More Parker, less Spidey

One goes in expecting slick action sequences and a larger-than-life superhero, but the sequel to the Amazing Spider-Man leaves a lot wanting

What do you expect from a superhero movie? I would vote for some amazing action sequences, slick special effects and a protagonist that makes you marvel (not a pun on creator Marvel comics) because he is, after all, supposed to be a “superhero”. But the sequel to the 2012 Amazing Spider-Man does not quite check all these boxes.

The first part ends with Peter Parker’s girlfriend’s father extracting a promise  from him to keep away from his daughter, just before he dies. But while he may have had every intention of doing so, Parker, played by Andrew Garfield, cannot keep away from the lovely Emma Stone, in the role of Gwen Stacy. So one of the opening sequences is of Parker  Parker making it just on time for their college graduation, after having stopped en route to tackle the hijack of a truck carrying plutonium. But Parker keeps seeing visions of her father, reminders of his promise, so Stacy steps up and declares that she is breaking up with him. If all this is not quite what you expected, be prepared for a lot more of emotional turmoil. And this is because the movie seems to be more about Peter Parker than Spider-Man. Parker also has to deal with other inner conflicts, such as his desire to know what really happened to his parents, since the answers of Aunt May (Sally Field) no longer suffice.

His childhood friend Harry Osborn, meanwhile takes over as head of the sinister Oscorp, where Parker’s father used to work, and the two are reunited when Parker drops in to pay his condolences after his father dies. Harry turns to Parker for help — he needs Spider-Man’s blood because he believes that is the only cure to reverse the illness that will otherwise kill him, as it killed his father. But to his dismay, Spider-Man says he cannot, for his sake, so Osborn decides to take matters into his own hands. Exit Osborn, enter the Green Goblin.

Oscorp is also responsible for creating the other super-villain in the film, Electro (Jamie Foxx), who in his previous avatar was a sidelined electrical engineer at the company and a big fan of Spider-Man because he saved his life once. But all that’s history when Osborn joins forces with Electro and holds the city to ransom, and of course, it’s up to Spider-Man to save the day.

There is enough of the flying around and swinging over, above and between buildings to make everyone happy and 3D just makes it better. Spider-Man’s one-liners are another bright spot — who doesn’t love a superhero with a great sense of humour. The cast, too, more or less strikes the right note. Garfield makes a great emotionally vulnerable Spider-Man, and Stone, who he is dating in real life, is a confident, bright girlfriend. Dane DeHaan is also a convincing brat who crosses over to the “dark side”.

But despite the good cast and the help of 3D, the film still is not the entertaining, action-packed super-hero film you expect to see. And that’s apart from the fact that I was not too cut-up with all the emotional drama. The ending sees Spider-Man get back to what he does best (save the world with aplomb), so one can hope that part 3 might be a little more amazing.