Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a pain in the web

Text size: A A A May 01, 2014 10:20 IST

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The new Spider-Man film gets everything wrong except the girl, feels Raja

Sen.

Marvel Comics is known as The House Of Ideas. Many a memorable character lives at Marvel, and scores of writers and artists -- of unquestioned eagerness but varying

degrees of talent -- are given cracks at bat with the companys caped mascots, taking

their stories further and carving new thrills while not ruffling the status quo too much.

Naturally, this results in a wonderful unpredictability, with sub-par superheroes often

lucking out and finding truly ingenious writers, and massively iconic heroes skulking

around in poorly written and drawn panels. (For example, while there isnt a single solid

current comic featuring fan-favourite Wolverine, the adventures of the least interesting

Avenger Hawkeye are top drawer right now.)

And thus, for over 50 years of issues, we true Spider-Man believers have ridden the

roulette wheel, knowing that for every fine writer and great story arc were also going to

get some hacks who throw up clones and Faustian deals and the occasional illegitimate

lovechild. Were used to it, and like Peter Parker, that greatest of comic-book heroes, we

take the rough with the smooth. And right this minute, while the Spidey comics are

enjoying a significantly smashing streak, it is clear the Spider-Man movies have fallen

into the wrong hands

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a drag. It pains me to say this, but Marc Webbs film is a

total downer, a film lacking in smarts, ambition or spirit. I began my career as a film

critic ten years ago with-- Sam Raimis excellent film that remains the gold standard for

the superhero genre -- and it hurts to cap a decade with a complaint about a sub-par

reboot instead of a celebration of the spider.

This is an unforgivably boring film, and while it may not seem as instantly objectionable

as Sam Raimis monstrous Spider-Man 3, it must be marked that at least the older film

failed because of ambition, because of trying to do too much. Webbs new film, on the

other hand, is inexplicably slow and torpid, a haphazard and amateurish affair where

the seams show all too glaringly. Save for a couple of relatively funny lines -- and the

devastating climax -- there is nothing worth remembering in this painfully generic film.

I didnt expect to be saying this, but a big part of the problem is Andrew Garfield. Hes a

bright, gifted actor who certainly possesses a distinctive edgy charm, but for some

reason he continues to play Peter Parker as elusive and sullen. Theres an angsty

cockiness to him better suited to a tween vampire film, and while Garfield is disarmingly

natural, he falls a far way from actually being likeable. Its hard to relate to -- not to

mention root for -- a Peter Parker so brusque, so easily irked by those he loves, and

harder still not to yearn for his predecessor Tobey Maguire, who made Peters all-

important earnestness come alive. Spideys a quip-flinging whippersnapper, sure, but

thats because Peters a good kid who pulls on an overcompensatory flamboyant persona

along with that mask. In the (much better) first Garfield film, a lot could be chalked to

the characters confusion, but here Peter seems like a jerk all his own.

Things are worsened by the filmmakers constant indecision. Aided by a bombastic

soundtrack -- 80s TV cop-show style blare for the opening chase with Rhino, synth-

heavy chanting for Electro later on the film looks to be put together by a committee,

eager to throw in something for every focus group. This means lots of heavy-handed

flashbacks, constantly unclear motivations for the characters, action sequences that

refuse to do anything cool, ghosts from the old films (literal spectres appearing now to

confuse Parker, as well as feeble echoes of action setpieces from Raimis Spider-films)

and an awful lot of melodramatic hokum.

Much time is spent, for example, on the villains origins, but they are handled so

unimaginatively that wed be (much) better off with a voiceover saying Oh, that guys

Electro. He can control electricity. What were given are backstories from the mid-90s,

say Batman Forever style and if were invoking Joel Schumacher to describe a Spider-

Man film at a time when even Captain America can have a seriously good movie

then its clear that both power and responsibility have begun to grate.

What does work is the girl. Emma Stone is sensational as Gwen Stacy, seemingly as

baffled as we are re: the ill-humoured Mr Parker. Shes smart, snappy, knocks every line

straight out of the park, and conjures up quite the chemistry, enough even to make up

for her too-slack hero. In a deft touch, she invariably seems to sense Peters presence

nearby -- her own SpiderSense, if you will -- and we cant blame Parker for asking her to

keep that irresistible laugh off the table.

Readers of the comic are well aware that this film features a crucial scene with Gwen,

and while Stone makes it pop, Webb and gang stretch it out way too much, and then

proceeding to chicken out and completely reduce the stakes. Sheesh. (Not to spoil

anything here, but if youd really like to get a feel of Gwen and Peter, I suggest hunting

up Jeph Loeb and Tim Sales lovely Spider-Man: Blue and imagining what Stone

could have done with that as a script.) Aargh. The scene itself might be half-decent in

isolation, and its chilling to see Stone mirror precisely what Stacy wore in the books, but

a film this mediocre simply doesnt earn such a landmark moment from the Spidey

mythos. (It seems to know it, too, which is why it tries to move past it very clumsily.)

This is malarkey, malarkey that bores for eighty minutes before coming to life somewhat

during the last hour. Theres some very conveniently resolved nuttiness regarding

Parkers parents, Dane DeHaan -- a dead ringer for a slimy Gilbert Grape showboats

hammily as Harry Osborn, and there are more than a few unsubtle teases regarding

upcoming villains. (Meeting a woman called Felicia or seeing schematics of The

Vultures wings leading up to the next installment would normally be a mouthwatering

prospect, but right now they seem threats filled with more exhausting backstory.)

One kid holds out hope, though.

One adorable little runt with thin-framed glasses and a science project looks at Spider-

Man as his hero and doesnt care what people say about him; he knows hell be back and

he knows hell be better than ever. And therein lies the lesson for us as summer

cinegoers: its okay to prefer Tony Stark or Black Widow right now till Spidey falls

into the right hands, that is. For now we can go home, turn up the real Spider-Man 2

and watch Peter Parker try to deliver pizza.

Rediff Rating: