Despite Sami Riami's Spiderman series being a huge commercial hit, Sony decided to reboot Spiderman with a new cast and a different storyline only five years later. After a first installment that quickly cast doubt over the decision as another origin story done too soon, the second part has more room to focus on providing the audience with a new experience that need not be compared to the previous films. While it tries too hard to cram as much as possible in the storyline, it looks so good doing it, that despite our disappointment, the experience was still worthwhile. The story of the Amazing Spiderman 2 places a lot more emphasis on the romance between Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) and Gwen Stacey (Emma Stone) as well as Parker's parents' story, and uses very impressive action sequences and an intimidating villain to keep you interested. In fact, one of the best decisions Sony has ever taken is to change the original cast; with the exception of Harry and Norman Osbourne, everyone else is a perfect fit. Garfield makes for a much more believable Spiderman than his predecessor and his acting is a lot more authentic. Ultimately, it's the romance between Parker and Stacey that will keep you invested in the film and distract you from the unfocused story. The plot's main villain this time around is Electro (Jamie Foxx), originally known as Max Dillon, an electrical engineer at OsCorp. Electro is not the only villain of the movie and this is where the Amazing Spiderman 2 fails: its messy plot and too many characters go beyond the point of being rewarding, even if you are a fan of the comics. Much of the film branches off into other areas of Parker's life and abandons the main story, then goes back to it when it feels like it, in a way fit more for television than cinema. These digressive moments in the film are always interrupted by a welcome action sequence and there are some truly spectacular moments in this film. If you are going to go see Spiderman 2, don't skimp on money and go see it at an IMAX theatre. While 3D has become a frustrating trend in Egypt, it is hard to imagine this film being experienced otherwise. Its stellar visuals come to life with lengthy fight scenes, like Electro's first major scene (which we won't ruin here), or when Parker is simply swinging around Manhattan and we are given a first-person view of the experience. Paying for an IMAX ticket to experiencing these visuals properly is worth every pound. If you want a more controlled plot line and an overall better film, but a less convincing character, you should opt for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, instead. What the Amazing Spiderman 2 offers is captivating main characters played by an outstanding cast and excellent visuals, but it fails severely with a busy narrative that tries to do too much and an overpopulation of characters. Even so, its failure looks so good that it is worth seeing in a movie theatre at least once.
