The Amazing Spider-man 2

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Director: Marc WEbb
Actors (Main): Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Dane Dehaan, Jamie Foxx
Release Date/s: April 30th 2014 (PH); May 2nd 2014 (INTL)
My Rating: ★★★★★

WE'VE ALWAYS KNOWN THAT SPIDER-MAN'S MOST IMPORTANT BATTLE HAS BEEN WITHIN HIMSELF: THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN THE ORDINARY OBLIGATIONS OF PETER PARKER AND THE EXTRAORDINARY RESPONSIBILITIES OF SPIDER-MAN. IT'S GREAT TO BE SPIDER-MAN. FOR PETER PARKER, THERE'S NO FEELING QUITE LIKE SWINGING BETWEEN SKYSCRAPERS, EMBRACING BEING THE HERO, AND SPENDING TIME WITH GWEN. BUT BEING SPIDER-MAN COMES AT A PRICE: ONLY SPIDER-MAN CAN PROTECT HIS FELLOW NEW YORKERS FROM THE FORMIDABLE VILLAINS THAT THREATEN THE CITY. WITH THE EMERGENCE OF ELECTRO, PETER MUST CONFRONT A FOE FAR MORE POWERFUL THAN HE. AND AS HIS OLD FRIEND, HARRY OSBORN, RETURNS, PETER COMES TO REALIZE THAT ALL OF HIS ENEMIES HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON: OSCORP.

OKAY. SO I WATCHED IT YESTERDAY IN 3D. IT'S PHILIPPINES RELEASE WAS APRIL 30, 2014, WHICH WAS TWO DAYS EARLIER THAN SOME.

I'LL BE GIVING YOU SOME RECAP, THOUGH MOST OF YOU PROBABLY KNEW WHAT HAPPENED TO GWEN - BECAUSE WIKIPEDIA IS SUCH A SPOILER (IF YOU DON'T KNOW YET, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.)

I WOULD SAY THAT THIS IS THE MAIN CHARACTERS:
ANDREW GARFIELD AS PETER PARKER/SPIDER-MAN - EVERYBODY KNOWS WHO IS SPIDER-MAN
EMMA STONE AS GWEN STACY - PETER'S ON AND OFF GIRLFRIEND
DANE DEHAAN AS HARRY OSBORN/GREEN GOBLIN - PETER'S BEST FRIEND (10 YEARS AGO) AND NORMAN OSBORN'S (OWNER OF OSCORP) SON
JAMIE FOXX - MAX DILLON/ELECTRO (SPARKLES) - AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER IN OSCORP WHO'S KIND OF OBSESSED WITH SPIDER-MAN

THE FILM OPENS WITH RICHARD PARKER, PETER PARKER'S FATHER, RECORDING A VIDEO MESSAGE EXPLAINING (TO HIS SON, PERHAPS) HIS DISAPPEARANCE. LATER, HE WAS ON BOARD AN AIRPLANE WITH HIS WIFE, MARY PARKER. A MAN THEN EMERGED FROM THE COCKPIT, HIS HAND BLOODY (HE KILLED THE PILOT), AND TRIED KILLING RICHARD. FORTUNATELY, RICHARD SENT THE VIDEO MESSAGE ADDRESSED TO 'ROOSEVELT' BEFORE THE AIRPLANE CRASHES.

Back to the PRESENT, PETER PARKER IS ASSUMING HIS ROLE AS SPIDER-MAN, PURSUING ALEKSEI SYTSEVICH (LATER TO BE CALLED RHINO) AS HE STOLE A TRUCK CONTAINING SOME VIALS. AS HE APPREHENDS ALEKSEI, HE RESCUED MAX DILLON; HE TALKED TO GWEN ON PHONE SAYING HE'LL BE IN THEIR GRADUATION CEREMONY IN 10 MINUTES, TOPS. WHEN HE HAD ENSURED THAT NO VIALS WAS BROKEN, HE WENT STRAIGHT TO THE CEREMONY (HE MISSED GWEN'S VALEDICTORY SPEECH) AS HE WAS CALLED ON STAGE AND KISSED GWEN. AFTER THE GRADUATION, SHE INVITED PETER TO THEIR FAMILY DINNER. DURING THE DINNER (WHICH WAS ON A KOREAN OR CHINESE RESTAURANT, BTW) PETER TOLD GWEN THAT HE STILL SEES A VISION OF HER FATHER, GEORGE STACY, AND HE NEEDS TO KEEP HIS VOW TO HER FATHER, TO STAY AWAY FROM HER. SO GWEN BROKE UP WITH HIM.

