MoeJackson

Photo Credit: SONY Pictures
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Maybe I’ve seen too many superhero films lately (apparently, I’m the only one complaining). Maybe I’ve seen too many bad films lately. Maybe I’ve seen too many films. Period.

Whatever the reason, I just couldn’t shake the overwhelming feeling of dissatisfaction after walking out of the latest Spider-Man reboot.remake.sequel. There’s a lot of ‘stuff’ happening in this big action cartoon told with live actors (that’s essentially what it is, and I don’t mean it as a pejorative) but none of the elements are even half fleshed out. Everything from the plot to the character development to the love story to the hero’s quest for salvation all gets a nod from the film . . . before it looks elsewhere. There’s just too much going on for anything to feel established, developed or consequential.

The actors do what they can with the so-so material; Dane De Haan is the sole standout. He seems to be playing the anti-Michael Cera: a teen so confident in everything he thinks and feels that he operates as Big Old Bitch. Emma Stone is pure ornament here, appearing in barely a quarter of the film. Andrew Garfield does service to the leading role . . . but seems oddly disinterested. Jamie Foxx is so over the top, you kind of want to ask him to tone it down a few thousand notches.

It’s not a matter of too many cooks spoiling the broth – there’s just too much damn broth.