Yesterday we were invited to a special screening of footage from Marc Webb’s forthcoming superhero sequel The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which included the first 15 minutes in addition to a two pivotal scenes. We won’t go into too much detail about what we saw, but here are some of our takeaways from what was revealed. Suffice to say, there’s plenty of reasons to start getting excited.
More Focus on the Untold Story
One of the benefits to building worlds is that you get to give the audience little bits of the story over time. The information we were given on the mystery surrounding Peter’s parents in The Amazing Spider-Man was a little scarce, but for the follow-up it seems like we’ll be getting a much more sizeable chunk of that story. Again, no details, but the film starts on a serious and tender note before we’re formally reintroduced to our titular hero.
Spidey the Wisecracker
Whilst the serious subject matter of Peter’s parents will likely feature heavily, there will be a hefty dose of humour too, and Garfield is clearly revelling in Spider-Man’s cocky wit. From bantering with villains to a well-placed homage that will have fans smiling, it’s a damn-near perfect comic-film representation of the character. If there were any lingering doubts about Garfield after The Amazing Spider-Man, that will surely not be the case after this film; both in and out of the revamped costume, his charisma shines through. On a side-note, one of the things The Amazing Spider-Man did get right was the chemistry between Garfield and Stone, and that is retained here. The scene we were shown between them was sweet and funny, and having fully settled into their roles both actors made it look effortless.
Best Spidey Action Yet
The benchmark for action sequences in a Spider-Man movie is arguably Sam Raimi’s second Spider-Man effort, but The Amazing Spider-Man 2 looks set to raise that bar. Webb has admitted that his more grounded take for The Amazing Spider-Man perhaps wasn’t the best decision, and the difference in aesthetic between the first and second instalments is enormous. Right from Spider-Man’s epic reintroduction, the improvements are clear; the colours are more vibrant, the visual effects are much more accomplished than in early trailers (i.e. less video-game like) with effective use of 3D, and the action is very energetic. Indeed, as a whole, the picture looks far more cinematic than its predecessor.
More than just the looks, Webb & co have really nailed Spidey’s fighting style. From impressive mid-air acrobatics – first-person web-slinging looks fantastic – to his quick-thinking, it’s an inventive and exciting depiction of the webhead’s skill set, and it makes for some (wait for it) amazing sequences.
“His Greatest Battle Begins” is a Fitting Tagline
Much has been made of the fact that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is choc-full of villains, with Rhino (Paul Giamatti), Green Goblin (Dane DeHaan), Electro (Jamie Foxx) and Alistair Smythe (B. J. Novak) all due to make an appearance. We only got a look at the first three in the footage – and Rhino’s screen time is reportedly minimal – but it was just enough to get an initial impression on how Webb would be handling Spidey’s rogues gallery (which we know will eventually blossom into the ‘Sinister Six’ in The Amazing Spider-Man 3).
Unsurprisingly, it’s Foxx’s Electro who makes the biggest impression. Starting off as bumbling engineer Max Dillon before transforming into the freakish villain, the manner in which he controls and dispenses his God-like power in addition to his ego issues makes him a formidable foe.
Hans Zimmer’s Score is Unique
Hans Zimmer has been criticised in the past for creating music which sounds similar to his previous work, but that doesn’t apply here. Teaming with Pharrell Williams, Johnny Marr from the Smiths, Michael Einziger (of Incubus), Junkie XL, Andrew Kawczynski, and Steve Mazzaroritten – who have been dubbed ‘The Magnificent Six’ – the music is unlike anything typically heard in a superhero movie. Among the interesting choices Zimmer & co have made is a dubstep-like theme for Electro which echoes the villain’s inner monologue and helps represent the character’s vulnerability.
Based on this footage, odds are good that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will be a confident, action-packed sequel that will live up to its title. April 18th – mark the date.
