# The Amazing Spiderman 2 - Blu-ray Review



## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=24401[/img] 
*Title: Amazing Spiderman 2 3D* 

*Movie:* :3.5stars:
*Video:* :4.5stars:
*3D:* :3.5stars:
*Audio:* :4.5stars: 
*Extras:* :4stars: 

*HTS Overall Score:*85




[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=24409[/img]*Summary*
With the success of “The Amazing Spiderman” I was MORE than eager to the sequel and was waiting with baited breath. Usually sequels follow the standard formula and try to up everything, from the action, the gags, and the one liners to everything in-between in an effort to outdo the original. Unfortunately “The Amazing Spiderman 2” not only follows that formula it also reeks of studio interference. With the success of Marvel at creating a “universe”, Sony is desperately trying to recreate that lightning strike by creating a universe of their own, inevitably leading up to a “Sinister 6” movie (Spidey’s most famed villains, other than Venom), instead of focusing on making each movie a GOOD movie. Thusly, things start to fall apart as the desperation grows more frantic.

When we left off last time, Gwen (Emma Stone) and Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) were back in love and disobeying Captain Stacey’s ultimatum of keeping Gwen out of this superhero business. Now it’s high school graduation and Spidey is king of the world, only he can’t seem to get Captain Stacey out of his head and ends up wrecking his romance with Gwen. Simultaneously a small time electrical engineer named Max Dillon (Jaimie Foxx) ends up getting electrocuted over at Oscorp and suddenly gains the power of electricity. Stunned with his new powers Max ends up captured by goons at Oscorp and experimented on, tortured and pried apart to see how he ticks. Harry Osborne comes home only to find his dying father has nothing to say to him besides that the family is cursed with a terminal genetic illness and begs Harry to find a cure for himself, even if Norman can’t partake in the benefits. This sets forth a cataclysmic turn of events where Harry, Max and Peter’s lives will soon be intertwined.

Harry finds out that the only thing that can save him is the genetic research that Peter’s father and Norman worked on for so very long, the same project that gave Peter his fantastic powers. Craving that miracle, Harry begs Peter to talk to Spiderman and have Spidey donate some blood so that he can replicate the process in his own body and stop the genetic disease. Realizing that it could be dangerous, especially considering the damaging effects the serum had on Dr. Curt Connors, Peter (or shall I say Spiderman) refuses Harry’s request, which sends Harry into a desperate rage. Teaming up with Max, who now calls himself Electro, Harry finds out that the other members on the board at Oscorp still have the serum and that the “cure” is right within his grasp, leaving Electro all the time he needs to hunt down and try to kill Spiderman, the same person he believes betrayed his trust. 

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=24417[/img]
I’m really rather saddened at the way “The Amazing Spiderman 2” turned out. It’s not a bad film, but after the incredible breath of fresh air that the first film was, the fall from grace was disappointing to say the least. The sequel certainly amps up the action, and amps up the stakes, but the studio interference was just a bit too much. You can see that they are trying so hard setting up the Sinister Six that they cram too much into once space. You have Paul Giamatti as the Rhino, who’s only in the film for like 5 minutes, Electro as the main villain, and even Harry Osborne turning into the inevitable Green Goblin (which surprisingly they bypassed Norman as the original Goblin and skip straight to the second incarnation that Harry is). THEN they up the angst level between Gwen and Peter to the nth degree in an effort to sooth the romantic bone. Peter and Gwen still have that sizzling chemistry they had from the first film, but the angst was just a bit too much for me to handle. However, I really do have to say that the action scenes were top notch. I was never bored and the soaring score kept me invigorated and glued to the screen the entire time. 

Down to the villains. Before I go on, I must say that this whole reboot is based off of the Ultimate Spiderman series and thus some of the villains have a new take on them. Rhino is no longer a musclebound guy in a rhino costume, he’s actually a mechanized suit with a Russian criminal inside. I can live with Rhino, he’s only in it for a few minutes and sets up the next film. The real shame here is Electro. Jaimie Foxx is such a talented actor and was just WASTED the entire film. It seems like the writers decided to give him every bad line and cliché in the film and pile it all on the poor guy. The cheese and ham is so thick during the Max Dillon/Electro scenes that it just oozes from the pores and stinks up the entire room. A few bad one liners is one thing, but the horrible handling of Electro is pretty painful to watch. I also was not a fan of the way they turned him into a godlike being of electricity who could morph and rematerialize ala Dr. Manhattan. He was just way too amped up from the comics. Still, the fight scenes between Spidey and Electro were a blast to watch and certainly are eye and ear candy. The final villain is actually my favorite for we all guessed that Harry had to become the Goblin sooner or later, especially after seeing the exo skeleton suit and glider in the Oscorp lab earlier in the film. I actually really like Harry’s portrayal as the drug induced crazy killer. Dane Dehaan really embraced the roll and gave it a twisted flair that works really well. The goblin vs. Peter at the end culminated in the only way it could culminate if you’re a fan of Spiderman lore, and even though I knew it was coming that ending still left me sick to my stomach with sadness at the events that played out. 

As mentioned, the film definitely has its flaws. It’s a bit too busy with too many sub plots and definitely tries to tie in a lot of things together in an effort to setup the next movies. Through that I have to say there is still plenty of fun to be had in the series. Garfield still plays a much better Spidey than the horribly bad Tobey McGuire and the action is off the charts. I enjoyed the film, just not as much as I adored the first movie in the reboot. So with that in mind, I have to say that while it may be the most disappointing superhero movie of the summer (we’ve had some incredible ones with the new X-men, 
Guardians of the Galaxy” and the awe inspiring “Captain America 2”), it’s still a blast to watch and certainly worthy of some view time. 





*Rating:* 

Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action/violence



*Video* :4.5stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=24425[/img]This is a day and date Sony release, so do I really need to say more? Well, Ok you twisted my arm. If Sony does one thing well, it’s the quality of their Blu-ray releases in terms of audio and video. “The Amazing Spiderman 2” is no different as it pops off the screen with jaw dropping clarity and color precision. The bright blues and reds of Spidey’s costume look downright incredible, and you can actually see the suit wrinkle and fold as Peter moves around in the costume. Electro is neon shimmering blue and the saturation of these colors is simply astounding, contrasting with the deep blacks of the night time where Petey and Sparkles battle it out. Shadow detail is just as amazing as the regular fine detail, leaving nothing to the imagination. Contrasts look amazing and the skin tones are spot on perfect. There’s a nice thin layer of minimalistic grain to the picture, giving it a very pleasing and filmic presentation and it’s never annoying or distracting, just there in the back of your mind’s eye. 






*3D* :3.5stars:
The 3D Presentation is just as good as the 2D, just with the added side effect of colors being a tad darker. The textures and backgrounds are what really stand out here, as there are few, if any, gimmicky pop outs. The yellows seem to be a bit orange tinted, but nothing that will stand out, I had to have it pointed out by another person for me to even notice the tinge. Detail is amazing as you would have guessed, and those lovely textures look amazing in 3D, especially Spidey’s webbing and dimpled costume. A very good 3D presentation for Sony, for sure. 



*Audio* :4.5stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=24433[/img]The English 5.1 DTS-HD MA track is neck and neck with the video in this release and literally pulses with energy at every corner. The immersion levels are incredible as you can hear the whistling of the wind around Spiderman’s ear as he slings through the air and sounds of New York cars honking, screeching with human voices interjected from all angles creates a very impressive level of directionality. Dialogue is perfectly audible and balanced at all times, with some impressive dynamic range, especially during Spiderman’s encounters with Electro. LFE is incredibly accurate and tight. It ranges from soft and intertwined during the more laid back scenes, but when it’s time for the action that soft pitter patter of little drivers turns to a sonic wall of deep and powerful bass. The score is a thing of beauty, for even though the film may not be the best, the music has an intoxicating sound to it driving your spirits upward and getting you revved up for the encounter at hand. Top notch and just a hair shy of being perfect, with the only thing negative I can say about the track is that there is a little bit of a background hiss in a couple of really quite dialogue scenes (most notably when Peter and Aunt May have their heart to heart chat in the bedroom and just as Gwen is about to have her final interview with Oxford). 






*Extras* :4stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=24441[/img] 
• Audio Commentary
• Deleted & Alternate Scenes
• he Wages of Heroism: Making "The Amazing Spider-Man 2"
- Lessons Learned: Development and Direction
- Heart of the City: Shooting in New York 
- Triple Threat: Attack of the Villains
- A More Dangerous World: Transforming Goblin and Electro
- Bolt from the Blue: Visual Effects
- Spidey Gets His Groove Back: Music and Editing 
• The Music of "Amazing Spider-Man 2" with Director Marc Webb
• Music video







*Overall:* :4.5stars:

“The Amazing Spiderman 2” is not a train wreck, but as a fan of the first “Amazing Spiderman” I have to sadly say it’s a step down and most certainly a result of studio tampering. In their efforts to create a “universe” much like Marvel Studios has done, they created a situation similar to how Raimi’s “Spiderman 3” dipped so much in quality from the previous film. That being said, the film is still quite an entertaining experience, especially if you can get past the cringe inducing Electro. The audio and video for this one are top notch and demo worthy for sure, so I give a recommendation of “watch for yourself”. In short, if you were not a fan of the first one, you probably won’t like this one, as it dips down decently, but if you really like the first one, as I did, then you should still find this installment decently entertaining. 

*Additional Information:*

Starring: Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield, Jaimie Foxx
Directed by: Marc Webb
Written by: Alex Kurtzman, Bob Orci
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, French, Spanish DD 5.1
Studio: Sony
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 142 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: August 19th




*Buy Amazing Spiderman 2 3D Combo Pack Blu-ray on Amazon*
*Buy Amazing Spiderman 2 2D Combo Pack Blu-ray on Amazon*



*Recommendation: Watch It​*







More about Mike


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## d12d (Dec 21, 2011)

Nice review, I agree with everything you said. I went into this film not expecting a whole lot and thought it was entertaining. Jamie Foxx's character was definitely way over the top and distracted from the movie.


