Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/298224
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 20 APRIL 2014 THIS WEEK 34 Embassy Cinemas Valletta Tel. 21 227436, 21 245818 Amazing Spiderman 2 3D (PG) 10:20, 14:30, 18:00, 21:00 Captain America: Winter Solider (12A) 10:10, 13:00, 15:45, 18:30, 21:15 Need for Speed (12A) 15:50, 21:00 Rio 2 (U) 10:00, 12:15, 14:30, 16:45, 19:00, 21:15 The Book Thief (12A) 15:50, 18:30, 21:10 Muppets Most Wanted (U) 10:25, 13:30, 18:35 Noah (12A) 10:30, 14:00, 17:45, 20:45 Eden Cinemas St Julian's Tel. 23 710400 Tinkerbell and the Pirate Fairy (U) 14:15, 16:15, 18:30 Rio 2 (U) 20:45, 23:00 The Legend of Hercules (12A) 14:15, 16:25, 18:40, 20:50, 23:00 Non-Stop (12A) 14:15, 16:30, 18:50, 21:05, 23:20 Noah (12A) 14:25, 18:05, 20:55, 23:45 The Love Punch (12A) 14:20, 16:30, 18:50, 21:10, 23:15 Saul: The Journey to Damascus (PG) 14:15, 16:30, 18:40, 21:15, 23:30 Rio 2 3D (U) 14:00, 16:05, 18:10 A New York Winter's Tal (12A) 14:00, 16:25, 18:50, 21:15, 23:40 Need For Speed (12A) 14:20, 18:10, 20:55, 23:40 Muppets Most Wanted (U) 14:00, 16:20, 18:40 The Book Thief (12A) 21:00, 23:45 That Awkward Moment (15) 14:15, 16:35, 18:45, 21:10, 23:15 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 3D (PG) 14:30, 18:00, 20:15, 21:00, 23:15 Captain America: The Winter Soldier (12A) 14:20, 17:50, 20:45, 23:35 Empire Cinemas Bugibba Tel. 21 581787, 21 581909 Rio 2 3D (U) 10:45, 13:30, 15:50, 18:15, 20:55 Noah (12A) 10:30, 13:45, 18:00, 20:45 Need for Speed (12A) 10:35, 13:55, 18:10, 20:50 Captain America: The Winter Soldier 3D (12A) 10:40, 13:45, 18:05, 21:10 The Smurfs 2 (U) 10:30, 13:30, 15:45, 18:00, 20:45 The Heat (15) 10:45, 13:35, 16:00, 18:25, 20:50 The Wolverine (12A) 10:50, 13:30, 16:00, 18:35, 21:10 WEIRD science and absent fathers propel this sequel-of-a-reboot for- ward, and that's just as well: from his 1960s comic book incarnation onwards, it's what Marvel Com- ics mainstay Spider-Man was all about. Following on from the surpris- ingly decent reimagining of the Spider-Man mythos by direc- tor Marc Webb (!) back in 2012, Amazing Spider-Man 2 sees our affable adolescent hero Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) – grant- ed superpowers by an 'accidental' encounter with a radioactive spi- der – ease into his role as New York's web-slinging, skyscraper- coasting 'friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man', making good on his late uncle's ethical imperative to use his newfound superpowers re- sponsibly by gleefully dispatching of the city's criminal element. But all is not rosy. Though Pe- ter has found true love in his high school sweetheart Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) – she even knows his super-hero secret identity – he can't shake off the fact that he promised her dying father George Stacy (Dennis Leary) that he would keep her well away from Spider-Man business. At the same time, while Peter's aunt, May (Sally Field) struggles to carry on without her husband, Peter him- self grows more and more curi- ous about the truth behind his parents' disappearance. The story he's always been told was that the couple left Peter in the custody of his aunt and uncle before disap- pearing mysteriously. But the reappearance of an old friend, Harry Osborne (Dane De- Haan) – heir to the ominously powerful scientific organisation Oscorp – leaves a potentially dan- gerous trail of breadcrumbs for Peter. All links seem to point to the fact that his father, Richard (Campbell Scott) had a hand in revolutionary research as Oscorp that may have led to his disap- pearance. With Harry being left at the helm of Oscorp while succumb- ing to the same hereditary disease that took his father's life, he gets it in his – bratty and manic – head that an infusion of Spider-Man's blood is the only thing that could save him. And things can only get worse when yet another super- powered menace is brought into the equation. If a bristling Harry employs the services of Electro (Jamie Foxx) – a put-upon Oscorp engineer turned into an electri- cal powder-keg after a workplace accident – things will get ugly in- deed. With its pile-up of convenient freak accidents, briskly paced amidst equally brisk action – which is, in turn, peppered by a zany, goofy sense of humour throughout – Webb's sequel is very much an old-school super- hero adventure distinct from the 'gritty' Dark Knights and Men of Steel of this world. But it's also tonally different to the grandiose sweep of Marvel Studios's Aveng- ers and its ancillary solo superhero outings (Spidey remains a Marvel Comics property, but movie rights to the character are still retained by Columbia). That's not to say Webb – helped along by screenwriters Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jeff Pinkner – doesn't ratchet up the tension. Electro – a cackling villain draped in green-and-yellow span- dex in the comics – is transformed into a mother-of-pearl Franken- stein's creature that's by turns menacing and beautiful and, cou- pled with masterful effects work, makes for a truly great 'stunt' villain that delivers the money shot set pieces with panache. It's clear that Webb has more of a budget to play with this time around, and this is evident from the film's post-prologue opening shot, reintroducing us to Spidey as he balletically swoops across the New York cityscape, mak- ing good on the 3D-compulsory viewing option. Fans of the source material will be left on tenterhooks for a par- ticular plot point to rear its ugly head this time around. Without spoiling anything, I will just say that Webb stretches the tension to near breaking point, and that the ensuing script decision lends a welcome edge to the well-oiled rollercoaster ride. The downside of its cavalier at- titude to plot mechanics – you probably won't care, but there is an over-reliance on grotesque sci- entific accidents to move things forward – is that sometimes it all just feels a bit random. This is yet another reminder that unlike its fellow superhero counterparts, Webb's Spider-Man universe re- mains an essentially cartoony one, and while Garfield and Stone have enough chemistry between them to carry them through and humanise their teenage lovebirds stereotypes, DeHaan – for one – doesn't fare too well. The prom- ising young actor (Chronicle, The Place Beyond the Pines) has a spiky, androgynous look that suits the character and his evolu- tion, and he knows how to pace his aggressive streak well. But his tantrums don't convince, escalat- ing purely for the sake of plot con- venience. But though uneven, Webb's film is also a prime example of how a summer blockbuster should work: well-paced action sequences, an endearing romance at its heart and something to lose – and re- gain – by its end. Also: the promise of greater things to come. Its coda appears to lead directly into the – inevi- table – third instalment, and it'll be interesting to see how Webb matches the ambitious challenge he's set for himself. FILM IN CINEMAS TODAY By Teodor Reljic Friendly neighbourhood franchise ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ SPIDER ★ ★ ★ ★ CIDER ★ ★ ★ PROVIDER ★ ★ DIVIDER ★ COLLIDER Andrew Garfield swings back into action for this Spider-Man sequel YOUR FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY www.maltatoday.com.mt AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (PG) ★ ★ ★ ★