The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Listen up, Spider-Haters. I understand the grown-up comic book fans have a vision for what they feel a superhero movie, particularly a Spider-Man movie, should be. I understand that a lot of fanboys have visions of Spidey web-slinging alongside Captain America and the Hulk and Iron Man dancing through their heads, and that they're rooting for Sony's Spidey reboot to fail because they have some misguided notion that if the franchise flops, the studio will surrender the movie rights to Spider-Man back to Disney and Marvel Studios, considering their whole superhero thing a failed experiment.

News flash: It's not happening, so do yourselves a favor, drop the politics and watch Marc Webb's movies. He, along with his supporting cast, are capturing the essence of Spider-Man (justice) leagues better than Sam Raimi ever did.

And he does it again in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," a film that, like its predecessor, has a green wart or two, but soars. This is the movie the 10-year-old me would have killed to see. I feel lucky that the adult me can not only see this movie and share it with my kids but also spread the word to all of you reading.

This "Spider-Man" has depth and gravitas that, respectfully, Tobey Maguire never did. Andrew Garfield doesn't just talk the talk as Peter Parker. He lives him, successfully capturing that most difficult aspect of the character: the duality between the introverted dignity of Peter and the brash cockiness of his alter ego.

And the chemistry he has with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone)? Pitch perfect. If anything, the love story aspect was one I wanted to see more of instead of merely being the filler that keeps the girls from getting all squirmy with impatience. Their love is ... complicated to say the least.

There is plenty of story, and Webb treads the line of too much: Peter is haunted by the ghost of Captain Stacy (Denis Leary), to whom Peter promised he'd keep Gwen out of danger at the end of the first movie...by keeping her out of his life. Of course, he is utterly incapable of keeping her at a distance, and they find themselves in and out of each other's arms.

At the same time, Peter is finding life as Spider-Man fun, if a little hectic. He takes down a plutonium-stealing Russian gangster (Paul Giamatti) as he's supposed to be crossing the stage accepting his diploma.

Meanwhile, meek scientist Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx) idolizes Spider-Man and longs for the attention he gets. When an accident turns Max into the villainous Electro, that hero worship turns to envy.

Then there's Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), Peter's childhood friend, shipped off to boarding school by his disapproving father Norman (Chris Cooper), who is suffering from a rare disease that Harry discovers is genetic. One potential cure: the blood of Spider-Man.

Oh, and there's the little matter of Peter finding out what happened to his parents, and his quest to keep his doting Aunt May (Sally Field) safe and free from worry.

So yeah, that's a lot of ground to cover, and while the story may buckle a bit from the stress, it holds it all together oh so perilously.

Lest you feel I am a total apologist, I did have some problems with this Spider-Man. Those flaws from the first film are mostly still there. There's the occasional hokeyness; I could have done without the early scene of Max acting out a fantasy scenario where Spider-Man brings him a birthday cake, and the villainous Dr. Kafka was more than a little over-the-top for my taste. And there are a couple of moments that feel made for the movies, with spectators gathering to watch a confrontation that would kill scores of onlookers in real life.

Plus, the film's two main villains, Electro and the Green Goblin, could have done with a little more development. But without spoiling too much, there may still be time for a little of that down the road.

The action absolutely soars, and again Webb makes brilliant use of 3D with breathtaking webslinging and innovative fight scenes. Go back and watch the fight choreography in the Raimi films, then contrast with the way Spider-Man uses his webs as a weapon in this one. I defy you to say Raimi's fights were superior.

There are also loads of internal Spider-Man references and teases at future films that Spider-Man fans will easily spot, but one in particular that I barely caught. A hint: One establishing shot features something that looks like a clothesline or a cable of some kind that may be...something else.

Webb's biggest risk and best reward comes in pulling the focus slightly away from the direct face-offs of the villains. The movie is about Spider-Man's internal conflict, not about him squaring off against an interchangeable bad guy. Rhino, Goblin and Electro are forces of nature created as an obstacle for him; they don't define his struggle, they're just a piece of it.

Spider-Man is about the man under the mask dealing with his demons; his happen to be guilt. He feels responsible for the death of his uncle and of his true love's father, and this film introduces an even larger level of guilt with which he must wrestle.

That's what makes this Spider-Man amazing: that it can capture that hallmark of good storytelling. I can deal with a few cheesy moments.

So newsflash, fanboys: Comic book movies are for kids. You can take your politics and get-off-my-lawn grumpiness and stick it. Me, my kids, and the 10-year-old me will be in the theater taking in the wonder of the stories my younger self could only dream about seeing.