intensity, that Spidey really isn’t intended for – there’s a reason why poor Spidey never has been and probably never will be an Avenger. He’s a character intended for a different level of story and a different kind of villain…and it was hard for me to believe his victory over the combination of Electro, Green Goblin, and Rhino all in one film. (Sure, the X-Men could believably handle something like this, and of course Thor or Iron Man could tackle something as big as AS2 tries to be. But Spider-Man simply doesn’t have the same resources as these other characters.) Additionally, the scenes between Peter and Gwen Stacey were especially weak; the writing severely limits Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, whom I know from their other films are capable of much more than what we see in AS2.
The prologue sequence that explains what happened to Peter’s parents (a plot line introduced in 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man) was neat, in the sense that I for one have always wondered what happened to them – but the scene really didn’t belong in this film. The content could have been adapted to fit more comfortably into the scene where Peter finds his father’s secret lab. As it stands, it seems like AS2 is trying to have an opening like that of The Dark Knight Rises, which unfortunately removes the first action from New York City, something no other Spider-Man film has ever done.
The writing wasn’t all bad, though, which makes me think the editing might be just as much at fault for AS2’s poor quality. The pacing of the film’s first half was choppy, with really fast and loud action scenes alternating with really slow and quiet character-oriented intervals. The music, an odd (but not in the good sense) blend of orchestration, techno, and pop/rap, also kept flaring up at odd points. (And maybe it’s me, but the orchestrated score sounded a lot like the S.H.I.E.L.D./Captain America theme…?) It got a little better at the final battle and the scenes after that, but then that’s two hours into the film, which needs to get itself off the ground in the first 20 or 30 minutes.
The best scenes were those building AS2’s primary supervillains, Electro and Green Goblin. The very best scene, in my opinion, was the reunion sequence with Peter and Harry Osborne (soon-to-be Green Goblin), who haven’t seen each other for 8 years, since Harry’s father shipped him off to boarding school. If the rest of AS2 had been this good, there would be nothing to worry about in terms of quality and writing.
By far the best aspect of AS2 is its stunning – I mean, mind-blowing bordering on psychedelic stunning – visual effects. If I have to consign AS2 as currently the worst superhero film of the 21st century, I’d also like it to be remembered as one of the most innovative in terms of visual style. The writing and editing may leave a lot to be desired, but this is one visually gorgeous film. (VFX team, well done!)
My overall impression was that this was a draft of AS2, representing a bunch of ideas in progress intended to make a much better film. Too many scattered storylines, choppy editing, and unpolished music distract viewers from reaching a solid idea of what the overarching plot is supposed to be. I would have said this film is only halfway done – except for its visual effects – and not ready to be released to the public. I know Hollywood doesn’t work this way, but it would be wonderful if we could send this “first draft” back to the editing table and see if it can be improved.
This is an especially unfortunate release for the Spider-Man property, as the last major superhero film to hit theaters (and therefore the current bar to raise) was Captain America: The Winter Soldier on April 4 – easily the best or second-best superhero film since 2000. I suppose it’s kind of ironically fitting that the best and worst superhero films of 2014 came out within a month of each other, and that Winter Soldier got there first. AS2 has, however, made over $92 million as of Sunday evening, which guarantees the Spider-Man franchise’s future and that of the spin-off films that are in the works. That’s good, since there’s definitely salvageable material in AS2 in the form of Spidey and the Green Goblin. Perhaps we might also see M.J. Watson in the future, in her tough-girl comics persona rather than the “girl next door” version of Sam Raimi’s trilogy? (One can hope.) I also hope the post-credits teaser featuring the X-Men’s Mystique indicates that a Mystique solo film could be in the works.
Sorry, Spidey – better luck next time.
What’s up next at the box office? X-Men: Days of Future Past hits theaters May 23. If any film can redeem the superhero blockbuster after AS2, it’ll be this one! X4 also looks like it’ll be only the third superhero film of the 21st century to feature a time-travel plot as its central element, joining 2009’s Star Trek and 2012’s Looper. Way cool…
Time Lords, Superheroes, and Brave New Worlds 