The Amazing-Spider Man 2

In 2012, the first Spider-Man came out from the new reboot series and it came out in a very "out of the blue" way. I can't say I never did appreciate a Spider-Man film though because Spider-Man is for sure one of my favorite superheroes out there. Why though, would they create a Spider-Man series five years after the last film in the original series?

The Amazing Spider-Man of 2012 still was a positive even with all the hate I give it. It brought in new rising stars who we got to know and it played well in the summer market. The film got a new audience for this famous Marvel character and it generated sequels.

In this movie, following the events in last movie, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is really up in the air (no pun intended) with his relationship with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) and a new villain, Electro (Jamie Fox) comes into the spotlight. Peter Parker also must deal with an old friend Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) who is now in charge of Oscorp and who's emotions turn him into the villain the Green Goblin. Parker is sure dealing with lot of tuff and it's starts to show.

Andrew Garfield is again likable which makes you wish he was around more often in films. He has very good chemistry with his co-star Emma Stone but the story of them trying to solve their relationship is surely past done by now. Still though, they make this film and I don't know where this film would be without the two of them together. Electro is nerdy and not a mentally stable guy and it's quite interesting for him to be in this film because he is not the most known villain in the Spider-Man universe which makes him original. The special effects with him are quite quirky and of a different vibe than what we have seen before but like the most characters in this film, his pacing is way off. Rising star, Dane DeHaan known for the forgotten but solid film Chronicle is just as silly as Electro but it's Dehaan himself who eventually who ruins this character for us. He can't develop the character himself making it a mundane character nor is his acting really up to a par. Even the usually lovable Sally Field as Aunt Jane is nowhere to be found and really adds nothing to film even when she is around.  

There also isn't much of a plot here. Sure, these characters do add something but a large portion of the film wanders around going nowhere and the movie has some really bad pacing. You would expect the typical long, action battle scenes to end the story and here the last battle scene sure does change the whole series. The main settings is New York City which it had to be but really you know what you are getting with this setting by now. It' a plot that has a lot to it but doesn't really go anywhere with it. I give the substance here a barely passing grade.

These are probably some reasons why this is movie is getting hated on after only one week at the top of the box office. You have wonder what Sony Pictures thinks of the future now for this series. This reboot continues to introduce us to new things to this character that we never thought would come to us but still fails to deliver the necessary stuff to make a really good Spider-Man film. I can't even say that I'm even looking forward to the likely sequels coming in the next few years and I never said this when the original sequels were coming. The Amazing Spider Man 2 and this whole reboot series  sure seems like a big question mark to me.

3/5

My favorite films of 2012

Due to a conflicting schedule that includes being in one of most challenging and highest-ranked high schools in Michigan on top of attending sporting events sometimes weekly, attending movies at theaters is sometimes hard for me. I did however see 15 to 20 films this past year but did miss some that I wanted to see. That being the case, my Best of 2012 list is probably unlike anyone else's list so here it is.

 

ParaNorman is a beautiful story with some great stop-motion that really works. This was a film that came as a big surprise to me and I absolutely loved it.

The Avengers  really worked for me and did much better overall then I ever expected. This movie takes somewhat of a complicated plot and makes it work. This movie will forever be very memorable for me.

The Cabin in the Woods is partly a horror film but at the same time it is a film that is very difficult to describe. This film has a very good cast with a chilling atmosphere and is one of the most interesting films from the last twenty years.

 

Life of Pi barely made my list but it is a great film. It is one of the most original films of 2012 with some of the most beautiful imagery you will ever see.

Honorable mentions

Woman in Black - Puts a flashback on horror and shows off the very cool Daniel Radcliffe.

We Need to Talk About Kevin - A scary film that parents of children should see.

The Amazing Spider-Man - I only really liked this one because we have a brand new series of the web-slinger.

The Lorax - A really good and underrated Dr.Seuss film.

Chronicle- One of the better found-footage films out there.

Who know what's going to happen in films in 2013 but these are what stood out for me in 2012. Check them out if you haven't seen them.

Chronicle

4/5

Chronicle is one of those films that I have been waiting to see since the trailer rolled around late last year. It seemed like something new and looked like a fun film. It also is a "found footage" film which is one of my favorite genres which made me even more excited.

Chronicle really impressed me. It is fun, has some really good characters and feels like an old 70's or 80's film and is something you never see now a days.

The film is about a group of teenagers who all got superpowers after going underground through a tunnel and finding a big ball of something filled with color and ice. I really do think this is one of the most interesting ideas I have seen in a film in a while. I think it really works well.

The one thing I was worried about was how the found footage was going to work here. Found footage only works for certain types of films. Here I don't think it had to be found footage for it to work but overall I thinks it works pretty well. The camera used for the found footage here is ridiculously big and no way would it be allowed at a high school like they it but that is just a minor flaw. By adding found footage, it makes the film feel more realistic and more real.

Another thing I was skeptical about was the superpowers of the teenagers and how that would work. From the trailers, not much is shown but in the end I was quite impressed how it was used. It is quite fun, original and actually can be pretty funny in some places. One of the main reasons why it works is because the teenagers in the film they are portrayed as kind of superheroes and at the same time they are not. They are typical teenagers who just have these powers and I really like the idea that they are superheroes even though they are just regular high school kids doing regular kid things. Another way it works is because the powers are quite original and something different.

The last reason why this film works is the actors and the characters. As a teenager and knowing of course a lot of things about them, I think the film really captures teenagers really well. The characters feel very realistic and it is very well acted. The characters really do feel as outcast and popular as they are portrayed.

The ending is also very effective. It keeps your head spinning and I think it sets itself up for an interesting sequel.

I can see how some could criticize some of the bad and cheesy special effects. There are also some unrealistic parts but that is just a minor criticism. In the end, Chronicle is a fun sc-fi film that is original and feels kind of vintage in a way. It is definitely a film you should see just to see something different and it is no doubt going to be visited by me in the near future.