Review Round-Up: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 Swings Into Theaters

The eagerly-awaited sequel, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 opens in theaters nationwide today. In this comic book action movie, Spidey, played by Broadway alum Andrew Garfield faces a multitude of extraordinary challenges.

We've always known that Spider-Man's most important battle has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the responsibilities of Spider-Man. But in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker finds that a greater conflict lies ahead. It's great to be Spider-Man. For Peter Parker, there's no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone).

But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp.

Let's see what the critics had to say:

Manohla Dargis | New York Times

"As played by Emma Stone, who has the zing of a screwball heroine and the depthless eyes of an anime character, Gwen brightens THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2, a sequel that, until a late, lamentably foolish turn, balances blockbuster bombast with human-scale drama, child-friendly comedy and gushers of tears." To read the full review, click here.

Betsy Sharkey | Los Angeles Times

"THE OCCASIONALLY AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 might be a better way to think of the not-always-spectacular but sometimes satisfying Spider-Man sequel as it sprawls, brawls and wall-crawls over New York City." To read the full review, click here.

Claudia Puig | USA Today

"A more emotionally vulnerable and brooding web-slinger is at the heart of the re-tooled franchise in THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2. But that doesn't mean Spidey isn't also full of giddy energy." To read the full review, click here.

Leslie Felperin | Hollywood Reporter

"The eponymous hero hits his super-heroic stride here, as does Andrew Garfield in the role, especially when Spider-Man's alter ego Peter Parker learns there's always some fine print in a contract with this many benefits." To read the full review, click here.

Guy Lodge | Variety

"The swiftly delivered THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 finds no solution to that redundancy, but it acrobatically spins enough sound and fury to distract from the issue, while the tinderbox chemistry between leads Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone delights once more." To read the full review, click here.

Chris Nashawaty | Entertainment Weekly

"Director Marc Webb's dizzy, slickly enjoyable sequel gets a ton right. It's a Marvel spectacle that manages to deftly balance razzle-dazzle, feel-it-in-your-gut slingshot moments of flight and believable human relationships." To read the full review, click here.

Mick LaSalle | San Francisco Chronicle

"All the usual hedges and qualifications don't apply to THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2, that it's good if you like comic book movies, or fantasy action movies. Instead we find a very modern blockbuster that mixes the best of old and new." To read the full review, click here.

Ty Burr | Boston Globe

"Curiously, SPIDER-MAN 2 differentiates itself by injecting shaggy mumblecore naturalism into the veins of its pop-Wagnerian genre. The transformation doesn't take - at times the movie seems to be writhing on the ground like Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) turning into the Green Goblin - but points for trying." To read the full review, click here.

Did you swing out to see Peter and the gang opening weekend? Add your review to the round up in the comments below.

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