Hey everyone! It’s time for a double review! 🙂
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Let’s start with the latest installment in the Spider-Man reboot. The first movie in the series promised to show us the hidden story behind Peter Parker’s dad, but we didn’t really too much. This installment definitely does a better job of providing more back story, complicating Peter Parker’s life as well as his relationship with Harry Osborn and Oscorp. That’s just one of many layers of this movie; there’s a lot going on here (it is a 2-hour + film), and I think for the casual moviegoer it might be easy to miss a lot of things or get overwhelmed trying to find everything. I, however, thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and definitely would not mind watching it again just to try and gather more information.
Let’s quickly cover some highlights. Andrew Garfield has grown into the role of Spider-Man very well. He has the young energy associated with our young superhero. He’s funny, charming, and incredibly likeable. While I will always have a fondness for the Raimi Spider-Man trilogy, I can’t deny that Garfield is a much better Spidey than Toby Maguire, both with and without the costume. Additionally, Emma Stone is a fantastic Gwen Stacy and a much better counterpart to Spider-Man than Mary Jane. Not only is she also funny and charming, but she isn’t afraid to get involved Spidey’s life and battles. Also, Stone and Garfield have a palpable chemistry between them, and they play off each other very well, and I enjoyed every minute of their screen time together. Jamie Foxx does a phenomenal job in his role, which is very complex. Max Dillon is a character who is both someone you feel pity for but are also creeped out by. He’s a lonely, depressed man who is obsessed by Spider-Man. After a horrendous accident on his birthday, he becomes a being made entirely of electricity. With that power, Dillon becomes Electro, the main villain of the film, and a very entertaining one at that. Lastly, we have one of my favorite new actors, Dane DeHaan, who does a fantastic job as Harry Osborn, and is far more intimidating than James Franco. I also love Webb’s version of the Green Goblin in this film, it’s also far more frightening than in the Raimi triology. So overall, I would say the casting was great.
I’ll wrap up this brief review by saying that this film definitely paved the way for the reported “Sinister Six” movie in the works, which for those of who don’t know is 6 of Spider-Man’s craziest villains teaming up against him. The last few scenes (and the entire credits scene) pointed in that direction. But beyond that, I think the story of Spidey and Electro was entertaining and action-packed, with some spectacular fight scenes, and is especially great in IMAX 3D! If you liked the previous Spider-Man movie, and are curious to see where they’re going with the franchise, it’s definitely worth a watch. It will probably be a bit overwhelming for the casual moviegoer who hasn’t yet seen a Spider-Man film, but for any comic book or super hero enthusiast, it’s a fun ride!
FINAL DIAGNOSIS: 8/10
Neighbors
Next, let’s take a look at the comedy Neighbors. One of my favorite raunchy and insane comedies of last year was This Is The End, so when I saw that the same people were behind this new movie, I couldn’t help but be excited! One of my favorite things to tell people is when the trailer does NOT ruin the film (because unfortunately that happens far too often nowadays)! I still laughed at some of those trailer moments, but was pleasantly surprised to be laughing throughout the rest of the film as well.
Let’s talk about the casting: this is a comedy hodgepodge of up-and-coming and veteran comedians. Seth Rogen plays an interesting role in this film, probably only rivaled by his role in Knocked Up. His character is a family man, a father/husband who loves his wife and kid but still acts like the lovable goof we expect him to be. He and Rose Byrne have a great chemistry with each other, and both are equally dumb and hilarious. Their relationship is a fun one to watch, as they try to be young and hip while still trying to be good parents. Zac Efron, who isn’t necessarily known for being a raunchy comedian, does a great job in this role, and is both likable and despicable at the same time. James Franco’s younger brother Dave works well alongside Efron, and together they play believable frat brothers. In addition to them, you have a bunch of awesome comedy cameos (I won’t ruin the surprise, but they are fun little scenes!) that add to the laughs in this film.
You can of course expect some pretty raunchy scenes, but of course there’s always a bit of heart behind these films as well. The ultimate message behind these films is about what it means to grow up and be an adult, and the film does a nice job of hitting it from both the younger and older perspectives. If you don’t mind a few jokes about genitals, drug-use and a healthy dose of f-bombs, than you will definitely enjoy this film, it’s definitely one of the funniest films of the year!
FINAL DIAGNOSIS: 9/10
Dr. A's Diagnoses 