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Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week.

The Amazing Spiderman 2
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Sally Field, and Campbell Scott
Synopsis: A decade ago, Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire delivered “Spider-Man 2.” It was largely regarded as the best of their films, and one of the best superhero films of the time. It made more than $115 million during its opening weekend, and was one of the top films of the year. But in this era of Hollywood, everything old is new again — even if it wasn’t that old. The problem for Sony — the studio that holds the rights to Spiderman — is that if they don’t make a new movie every couple years, they lose the rights. So in 2012, a decade after the original trilogy launched, Spiderman was reborn in “The Amazing Spiderman.” This new franchise, starring Andrew Garfield and directed by Marc Webb, offered its second outing to kick off the summer movie season. It portended to raise the stakes, the action and the excitement of the franchise. In some sense it does all that, but it’s hard to say what kind of movie they want to make. It’s a spectacle, but beyond that there’s little to say. There is a lot that this film had to serve here. One of the criticisms of “Spider-Man 3,” the final outing from Raimi and Maguire, was that it tried to get too much plot in. There were multiple villains and storylines, and the film felt too bloated. That same argument could be made about “The Amazing Spiderman 2.” The film tries to advance Peter’s narrative, fill in the holes about his past and explore his relationship with Gwen. It also tries to explore his relationship with Harry, and Harry’s own troubled family dynamics. Then the storyline with Max — who becomes the villains Electro — is put on top of that, and the back half of the film is dedicated to setting up the future of not only other “Spiderman” films but possible spin-offs in the world. That’s a lot of goals to serve in a movie that is bloated to 143 minutes. This film is basically a lot of action sequences with some connective tissue between it. Additionally, it feels like there are a lot of endings here. This, again, has to do with the amount of story it has to service, and the fact it has to set up the future of this franchise and all its possible derivations. No longer are these movies just about their own story, they are about how they fit in the larger narrative. While the Marvel produced films in the “Avengers” franchise have managed to strike the right balance in that dual mission, “Spiderman” does not. There are a few light-hearted moments and comedic interludes early in this film that allow the talent of Stone, Garfield and Foxx to shine through. But once the film settles into its major plot, much of that is washed away with lavish special effects and action sequences. A concern I have with “Spiderman” as opposed to other superhero stories is the target audience. Spiderman has always played well with younger children, and the product tie-ins also appeal to younger audiences. But the film is darker and more action-oriented. It’s PG-13 for a reason, which clashes with the audience that is most interested in seeing it. Where the Raimi “Spider-Man” films felt somewhat light-hearted, these films do not. There is nothing wrong with “The Amazing Spiderman 2.” It’s a perfectly serviceable film that accomplishes what’s needed in terms of advancing the larger story. It has the action and adventure that’s expected from modern summer blockbusters, and it entertains the target audiences. But there is nothing special or iconic about this film. It feels like a movie that simply exists to make money for the studio and retain the rights of the characters. It’s OK, but in a saturated superhero market that isn’t good enough.
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action/violence.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

Upcoming Release:

Friday, May 9 — "The Neighbors," "Mom's Night Out," "Chef," "Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return"

Friday, May 16 — "Godzilla," "Million Dollar Arm"

Friday, May 23 — "Blended," "X-Men: Days of Future Past"

Friday, May 30 — "A Million Ways to Die in the West," "Malificent"