HARRY OSBORN WENT BACK TO SEE HIS FATHER, NORMAN OSBORN, BATTLE HIS LAST BREATH. NORMAN INFORMED HARRY THAT HIS DISEASE IS HEREDITARY AND HE IS AT THE AGE (HE IS IN HIS EARLY 20S, NOT SURE) WHERE IT DEVELOPS. BEFORE NORMAN DIED, HE GAVE HARRY A LITTLE DEVICE SAYING IT CONTAIN'S HIS LIFE WORK. SOON AFTER, HARRY WAS APPOINTED THE NEW CEO OF OSCORP.

PETER HEARD FROM THE NEWS OF THE UNFORTUNATE DEATH OF THE FATHER OF HIS OLD FRIEND, SO HE WENT TO OSCORP AND TALKED TO HARRY SAYING THAT HE KNEW AND UNDERSTAND WHAT HARRY WAS FEELING. HE, TOO, HAS EXPERIENCED HAVING LOST A LOVE ONE, OR, TO BE EXACT, A PARENT.

MAX DILLON, A NOW OBSESSED FAN OF SPIDER-MAN (HIS ROOM IS COVERED WITH SPIDER-MAN PICTURES AND POSTERS; HE EVEN TALKS TO THE POSTERS) WAS HAVING HIS BIRTHDAY. WHEN HE WAS TENDING SOME FAULTY MACHINE, SINGING HAPPY BIRTHDAY, IN OSCORP (HE WAS LEFT ALONE) HE WAS ELECTROCUTED AND FALLS INTO A TANK FILLED WITH ELECTRIC EELS WHICH MUTATED HIM INTO A LIVING GENERATOR. WELL, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, ELECTRO.

PETER AND GWEN MET, BOTH TRYING TO MEND THEIR RELATIONSHIP BUT GWEN REVEALED THAT SHE MAY MOVE TO ENGLAND BECAUSE OF HER STUDIES. MEANWHILE. MAX, NOW ELECTRO, WANDERS IN TIME SQUARE; HE WAS CONFUSED AND ACCIDENTALLY (OR NOT) CAUSES A BLACKOUT. THEN CAME SPIDER-MAN. HE WAS TRYING TO CALM ELECTRO, SAYING THAT HE REMEMBERED HIM, BUT A POLICE FIRED AT MAX MAKING HIM ANGRY. EVENTUALLY, SPIDER-MAN SUCCESSFULLY STOPPED HIM AND HE WAS TAKEN TO AN INSTITUTE THAT WOULD STUDY HIM.

SYMPTOMS OF HARRY'S 'ILLNESS' ARE NOW VISIBLE. THE LITTLE DEVICE HIS FATHER GAVE TO HIM ACCIDENTALLY SLIPPED AND FELL TO THE TABLE WHICH SHOWED DETAILS ABOUT OSCORP AND HIS ILLNESS. HE HAD CONCLUDED THAT SPIDER-MAN'S BLOOD WOULD CURE HIS ILLNESS, SO HE CALLED PETER (WHO STAYED UP ALL NIGHT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE A WEB-SHOOTER THAT WON'T BE TOASTED WHEN ELECTRO ELECTROCUTES HIM). HE ASKS PETER BECAUSE HE DEDUCED THAT PETER KNEW SPIDER-MAN BECAUSE PETER WAS SELLING PHOTOS OF SPIDER-MAN. PETER TOLD HIM HE WOULD TALK TO SPIDER-MAN BUT IT CLEARLY SHOWS THAT HE REFUSES, UNSURE WHETHER HIS BLOOD WOULD CURE HARRY OR NOT. HARRY WAS REMOVED AS A CEO BECAUSE THE BOARD-MEMBERS OF OSCORP FRAMED HIM (FOR 'COVERING UP MAX'S ACCIDENT'). BUT BEFORE HE WAS REMOVED, FELICIA, HIS SECRETARY, INFORMED HIM THAT THERE IS AN EQUIPMENT IN OSCORP THAT COULD HELP HIM. HE WENT THE INSTITUTE ELECTRO WAS IN AND PROPOSED A DEAL WITH HIM, HARRY WOULD HELP HIM AND IN RETURN ELECTRO WOULD HELP HIM GO BACK TO OSCORP. IT TOOK SOME TIME BECAUSE ELECTRO DOUBTS IF HARRY WOULD TRULY HELP HIM BUT EVENTUALLY HE MADE THE DEAL AFTER HARRY SAID THAT HE NEEDS HIM. IN OSCORP, HE FOUND THE VIAL HE WAS LOOKING FOR AND INJECTED HIMSELF WITH IT, HE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS THE CURE BUT IT TRANSFORMED HIM INTO A GOBLIN-LOOKING CREATURE (AND Baam! The GREEN GOBLIN WAS [re]BORN).

