The Toy Insider, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Film Review
1. The Toy Insider (http://www.thetoyinsider.com/)
(http://www.thetoyinsider.com/)
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Spins an Entertaining Web
PHIL GUIE, (HTTP://WWW.THETOYINSIDER.COM/AUTHOR/PGUIE/) |
(mailto:pguie@adventurepub.com)
May 8th, 2014 |
(http://www.thetoyinsider.com/wp/wp-
content/uploads/2014/05/AmazingSpiderMan21.jpg)Spider-Man
returned to theaters last weekend in The Amazing Spider-Man 2
(http://www.theamazingspiderman.com/site/), Columbia Pictures
(http://www.sonypictures.com/)’ latest foray featuring
everybody’s favorite wall-crawler based on Marvel Comics
(http://marvel.com/). Along with continuing the story from the
first Amazing Spider-Man movie, it’s a respectful adaptation of
the source material: visually exciting, with an understanding
that what makes Spider-Man great isn’t just his super-human
abilities, but the person underneath the mask.
2. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 opens with the title character seemingly on top of the world. Peter
Parker, aka Spidey (Andrew Garfield), is more than holding his own as a super-hero (in New
York City, no less!), he is about to graduate high school, and he even has a burgeoning
romance with his high school sweetheart, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). Unfortunately, Parker is
haunted by an unshakable fear that being Spider-Man will cause something terrible to
happen to his love interest. The two struggle with their relationship throughout the film, but
luckily, they are bonded by a web strand of emotional co-dependency mighty enough to
continuously pull them together.
Meanwhile, a new bad guy named Electro (Jamie Foxx) emerges, and Peter’s childhood pal
Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) discovers he has a genetic disorder that will eventually take his
life. As Harry slowly goes crazy, Electro, who seems a bit unhinged from the start, suffers an
accident that grants him power over electricity. Naturally, he will use this newfound godlike
ability to—what else?—try and kill Spider-Man.
In general, superhero comics represent teenage fantasies of power and freedom, and most
recent films based on comics understand that relationship, so there’s considerable effort to
show off the characters’ fantastic powers through cool visual effects. Some of the most
exhilarating moments in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 involve Peter/Spider-Man diving headlong
into a busy street, and then swinging away moments before impact. There are also slow-
motion sequences that demonstrate how he can react even faster than a bullet flying towards
him, thanks to his spider-like agility.
After seeing this movie, very young viewers will likely see Spider-Man as someone worth
aspiring to (if they didn’t already), what with his strength, ability to laugh in the face of
danger, and freedom to do whatever he pleases. Seriously, here’s a SPOILER: At one point in
the film, Spidey essentially helps destroy Times Square. It’s in the service of stopping Electro,
and he’s definitely more conscious of civilians than, say, Batman
(http://www.dccomics.com/characters/batman) has been in movies of late. That said, he still
trashes the place and walks away afterward. END SPOILER.
On the other hand, slightly older kids may find themselves relating to the character’s
emotional burdens. Along with a problematic love life, one of the film’s subplots involves
Peter’s long-lost parents, who may have been up to something shocking and/or illegal. While
3. Jazwares' Minecraft
Toys Bring an
not everyone experiences that exact situation in life, one could make the argument that
coming-of-age generally involves struggling with parental legacies, and being forced to
either find one’s way out from underneath that weight, or succumbing to it.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2, much like The Dark Knight, is not a superhero sequel where
everything is light and breezy to the closing credits. However, one of the enduring traits of
Peter Parker/Spider-Man—and what makes him a worthy role model—is how he always rises
above whatever tragedies befall him. Overall, I enjoyed The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but having
seen it, I now think Hasbro (http://www.hasbro.com/?US)’s toy line
(http://www.hasbro.com/marvel/en_US/spider-man/shop/browse.cfm?
N=63+218&Segment=SpiderMan) (see our full review of it here
(http://www.thetoyinsider.com/web-sling-into-fun-with-amazing-spider-man-2-toys/)) could
use a few “Peter Parker-in-regular-street-clothes” items—and some Gwen Stacy ones, too.
Sometimes, it’s the quiet heroism that isn’t hidden beneath a red-and-blue skintight costume
that’s the most important.
(http://www.linkwithin.com/)
Tags: Columbia Pictures (http://www.thetoyinsider.com/tag/columbia-pictures/), Disney Marvel
(http://www.thetoyinsider.com/tag/disney-marvel/), hot kids movies
(http://www.thetoyinsider.com/tag/hot-kids-movies/), hottest kids movies
(http://www.thetoyinsider.com/tag/hottest-kids-movies/), kids movies
(http://www.thetoyinsider.com/tag/kids-movies/), Spider-man
(http://www.thetoyinsider.com/tag/spider-man/), spiderman
(http://www.thetoyinsider.com/tag/spiderman/), The Amazing Spider-Man
(http://www.thetoyinsider.com/tag/the-amazing-spider-man/), The Amazing Spider-Man 2
(http://www.thetoyinsider.com/tag/the-amazing-spider-man-2/), The Toy Insider
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Phil Guie (http://www.thetoyinsider.com/author/pguie/)
Phil Guie is an associate editor at Adventure Publishing Group. He writes and
edits articles for The Toy Book and The Licensing Book. Phil also serves as lead
editor for The Toy Book Blog and The Toy Report newsletter, and manages
social media for The Toy Book. But of course, Phil’s pride and joy are his weekly
reviews for The Toy Insider, in which he writes about video games, movies, and
other cool things. His hobbies include comics, baking, fidgeting, and traveling
to off-the-beaten places and making new friends.
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