Really? You’d think that Sony would know better after what caused Sam Raimi’s series to end so unfortunately. It’s a shame, but also no surprise, to see a promising franchise reboot grow so tiresome after one lousy sequel. ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ wasn’t the fresh do-over everyone expected, yet it seemed to signal the coming of new and exciting possibilities and storylines for everyone’s favorite web-slinger. ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ sadly suffers from a case of 'Spider-Man 3’, taking some huge steps back into familiar territory and mixing together too many subplots and characters that jumble the narrative into a web too convoluted to weave through. Simply put, this film makes Raimi’s final “Spidey” entry look magnificent. Everything just derails into a visual effect orgy that, although eye-popping at times, fails to give the film any true sense of excitement. Some of the action sequences and stylized shots of Spider-Man swinging his way through NYC are undoubtedly cool to look at, and are probably the only things this film has going for it. Aside from the film’s crazy disasters, director Marc Webb still manages to wring out some genuine performances from his actors, even though their characters are so terribly underwritten. The chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone is still cute, though at times it seems to get a little too sappy for a superhero flick. Jamie Foxx and Dane DeHaan, both fine actors in their own right, try their best to do more than just exude evil qualities seen in nearly every other superhero film. The team effort between cast and crew is commendable, as new things are tried here and there, but they ultimately succumb to the usual blockbuster antics. Probably the most disappointing antic here is the predictable set-up for the next film, which in this case happens to be a spin-off. Well, spin-off or sequel, it doesn’t make this franchise any different from most others. Devoid of any real inspiration and innovation, 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ goes little beyond its admittedly impressive visual effects and stylized action sequences.
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