by Lorie Lewis Ham
Special coupon for Dinuba Platinum Theatre at the end of this review.
This weekend The Amazing Spider-Man 2 opened to mixed reviews but was top at the box office for the weekend. I have always loved super heroes, but I have to admit I’ve read very few comic books so I can’t attest to the accuracy of this reboot as compared to the comics–I can only judge this move on its own merits.
This is the second movie in the latest reboot of Spider-Man featuring Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker aka Spider-Man and Emma Stone as his girlfriend Gwen Stacey. Spider-Man 2 begins with Spider-Man chasing villains while his high school graduation is under way. Gwen calls him in the middle of this and he apologizes just like a “normal” boyfriend, while in the midst of trying to keep the city from being blown up. Peter misses Gwen’s valedictorian speech but makes it just in time to get his diploma. 
In the midst of chasing the villains, Spider-Man also saves the life of an electrical engineer from Oscorp named Max Dillon (played by Jamie Foxx) who then becomes obsessed with Spider-Man and thinks they are best friends. Due to an accident, Max later becomes one of the main villains of the movie that Spider-Man has to face. But the more deadly villain comes later from an unexpected place (probably not so unexpected if you read the comics) and brings a horrible price for Spider-Man.
I won’t say anymore about the plot because I don’t want to give too much away for anyone who hasn’t already had it ruined by spoilers on the internet. I was a fan of the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movies so I came into this reboot a little skeptical, and even after the first one still wasn’t sure how I felt. But Spider-Man 2 sealed it for me–Andrew Garfield does an “amazing” job in this movie of showing all sides of this character, including his conflict between loving Gwen yet wanting to keep her safe. The only thing I find missing with his portrayal is what Toby did brilliantly, showing us the more nerdy, shy side of Peter. Garfield’s Peter seems to be nearly as confident as his alter ego Spider-Man. However, his portrayal of the witty, snarky and confident Spider-Man is great.
Two other things I really like in this reboot are Emma Stone as his girlfriend and Sally Field as Aunt May. Emma and Andrew have wonderful chemistry, and I really like the fact that she knows he is Spider-Man. Gwen is strong, capable and the two make a great pair. Sally Field is spunky, and funny and endearing as Aunt May–of course I love her in pretty much anything she does.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is filled with action, emotion, great special effects, and it leaves you with a sense of hope–isn’t that just what a super hero movie is supposed to do? There are also funny moments and moments of heartbreak. If you are looking for a movie to see this weekend I highly recommend The Amazing Spider-Man 2!
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is currently playing at Dinuba Platinum Theatres 6, also in 3D. Showtimes can be found on their website. Platinum Theaters Dinuba 6 now proudly presents digital quality films in 2-D and 3-D with 5.1 Dolby digital surround sound to maximize your movie experience.
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I look forward to see the movie, it is on my watch list as well.