A few weeks ago, I sang the praises of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” Today, we dive into the details of another superhero sequel.
Your favorite wall crawler has returned in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” now in theaters. Does your spider sense tell you I am a fan?
The Spider-Man movie franchise has been rebooted. Gone are the days when actor Tobey Maguire donned the red-and-blue tights in three films from 2002-07. He has been replaced by British actor Andrew Garfield beginning with 2012’s “The Amazing Spider-Man.”
Questions remained for the new film. Will Peter Parker still be with his girlfriend, Gwen Stacy? Even after, at the end of “ASM1,” her father died telling Spidey to leave her alone? How is Aunt May doing following the death of Uncle Ben? Will Harry Osborn show his face? And where the heck is Mary Jane?
I can answer most of these questions.
Is Spider-Man still dating Gwen (Emma Stone)? Yes and no. I mean, what would you do if you were in that situation? If you really love someone, is it best to let them go?
Peter still lives with his long-suffering Aunt May (Sally Field) in this outing, which also features the young hero graduating from high school. The sequel also sheds more light on the death of Peter’s parents. I wasn’t crazy about that thread in the first film, but I have to say, “ASM2” brings it to a satisfying conclusion
And, yes, we get to meet Pete’s childhood friend, Harry, awesomely portrayed by Dane DeHaan. I’m a big fan of DeHaan, who is one intense actor. He played a supervillain once before in “Chronicle” and was downright perfect in “The Place Beyond the Pines.”
As for Mary Jane, the redhead who is Spidey’s most-recognized love interest, I can’t say when he’ll meet her, but I can say she isn’t in this picture. Comic-book fans will smile when I add that a young lady named Felicia does appear. Sorry, that won’t mean much to you casual fans.
I wasn’t eager at first to replace my Tobey with Garfield, but after this most-recent venture, which was action-packed and emotional, the new franchise has won me over.
Ah, but I’ve almost forgotten to mention what you are all waiting for — Electro. Jamie Foxx is the electrifying villain. And I haven’t even mentioned all the baddies Spidey has to battle in this picture.
Was “ASM2” better than “The Winter Soldier?” That is an unfair question. I preferred Cap’s sequel just a smidgen. With the Avengers conglomeration, he’s part of something bigger. I think audiences agree. “ASM2” brought in more than $90 million last weekend, while Cap 2 grossed more than $95 million in its opening weekend last month. But who’s counting?
So, guess what — I’m a fan!