FILM REVIEW: THE AMAZING SPIDER MAN 2

When thinking about Spider-Man 3 where Toby Maguire had three villains to fight, as well as trying to carry off an emo look, I think it's a unanimous decision that Spider-Man 3 fell (unfortunately) flat. So when it was announced that the villains of this instalment, the sequel to the reboot from 2012, would feature Electro, Rhino AND Green Goblin....there was a lot of scepticism to be had for fans everywhere. Now, does this movie pull off having three villains in a cohesive story?  In my opinion yes. But does it manage to bring the action as well? Unfortunately not so much. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. What we are missing for in action is largely made up by characterisation and motivation rather than the story itself. Peter Parker is having the time of his life as Spiderman. His on and off girlfriend Gwen Stacy is supportive of his crime saving duties, but Peter himself is still reeling the guilt from when he couldn't save Gwen's dad from the evil clutches of Lizard. This is putting the strain on his relationship, and he is trying to push his Aunt May further in finding out the truth about his parent's abandonment. On top of this, there's a crazy Russian mobster that wants to kill him, a Spider-Man obsessed fan who undergoes an electrifying change and an old friend whose dying father has dark secrets embedded into the company he owns. So there's a lot going on! The film opens with a scene about Peter's parents and their fate, foreshadowing secrets that come out later in the film (and that will bleed into the next one). We then switch to seeing Spidey doing what he does best....dealing with bad guys. Mark Webbs' direction has clearly advanced from the first film showing slightly more maturity in how he hands the camera shots. Lots of the classic Spider-Man swinging shots really show the best of New York City and the CGI that they've got to offer. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone fall effortlessly into the main roles giving more humane depictions from what we've seen in the past. And each villain brings something different to the table which is a pleasure to watch. As I stated at the beginning of the review, the film isn't too heavy on the action which may lead you to think that it gets boring but that's definitely not the case. I think we care more for these characters than we have before, so sometimes when the camera focuses on their relationship rather than the bad guys, we get a bigger reward. Having said that, the action scenes are impressive, especially the ones shot in Times Square.  And the villains never seem to feel rushed in their reasons for turning into the bad guys. If you're looking for a character strong Spider-Man film then this is definitely it.  And if you're looking for an exciting Spider-Man film, this is also it. And, while it may not be action heavy, a lot is set up for future films which may see Spider-man's universe getting a little bigger. Rating: 8/10 Barry Mowatt