`` The Amazing Spider-Man 2 '' might not be so amazing , judging from some early reviews of the anticipated May 2 sequel . The Marc Webb-directed feature again stars Brit actor Andrew Garfield as the web-slinging Spider-Man and his girlfriend , Emma Stone , as on-screen love interest Gwen Stacy . A sequel to 2012 's franchise reboot `` The Amazing Spider-Man , '' `` Amazing 2 '' is supposed to pack in even more suspense and star power . Jamie Foxx plays the villain Electro , Paul Giamatti is Rhino , and Dane DeHaan is the Green Goblin . Yet on RottenTomatoes.com , `` The Amazing Spider-Man 2 '' is on the wrong side of `` fresh . '' `` I 'm sorry people , the most I can go with is 'adequate , ' `` says Rolling Stone 's film critic , Peter Travers . `` I would call this movie 'The Adequate Spider-Man 2 . ' `` Uh oh . The problem , at least according to Travers , is that all the villains , who were supposed to add thrills , instead make the movie `` top-heavy . '' The Washington Post 's Ann Hornaday , too , thought the sequel added up to `` an unforgivably long assemblage that never coalesces into a compelling story . '' And over at the Wall Street Journal , critic Joe Morgenstern was straightforward . `` How bad is this one , though ? Amazingly so , '' he critiques . `` Villainy abounds , but the villains are strident contrivances . Spider-Man flies , but does so dutifully , without joy . '' Entertainment Weekly 's Chris Nashawaty tried to be more measured , noting that `` there 's a lot riding on 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2 , ' not just commercially ( although there is that ) but also as a signpost of what lies ahead . '' `` Thankfully , '' the review continues , `` 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 . There 's psychological weight to go with all of the gravity-defying , webslinging weightlessness . '' The New York Times ' Manohla Dargis was also kinder to Spidey , thinking the movie moved along `` nicely ... until a late , badly handled turn for the grim . '' The saving grace for Dargis and a few others was the starring actors . Stone , Dargis writes , `` brightens '' the sequel , while Garfield , `` who 's making a career out of playing delicate flowers , fits the role , suit and moist sniffling fine . '' If Garfield checks out the Times ' review , he might not be pleased with the verdict but will probably appreciate the attentiveness to his sensitive side . As the 30-year-old actor told CNN at `` The Amazing Spider-Man 2 's '' New York premiere , personality traits he may have felt insecure about actually come in handy when he portrays Peter Parker . `` I think my gifts , weirdly , are the things that I thought I should 've been ashamed of as a kid , '' Garfield said . `` Sensitivity , vulnerability , a very 'feeling ' nature , you know ? Qualities that boys are n't allowed to really have growing up . '' After trying to downplay those characteristics as he came of age , it eventually dawned on Garfield that those are actually qualities that would help him in his career . `` They 've led me to playing Spider-Man , '' he said . `` The wonderful thing about Peter Parker and what makes Spider-Man a great hero is his compassion , his humanity , his sensitivity , his care and love for others , his need to protect others and his ability to have empathy for others . And I think that 's Peter Parker . That has nothing to do with Spider-Man . Spider-Man has the skill , but Peter Parker has the heart . ''
`` The Amazing Spider-Man 2 '' opens Friday . Most reviewers are n't impressed . Comment: