In a film industry that pumps out sequels, these spinoffs don’t often live up to the quality of the first installment. This is exactly the case with The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Although The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is not a terrible movie, it did not live up to the hype.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 follows Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), who is struggling with the complications of graduating high school and fighting crime as Spider-Man. At his side is his girlfriend, Gwen Stacey, played by Emma Stone.

Spider-Man’s greatest challenge occurs when electrical engineer Max Dillon, played by Jamie Foxx, falls into a tank of genetically modified eels. Dillon becomes Electro, a villain possessing the ability to control electricity, powered by his anger.

Something I think most people would enjoy in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is that Spider-Man had to focus on problems and obstacles of both being a high school student and being Spider-Man. This double identity of the hero is overlooked in movies such as Iron Man 3 and Captain America: Winter Soldier, where the protagonists don’t have secret identities. Ultimately, this movie is about Peter Parker, as much as it is Spider-Man.

Spider-Man is my favorite super hero because of his humor. Numerous times I found myself and everyone else in the theater chuckling at his jokes. He would often tie up bad guys with his web, making sarcastic remarks as he did so.

The second thing I loved was the the special effects. When you see Spider-Man slinging through the city, you really feel like you’re there. When he’s doing something like free falling, you can see the suit rippling and you can hear the wind whistling past him. Watching the main antagonist, Electro, was great, with his blue, see through, electrified skin, really catch your eye and make the film captivating to watch.

Unfortunately, the movie feels too crowded. When I saw one of the banners, it looked like The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was going to feature three different villains, which I believe would have resulted in a crowded mess. Although there were three different villains on the banners of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, two of these villains get far less screen time than the main villain, Electro. Therefore, it is not the villains who make the movie crowded, it’s how the movie attempts to cram all of the different storylines into just one film.

Peter Parker has to focus on his parents, the villains, his girlfriend, himself, and college, and keeping his identity a secret. There seems to be too much to cover, and although the movie is two hours and twenty-two minutes, it is cramped.