THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2: RISE OF ELECTRO

Two years ago, we saw the launch of a new Spider-Man series, just five years after the previous series ended. Many questioned its relevance so soon after its predecessor, but it didn't stop audiences from showing up in droves and loving it. Now it’s sequel time, providing the opportunity to prove that the success of 'The Amazing Spider-Man' wasn't just a fluke.

Despite being subtitled ‘Rise Of Electro’, the film chooses to focus on the Peter Parker/Gwen Stacy love story above its villains, creating a wonderful new idea - what if it’s not Peter’s life that’s at risk, but his heart?

Unfortunately, 'Spidey 2' does fall into the sequel pitfall of villain overload, therefore splitting the focus of the film. It also suffers from something I like to call the Joel Schumacher Syndrome (sometimes referred to as the Pierce Brosnan Effect), where stars turn their lucrative franchises into tacky, campy, cliché and borderline embarrassing nonsense. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t the case with 'Rise Of Electro', but there’s elements to suggest it’s a line they’re willing to cross - there's less-than-stellar dialogue, a nerd make-over and even a European mad scientist who works at a prison for the criminally insane.