The Amazing Spider-Man 2: 5 Things That Made Sense and 5 That Really Didn’t!

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was supposed to be one of the best Spidey movies to ever grace the silver screen.

Unfortunately, even with that amazing star-cast, it ended up having little to no impact.

And it is mostly agreed upon by critics and the public alike, to be one of the lowest on the totem pole of all the Spider-Man movies ever made.

Despite all the negativity surrounding the film, it did have a few redeeming qualities; a little consolation for those almost wasted 142 minutes of our lives.

Did: Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker.

Although Tobey Maguire was an amazing Spider-Man, it’s fair to say that Andrew Garfield’s portrayal of the friendly neighborhood superhero wasn’t so bad either.

His Parker was not just another boy next door, but a genius all on his own.

He was saving the city, dancing through while doing it, and managed to showcase his quick wit and street smarts.

This Peter Parker designed his own web-shooters and web fluids, showcasing his talents.

We do love our Spidey when he talks about science!

He might not have Tony Stark’s ‘helping hand’ but he is an inventor, and resourceful at that, who uses tech to learn more about his powers and develops them.

The return to this version of Peter Parker’s origin was applauded by every comic enthusiast around the world.

Garfield’s Peter also didn’t forget to have some fun while on the road.

He was sarcastic and cheeky and so very endearing, that it’s hard to not like the guy. Andrew definitely gets a thumbs up for it.

Didn’t: Too much Drama and too little Superhero

As most would agree, this movie was less superhero and more of a dramatic/emotional roller-coaster.

We might all love a good cry, but not at the expense of some good ol’ fun.

The story went too deep too fast and ended up making a mockery of what it was initially planning on.

From Peter’s longing to learn about the past to Dillon’s bullying, to some of those overtly emotional scenes, things felt pretty disconnected and ended up just being silly!

Did: The Suit and the Visuals

The new Spider-Man suit, we can all agree, was a big step-up. Deborah Lynn, who designed the costume for the movie, made it one of the most visually appealing suits.

And with the addition of the utility belt as well at the new logo, this new suit was a much-needed upgrade.

The visuals of the movie and the CGI was also considered one of the best, in terms of superhero movies.

Whether it was the slo-mo Spidey-senses tingling scene or the battle between Spider-Man and Electro, everything looked spectacular and the VFX team gets all the kudos for that.

Didn’t: The Plot

Unlike the visuals, the plot of the movie was quite lousy.

There were too many subplots and none of it was given the time and attention it deserved.

Electro’s motivation to become a villain, The Rhino and Green Goblin on the side on, the big introduction of Peter’s parents, it all felt detached.

This movie took so long to lay the groundwork for the next one in the then trilogy that they left everything else that was currently going on in the story, in a mess.

The plot was filled to the brim, making it impossible for the viewers to really enjoy any of it, and became one of the biggest flaws of the movie.

Did: Sally Field’s Aunt May

Aunt May has always been and will always be one of the most important characters in the Spider-Man universe.

She is Peter’s biggest support and a source of infinite wisdom.

Her motherly instincts, love for her nephew, and the relationship they both shares was as always the heart of it all.

Sally Field’s portrayal of the character showed depth and such realism when she tells Peter the truth about his parents, that it became one of the most pivotal points in Peter’s life, as well as in the movie.

Also, its Sally Field, she is amazing all on her own.

Didn’t: The Parent Trap

The amount of energy that was put into establishing the characters of Richard and Mary Parker was wasted on how callously the subject was dealt with.

The mystery surrounding their deaths, Peter’s desperation to find out the truth about what happened and everything in between just felt forced.

This subplot ended up taking too much unnecessary time and still didn’t do justice to any of it.

And the closure it was supposed to provide never came. On the contrary, it ended up making an even bigger mess of things.

Did: The Chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone

Safe to say, one of the best things about the movie was the relationship between Peter Parker and his beau, Gwen Stacy.

Although most give the credit to Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone being in an off-screen relationship at the time, their on-screen chemistry was beautiful to watch.

Everyone knew Gwen would die, that was the whole point of this character.

But the earnest romance of the pair’s doomed love-affair had everyone wishing for a ‘maybe’.

When the time finally came and Gwen fell to her death, the heartbreak as Peter was unable to save his lady love, was made all the more tragic by these two actors.

Didn’t: The Wasted Cast

For a movie with a cast that included Jamie Foxx, Felicity Jones, Dane DeHaan and Paul Giamatti, it is almost criminal how underutilized they all were.

Though Garfield and Stone were saved from this injustice, the rest were pushed into a hole so deep, they never resurfaced.

With minimal screen time for the likes of Jones and Giamatti and the sheer massacre of the talents of Foxx and DeHann, this movie did everything they could do wrong with these actors as well as the characters they were playing.

To say it enraged the moviegoers would be an understatement.

Did: The Score by Hans Zimmer

One of the very best of our time, Hans Zimmer once again made headlines with an amazing score for this movie.

James Horner had done an already incredible job with the previous movie, but with Zimmer, the soundtrack of this movie reached another level.

Joining Zimmer in this project were the likes of Pharrell and Johnny Marr which only added to its brilliance.

Every track felt like the perfect representation of a comic-book movie, making it one of the best features of the entire film.

Didn’t: The Villains.

Every superhero becomes a hero courtesy of their villains.

And Jamie Foxx is undoubtedly one of the best actors out there, making movie-goers quite excited with this casting.

Unfortunately, for Foxx and the audience, Electro as a villain did nothing to elevate the movie.

The character felt out of place, it’s motivation even more so.

The weird fascination he had with Spider-Man only added to the chaos. Add to it, the characters of Harry Osborne/Green Goblin played by Danny DeHaan and The Rhino by Paul Giamatti were unable to create any impact from the villains front whatsoever.

All-in-all, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 turned out to be a mediocre movie at best. In trying to do everything, they ended up doing nothing, despite having such brilliant visual aesthetics, amazing OST, and a stunning star-cast.