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## Jon Liu (May 21, 2007)

I really liked The Amazing Spiderman and was looking forward to seeing this one in theaters, but I just never got around to it... I will be picking this up next week for sure. Thanks for the review, as always!


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

Jon Liu said:


> I really liked The Amazing Spiderman and was looking forward to seeing this one in theaters, but I just never got around to it... I will be picking this up next week for sure. Thanks for the review, as always!


I did as well, I believe you'll end up at least enjoying this one, it's just not as good as it's predecesser


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## Jon Liu (May 21, 2007)

I will definitely be keeping that in mind.  I keep hearing how over-the-top Mr. Foxx was... that's really too bad because he was what I was most looking forward to...


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## Jon Liu (May 21, 2007)

Okay, maybe right after Emma Stone...


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

LOL, know what you mean about Emma stone. Unfortunately Jamie Foxx was EASILY the worst part of the film. it's like all the writers decides to cram all the bad dialog into his part of the script


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## B- one (Jan 13, 2013)

I'm going to re watch the first tonight! Thanks for the review I may have to pick this one up hopefully I can find a good price in the Sunday press. Thanks for the review!


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## asere (Dec 7, 2011)

Thank you for the review. I just purchased the movie and will be watching it this weekend for the first time.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

I also added this one to the collection and just need to coordinate schedules with the wife to sit down and watch it. I'm a big fan of Jamie Foxx and very surprised to hear his performance was distracting. Between the audio/video quality and Emma Stone that should be enough to enjoy the movie.


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## Jon Liu (May 21, 2007)

I watched this one last night and I have to say that Jaime Foxx's performance was not as distracting as I anticipated. Maybe because my expectation of "bad" and "distracting" has been set really low by Michael Bay's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which I saw just last weekend. Mr. Foxx's role still wasn't the best that he could be, but it wasn't as bad as I originally expected.

I really liked the dynamic of Peter and Gwen's relationship in this movie. In any of the Spider-man movies before this, I have not felt the connection and purpose for Peter/Spider-man as much as I did with this film. I think that Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone did a fantastic job with this.

I also really liked the goofy jokes and quips that Spidey made. It really made it payed homage to the comics, I thought. I also really, really liked the musical score, especially Electro's theme. Hans Zimmer did amazing work.

Now, what I didn't like was how tacked on Rhino felt. 
*Spoiler* 



I wish they didn't even show him in the trailers because it was really misleading. I was actually waiting for him to show up the entire movie. Instead, he is captured at the beginning and doesn't come back until the last 2 minutes of the movie. I guess it would've been a good setup for another sequel if they just didn't show it in the trailers.




Alas, I actually found myself enjoying this one as much (on a different level) as the first one.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

Hans Zimmer has been doing amazing work for a LONG time. Good to hear you enjoyed it so enthusiastically.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

We also watched this and really enjoyed it. To be honest Mike I didn't have a problem with Jamie Foxx's character Electro at all. Outstanding audio/video and some genuinely funny parts had us laughing throughout the movie. A worthy addition to my collection.


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## asere (Dec 7, 2011)

Saw the movie just now for the first time and loved it. The picture was excellent and so was the audio. Loved how Electro's voice made the couch vibrate with sub action.
EXCELLENT!!


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## B- one (Jan 13, 2013)

I'll need to re-watch this one. I liked the first one a bit more maybe the second time around it will sit better. I didn't mind Jamie Fox's character but the "Rhino" seemed a little lame.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

B- one said:


> I'll need to re-watch this one. I liked the first one a bit more maybe the second time around it will sit better. I didn't mind Jamie Fox's character but the "Rhino" seemed a little lame.


Agreed, if any character was lacking it was Rhino. A little cheesy for sure. Great movie though!


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

glad you guys enjoyed it!


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Liked the movie a lot but did anyone else notice the distortion of the dialogue on at least two quiet scenes where Parker and Gwen were talking? It was really noticeable almost like there was way to much compression on it? Other dialogue was fine throughout. I don't have any compression turned on in the receiver or anything else and I'm using the full uncompressed audio.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

tonyvdb said:


> Liked the movie a lot but did anyone else notice the distortion of the dialogue on at least two quiet scenes where Parker and Gwen were talking? It was really noticeable almost like there was way to much compression on it? Other dialogue was fine throughout. I don't have any compression turned on in the receiver or anything else and I'm using the full uncompressed audio.


very much so. almost like an audible hiss, as if it was being boosted too much. it happened just as Gwen is going in to talk about the Oxford projecto\ and peter intercepts as well as the scene where Peter and Aunt May have their heart to heart


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Surprising that that made it to the final cut in that state.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

tonyvdb said:


> Surprising that that made it to the final cut in that state.


yeah, I thought something was wrong with my setup, or my speakers were picking up some interference, but I double checked half a dozen discs that night with quiet conversations and they all came back fine. it's the authoring somehow.. it's not a lot of times on the disc, but those 2-3 times are very noticeable IMO


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## carodriguez1214 (Sep 12, 2014)

i agree with you nice review


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