BACK IN PETER'S HOUSE, HIS AUNT TOLD HIM ABOUT HIS FATHER. ANGRY THAT HE JUST KNOW THAT, HE CRUMPLED THE PICTURES, HE SO CAREFULLY TAPED IN HIS WALL, AND THREW HIS FATHER'S THINGS. AS HE THREW THE STUFF, THE CALCULATOR BROKE AND PRODUCED TINY COINS. HE THEN SEARCHED ABOUT IT AND FOUND OUT AN ABANDONED SUBWAY STATION (HIDDEN LAB). HE WATCHED THE VIDEO MESSAGE HIS FATHER LEFT; IT EXPLAINS HIS DISAPPEARANCE (THE VIDEO MESSAGE HE MADE IN THE FIRST PART OF THE FILM). AS HE WAS LEAVING THE SUBWAY, HE HEARD GWEN'S VOICE MAIL SAYING THAT SHE WAS OFFERED A SCHOLARSHIP AND IS HEADING TO ENGLAND EARLIER THAN EXPECTED. BECAUSE THERE'S THIS HUGE TRAFFIC CONGESTION, HE MANAGED TO CATCH HER, PROFESSED HIS LOVE (HE EVEN WROTE 'I LOVE YOU' ON WILLIAMSBURG BRIDGE USING HIS WEB FLUID) AND THEY AGREE THAT HE WOULD GO TO ENGLAND TO VISIT HER (THERE ARE LOTS OF CRIME IN ENGLAND RIGHT? OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT).

AND THEN CAME ELECTRO, CAUSING ANOTHER BLACKOUT - THIS TIME, THE ENTIRE CITY. SO OF COURSE, SPIDER-MAN CAME TO THE RESCUE. HE DIDN'T KNEW THAT GWEN FOLLOWED HIM, BUT EVENTUALLY THE TWO WORKED TOGETHER AND KILLED ELECTRO IN AN EXPLOSION. NOW, I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE THE END, BUT NO, HARRY - NOW GREEN GOBLIN - CAME TO SEEK FOR REVENGE. AFTER SEEING GWEN WITH SPIDER-MAN, HE PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER AND DEDUCED THAT PETER PARKER IS SPIDER-MAN, HE KIDNAPPED GWEN; THEY FIGHT ON TOP OF A CLOCK TOWER. GWEN FELL WHILE SPIDER-MAN IS FIGHTING WITH GREEN GOBLIN, THOUGH HE TRIED SAVING GWEN (WITH HIS WEB FLUID [?], IT SNAPPED AS THE GEAR OF THE CLOCK TOWER ROTATED), THE CLOCK TOWER IS JUST SO HIGH THAT WHEN SHE HIT THE BOTTOM, THE IMPACT MAY BE TOO HARD TO EVEN SAVE HER. (This is soooo sad.)

HE THEN WITHDREW ON BEING SPIDER-MAN. FIVE MONTHS AFTER THE UNFORTUNATE EVENT, HE STILL VISITED HER GRAVE. HARRY IS GRADUALLY HEALING FROM THE TRANSFORMATION; THE 'MAN IN SHADOWS', which highly suspect is Harry, BREAKS ALEKSEI (THE ONE ON THE FIRST PART OF THE FILM) OUT OF PRISON AND EQUIPS HIM WITH AN ARMOR (THE ARMOR WAS SEEN DURING HARRY'S TRANSFORMATION). VOILA, RHINO WAS BORN. OF COURSE, HE RAMPAGED THE STREETS.

MEANWHILE, PETER, STILL IN HIS HOUSE, IS LETTING GO OF GWEN. HE WAS STASHING SOME OF GWEN'S PICTURE (AND ALSO HIS FATHER'S CASE) WHEN HE SAW GWEN'S GRADUATION SPEECH. HE WATCHED IT AND WAS INSPIRED (THE VIDEO/SPEECH IS ABOUT HOPE) TO CONTINUE BEING SPIDER-MAN.

BACK TO THE STREETS, A CHILD, WEARING A SPIDER-MAN SUIT, STEPPED UP IN FRONT OF RHINO (THIS CHILD WAS ALSO SAVED BY SPIDER-MAN WHEN HE WAS BEING BULLIED). THAT'S WHEN SPIDER-MAN RETURNS AND FIGHT WITH RHINO.

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IT WAS A ROLLER COASTER OF FEELINGS, ESPECIALLY SINCE I WAS ANTICIPATING THIS MOVIE AFTER IT'S FIRST FILM. I KNEW THAT GWEN WOULD EVENTUALLY DIE, BASED ON THE FIRST SPIDERMAN, BUT BECAUSE MARY JANE (SHAILENE WOODLEY) WAS PULLED OUT OF THE PRODUCTION, I HOPED THAT THIS TRILOGY WOULD BE ABOUT SPIDER-MAN AND GWEN. SO I WAS SHOCKED WHEN SHE DIED, UP UNTIL THE END, I WAS EXPECTING THAT THE GRAVE PETER WAS VISITING WAS HIS FATHER'S, BUT, NO, it was gwen stacy's. STILL, I'LL BE WATCHING THE NEXT INSTALLMENT (IF EVER THERE WAS). I just hope that it'll still be andrew garfield.