I feel like there is so much I could say about this film but can’t; any words I think of seem to contain some kind of spoiler, and this is one film you need be on edge for.
Of course I went to see it last night – day of the UK release and 2 for 1, how could I refuse?! As you can tell from my previous posts, I am a big fan of the first film, so I was a little apprehensive about seeing this one. The trailers for it looked fantastic, but I’ve learnt from previous experience not to trust this. I also knew a little of what happened in the comics so was unsure of how this would come about on screen.
My doubts were pointless. It was brilliant. Marc Webb (such an ironic name, love it!) has pulled it off once more. There were a couple of places where it lacked pace and felt long, but these were quickly forgotten with the interspersed action scenes and revealing secrets. And personally I happen to like the slower scenes anyway. They built Peter’s character, which was definitely something the previous franchise missed. We saw more of him attempting to live in the real world, and the development in his relationship with the gorgeous Gwen Stacey. We also got to see more of Aunt May which I found crucial for Spider-Man’s back story. There were times when it felt more of a romantic drama but this was probably deliberate in order to keep such a wide audience. It needed to appeal to everyone and I think it succeeded in doing so.
Second film in and I still believe that Andrew Garfield is the perfect choice to play our hero. He is witty, smarty and handsome, with a bit of goofiness thrown in, all the qualities needed for the lead character. He’s an amazing actor, though it is hardly recognized in these types of films. His emotional range kept me captivated and I felt every ache and pain alongside him.
And of course, the wonderful Emma Stone. I don’t have a single bad thing to say about her. She is the perfect match for Garfield both inside and out of the film. She matches his banter perfectly and they have such good chemistry it’s easy to get caught up in it. From her performance it is easy to see why fans prefer Gwen Stacey to the red-headed Mary-Jane; there appears to be much more substance to her character.
Jamie Foxx did a good job as our insane villain ‘Electro’, definitely bringing crazy to the table, but I felt that there was something missing from his story. I knew he was angry but I couldn’t feel it, it just came across as a petty grudge.
Harry Osborne (Dane DeHann) was such a major character in the original franchise that I am surprised they didn’t make more of him in this one. I understood why they didn’t but I think that they should have shown us more of his character. We barely know him before he loses it and so we don’t really feel that empathy for him, nor do we have the connection between him and Peter as strongly as we would have hoped for. The actors did a good job, but because we didn’t know their relationship beforehand we don’t fully understand how hard it is for Peter to see what his friend turns into.
Despite it being a good story there were some fairly big plot holes, but I don’t want to say here due to spoilers. Also the end scene seems a bit random and I think they could have tied it up a lot better, or faster than they did. It dragged a little. There’s not much more that I can say, without revealing too much, but I do want to encourage every marvel fan to go see this film. Out of all of their films so far I think this one draws you in the most. We are definitely emotionally invested in the characters and the paths they go down.
So go watch it, it’ll be worth it I promise.
Fiona Catherine 