“Everyone has a part of themselves they hide, even from the people they love most. And you don’t have forever, none of us ever do.” So says Aunt May to Peter Parker, aka, Spider-Man. That, in essence, captures the crux of the story of the superhero who’s always there just in the nick of time, and when late to family events and such, it is only for good reason, and not because he loves them any less. In fact, his great sense of love and loyalty actually compels him to sacrifice his love for the good of others. Now, what’s not to love about a guy like that? But some of his best moments are what he does as Peter Parker outside the suit.
The special effects are phenomenal as usual, which are now almost not quite as awe-inspiring as when the earliest of the modern movie series debuted about a decade ago.
Andrew Garfield dons the Spider-man suit very well, and his chemistry with Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy is not lacking in the least, perhaps in no small measure due to the real-life role of boyfriend that he is to her. Stone is like a porcelain doll, big eyes and all, and despite a somewhat clichéd supporting role that she plays, she only adds to the overall pleasure of the sights and sounds. Jamie Fox’s Electro is our latest villain, and the one other villain-guy looks like the spitting image of Leonardo di Caprio twenty years ago.
Minor gripes aside, this was a thoroughly enjoyable ride. A little too long, yes, but hey, what can you do when the world needs saving?
Summer Movie Season 2014 is off to a great start!
