1. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (PG-13)
Sony Pictures/Marvel
RUSS
Let’s face it. When they rebooted the Spider-Man franchise in 2012, they set the bar high by calling it, “The Amazing Spider-Man.” “The Acceptable Spider-Man” or “The Competent Spider-Man” would have been more apropos. The same can be said of the sequel, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.”
SHAWN
Yes, once again there is nothing amazing about the ‘Amazing Spider-Man.” It’s actually pretty dull. The last 20-minutes are kind of exciting but nothing spectacular.
RUSS
The visual effects are pretty amazing, but there’s nothing else that’s exceptional in this continuation of the Peter Parker story.
SHAWN
That’s because this reboot is stuck in set-up mode. Please, please move forward. give us a refreshing story. something different. Something compelling.
RUSS
Andrew Garfield leads a notable cast of skilled actors who do the best they can with the material they’ve been given. Really fine performers like Jamie Foxx and Dane DeHann are wasted as the villains Electro and the New Goblin. The filmmakers have made an attempt to capture the snarky and sometimes-cheesy humor of the comics, but their efforts are only modestly successful.
SHAWN
The problem with this reboot is that it’s too similar in tone and execution with the original three Spidey movies. There is nothing new happening. Needed to completely over-haul like the difference between the original Batman movies and the darker reboot.
RUSS
The special effects team is the real star of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” deftly launching our web-slinging hero into some impressive action sequences. If your expectations are low, then “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is a adequate vehicle to launch the summer movie season.
SHAWN
Here’s an idea. Just let Spidey fight, swing, fight, and kiss the girl then fight, swing, fight and kiss the girl again. Stop setting things up! we get it. You parents abandoned you. You got bit by a spider and got powers and everyone in your peer group will eventually become your enemy.
RUSS: 3 Popcorn Bags
SHAWN: 2 Popcorn Bags
Also opening this week: “Le Week-End” is a romantic drama about an elderly British couple who return to Paris, the site of their honeymoon decades earlier, in an attempt to find the old spark or bring things to an end. Jim Broadbent and Lindsay Duncan co-star. “Finding Vivian Maier” is a documentary about a nanny who was also secretly a skilled photographer. After purchasing thousands of her photos at an auction, a man named John Maloof worked tirelessly to unravel the mystery of her life. “Short Peace” is a collection of for short anime films from Japan. “Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa” is a comedy starring Steve Coogan as an insufferable TV and radio broadcaster. “Hateship Loveship” is a comic drama about a shy housekeeper. Kristen Wiig and Guy Pearce co-star.
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