The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (DVD REVIEW)
The
Amazing Spider-Man 2
DVD Review by Kam Williams
Scintillating Spidey Sequel Set for DVD Release
If the idea
behind a sequel is to up the ante in terms of bombast and intensity, then The
Amazing Spider-Man 2 certainly fits the bill. This installment is bigger and
better and louder and longer, featuring more villains, next generation special
f/x, more captivating action sequences, and even a fully-blossomed romance
between Spidey’s alter ego Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) and his girlfriend,
Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone).
The picture’s
point of departure is a flashback filling in a bit of the back story about how
Peter became an orphan. We learn that his parents’ (Campbell Scott and Embeth
Davidtz) died aboard a doomed private plane hijacked
by an assassin (Bill Heck) with an agenda, but not before his scientist father
managed to email an explanatory message and critical computer file via
satellite.
Fast-forward to
the present, Peter and Gwen’s high school graduation day. We see a frustrated
Gwen searching the audience for her boyfriend as she delivers a sentimental
valedictory speech at the podium.
We soon learn
that he’s been delayed in Manhattan
where as Spider-Man he’s trying to retrieve a shipment of stolen plutonium from
a Russian mobster named Aleksei Sytsevich (Paul Giamatti). In the middle of the
chase, he coincidentally saves the life of Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx), an engineer
at Oscorp, the company responsible for supplying the city with electricity.
After securing
the vials and apprehending the perpetrator for the police, Peter rushes off to
his commencement ceremony, arriving right in the nick of time to receive his
diploma. However, he has no idea that he hasn’t seen the last of Aleksei and
Max who are fated to return later in the adventure after a combat suit of armor
and a freak accident enable them to morph into the villainous Rhino and
Electro, respectively.
But first, he grudgingly ends his relationship with Gwen
in deference to her dad (Denis Leary) who doesn’t want his daughter dating a
trouble-seeking vigilante. Next, Peter finds himself summoned to the offices of
childhood pal Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), who has just inherited Oscorp
Industries, but is suffering from the same hereditary affliction which claimed
the life of his recently-deceased father (Chris Cooper).
Harry futilely
solicits Peter’s help in locating Spider-Man, hoping that a blood transfusion
might cure his affliction. Of course, that ain’t gonna happen. So, instead, he
has to settle for the venom of genetically-altered spiders, which transforms
him into another diabolical Spidey nemesis, the Green Goblin.
That makes a trio
of worthy adversaries for the webslinging superhero to dispatch in creative
fashion before the curtains come down. Provided you’re patient enough to sit
through the closing credits after 2½ hours, you’ll even be treated to a tease
of X-Men: Days of Future Past, opening later this month, courtesy of a Jennifer
Lawrence cameo as Mystique.
A “Marvel”-ously
entertaining franchise that miraculously just keeps on giving and giving!
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated
PG-13 for PG-13 for action and sci-fi violence
Running
time: 141 minutes
Distributor:
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD
Extras: Filmmakers’ commentary; four deleted scenes with commentary by director
Marc Webb; Alicia Keys music video “It’s on Again”; and a PSA for the Worldwide
Orphans Foundation.
To
see a trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, visit:
To
order a copy of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 on DVD, visit:
No comments:
Post a Comment