The Amazing Spider-Man 2 had many elements that made the movie seem like it could be a tough one to watch.
With a large cast list and a score created by Hans Zimmer with influence from Pharrell Williams, it was easy for anyone to be skeptical.
The major surprise though was how easily the elements of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 came together. From the beginning of the film, an emotional connection is built with character Max Dillon after he is saved by Spider-Man. Jamie Foxx makes the viewer feel for his character, despite us already knowing his fate as the villain Electro.
The music added even more to every scene. One wouldn’t think that Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams would ever make sense together, but the duo, along with a host of other musicians, make for a great team. Viewers are given a glimpse into Electro’s mind through music.
It isn’t long after the audience is introduced to Electro that we meet another new player, Harry Osborne. The dark elements of Harry are brought out even more by Dane DeHaan and his constant look of mischief. It might be just the designer eye bags, but DeHaan evokes the anger and sadness that Osborn feels in such an impressive way, while also succeeding in making the audience laugh.
The movie had a large amount of comedy embedded throughout, but don’t be fooled. The emotions you feel during the film will be intense, although I won’t say why for those who have not read the comics or succeeded in staying spoiler-free.
Along with humor, the romantic elements were all over the place. Viewers go on an emotional roller coaster ride with Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) and Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) for the entire movie. It can feel a little redundant at times, but the real chemistry between Stone and Garfield makes it bearable.
Stone and Garfield continue to make Spider-Man fans love them as a couple in the movie. It’s always nice to watch them come together as a team, instead of Stacy being the typical oblivious girlfriend. It makes Stacy an even more lovable character. Instead of watching from the sidelines, she chooses to get involved.
After the obvious players, there are still some fun cameos throughout the film. The Office alum B.J. Novak shows up for a bit, along with Saturday Night Live player Aidy Bryant having a blink and you’ll miss it appearance. Paul Giamatti also adds a lighter element with his role of the Aleksei Sytsevich/Rhino. The appearances are brief, but they need to be due to the already long running time of 142 minutes.
Overall, the movie is an enjoyable film suitable for all ages. It’s long, but moves fast so that you don’t really notice the running time. If you’re a fan of the Spider-Man franchise, it’s a movie that you don’t want to miss.