5 Reasons Why The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Is Worth Your Attention

Of all the comic book properties to hit the big screen it seems that a critical eye heads towards Spider-Man more often than not in recent times. Marc Webb's reincarnation of Peter Parker's webbed wonder was criticised for its 'recycled' elements and a villain whose appearance and presence were less than favourable.

Enter The Amazing Spider-Man 2, a chance at redemption and to iron out the creases in that unitard and seal the deal for an ever-expanding universe. Still subject to some critical response, the sequel, set for its DVD and Blu-Ray release, possesses plenty to shout about. 

Don't believe me? Then enjoy five reasons why I think it could catch you in its glorious web.

Out of the darkness into the light

Unlike its predecessor, TASM2 boasts a largely colourful tone, sticking faithful to its comic book origins with a resplendent foray of bright and bold animations that feel all so true to its origins. With Spider-Man himself improved visually, plus Jamie Foxx's Electro sending volts of energy and visual flair to the film, it's hard to deny this is one of the most vibrant and true to its source comic book outing.

Spider-Man humours us

Humour is a big part of Spider-Man's personality and we finally witnessed this as the one-liners and visual comedy came flying at us at a pace that even Our Spidey sense would have struggled with. From an opening chase scene littered with hilarious gags aimed towards Paul Giamatti's Aleksei Sytsevich, to subtle exchanges between Peter and Gwendoline, this saw an exit from the darkness of the previous film into much more illustrated territory.

A love that lights up the screen

If there's one thing that can be said for Marc Webb is that he knows how to nail an on-screen relationship, namely Peter and Gwendoline. Admittedly aided by their real-life partnership, this is a love that blossoms with every frame and fills our hearts with warmth. The awkwardness that oozes charm, the simmering tension and the constant reminder that they simply cannot be without one another, this is a love story that demands your support and certainly grips you with both hands and never let's go. 

Fears of villain overload quelled

Spider-Man 3 saw a barrage of complaints over its over-indulgence in villains and a failure to execute them sufficiently and that fear extended to this sequel. Indeed, how could Electro, Rhino, Green Goblin and an inclusion of Sinister Six rumblings co-exist? Thankfully, Webb was not ready to take that pitfall and balanced his tyrannical figures with great ease, neither rushing their progression nor over-elaborate in their presentation. Electro sizzled, Green Goblin teased greater dangers and the Sinister Six were poised for birth...

Zimmer excels yet again

It's easy for many to forget the impact of personnel on films whose involvement is for no-one to see. Nevertheless, one man who guarantees he will be heard is Hans Zimmer, and once again the man himself produces an exceptional soundtrack worthy of plaudits. From the game-changing use of dubstep to hammer home the appearance of Electro, to the softer tender musical accompaniment to Peter and Gwen's scenes, Zimmer and his ensemble prove the perfect individuals to add that extra spark to an already electrifying movie.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is available on DVD and Blu-Ray from 1st September.

Marvel Films: A Fanatical Film Focus Part Two

So in the previous article we touched upon the best and worst Marvel movies and looked back at a fabulous 2011 the company is experiencing. Now, stepping into new territory we look at the best and worst villains that have graced our screens, do you agree? Don't forget to leave your comments, I would love to get all your thoughts!


Once again *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*!!


Best Villains
Superhero nemesis' are just important to the films as the heroes themselves and despite a majority of villains portrayed on screen not quite living up to their comic book reputation there have been a few to stand above the rest.


Despite a third film littered with terrible villains, Spider-Man 1 & 2 brought to us two of Marvel's best on-screen villains in the form of Green Goblin and Dr Octopus. Willem Dafoe's Goblin was a fitting character to introduce for the first Spider-Man movie, with Gobby being the one Spidey villain that the majority of viewers had heard of. Admittedly the costume could have been rendered slightly but that aside Dafoe filled the role with poise and utter evil. Grasping the character's evil streak and madness was essential and he personified the fall of Norman Osborn's sanity with ultimate ease. 


Following Dafoe's villain would be a tough task but Alfred Molina brought to screen yet another superb Spidey villain in the form of Dr Otto Octavius, a multi-mechanical limbed scientist who fell victim to his own experimental madness. Once again a mad scientist brought to life came to haunt Peter Parker and yet again delivered. Alfred Molina brought not just evil to the role but also a sense of vulnerability with Octavius mourning the death of his wife. And also who can forget that exceptional train fight scene!

Finally a villain who may top them all. A man who truly cannot be forgotten in Marvel's villain list; Magneto. There can be no doubt that a performer such as Sir Ian McKellen is tough to topple as the best on-screen Marvel villain so far. McKellen's Magneto is evil without overstating it, cunning and a great word-smith. It's rare to find such a villain so high up not being played as too evil or sadistic but Magneto on-screen is the perfect nemesis in the X Men saga. His relationship with Professor Xavier is a war of words as opposed to direct action against each other and McKellen's personification of the character gives you a sense of a brilliant minded character whose path has been directed toward the darker side. 


With the rebirth of the X Men franchise seemingly in full flow its hard not to mention Michael Fassbender's Magneto. Following McKellen is one of the toughest roles for an actor but Fassbender brings his own unique twist on Magneto without veering to far from the original concept. Showcasing Eric Lensherr's fall from good to evil was a task that Fassbender took to like a duck to water and with the conclusion of First Class resulting in Magneto turning against the X Men we can only hugely anticipate his role as a fully fledged villain in the next film.


Ones to watch - Loki and Red Skull - We all know Loki will return in The Avengers so expect a bigger part from Asgard's most evil and no doubt Tom Hiddlestone will bring the pain with another fantastic performance. Also we can't forget to give a mention to Hugo Weaving's Red Skull who showed us Nazi's are still out there in film land and no doubt we will see him return in a further Captain America adventure in the future. 


Worst Villains
Trudging through all the villains that underwhelmed in the Marvel films and picking out a few is difficult as there have been some real clangers. Through the litter here's my picks for the worst.


Now we all know that X Men 3 was utterly dreadful, with a terrible plot, a mixed bag of characters and way too much going on but there was one thing that ruined it the most: Juggernaut. Played by Vinny Jones in possibly the worst role of his life the unstoppable force looked puny and as if he had a boulder moulded onto his head. Look-wise he was shocking and with dialogue such as "I'm the Juggernaut bitch!" he was never going to get a good reception.

Carrying on the lacklustre trend come not one but two villains from the poor Fantastic Four flicks, Dr Doom and Galactus. Doom was present in both the films and failed to make a big impression in either despite being such a huge enemy for the foursome. Julian McMahon attempted to get that evil streak to the character but it never felt genuine and with little in actions from Doom we were left wanting so much more. 


Lucky for Doom he wasn't the only poor showing and was clearly usurped for the crown for worst villain in the Fantastic Four films by the planet eater Galactus. Supposedly one of the most evil and relentless forces in the galaxy for the superheroes ended up being a CLOUD.....   Enough said!

For my final terrible villain I have what for me was the biggest Marvel big bad flop they could have ever brought to screen, Venom. More iconic than any Spidey villain Venom was reduced to little more than the final third of Spidey's third film and was utterly mis-used. Playing second fiddle to Sandman and Goblin 2 was a mistake for a start and Venom's demise came just as quick as his introduction. If Marvel want to do Venom he must be in a full film as the main threat, not as just a ploy to get the audience to see the film. Biggest waste of a Marvel villain ever. 





Special thanks to Twitter folk @LastFilmSeen, @sonicsentry, @FistyFisterson, @Zinematic