It’s not often that Robert Kirkman openly tears into a film. The creator behind ‘Invincible’ and ‘The Walking Dead’ has established a reputation for being measured in public.
However, once the subject shifted to ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’, that inhibition was thrown out the window.
Robert Kirkman Takes Aim At A Spider-Man Movie’s Biggest Flaw
In his talk on The Escape Pod, Kirkman not only criticized the film but also took it apart. It was not the actors or even the main idea that he had a problem with. It was the execution. To him, the film fails miserably in the attempt to juggle way too many story lines without ever finding a clear narrative spine.
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In fairness, Kirkman did not reject all. He even complimented the interpretation of Spider-Man by Andrew Garfield, citing the emotional sincerity that he brought to Peter Parker. He further complimented Jamie Foxx for his role as Electro. However, for Kirkman, even good performances cannot save a story that seems to be in pieces.
“No, terrible, terrible. I don’t like to publicly talk about my opinions on movies. Still, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is dog—-. As much as I love Jamie Foxx, I love Andrew, Andrew Garfield is a great Spider-Man. There are aspects to both of those movies that are spectacular, but that movie is a mess,” he shared.
The movie tries to juggle the relationship between Peter and Gwen Stacy, the mystery surrounding his parents, the emergence of Electro, and the metamorphosis of Harry Osborn into the Green Goblin, all in one fell swoop. It reads like an epic. But it feels overcrowded on screen.
That lack of focus is what clearly frustrated him the most. Once a superhero movie stops being narratively clear, even the most dramatic moments, such as the tragic fate of Gwen, do not hit with the impact that they should have.
Why This Criticism Hits Differently
What makes Kirkman’s comments stand out is not necessarily the vulgarity, but rather where they are coming from. This is a person who perceives the art of storytelling on a profound level. From ‘Invincible’ to his work in comics, he has created whole worlds out of narrow character lines and long-term payoff.
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When he says that a film is messy, he is not merely responding as a fan; he is also assessing it as a storyteller. And, frankly, his opinion is reminiscent of a critique that has shadowed ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ for years. The movie had it all.
There was a beloved hero, a great cast, and great stakes. However, it lost its way somewhere along the way. Kirkman just said out loud what a lot of viewers have been thinking for a long time.
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