The first Amazing Spider-Man is really quite good and I have never been able to quite put my finger one why I don't like it more. However, I know exactly why I'm not thrilled with the sequel: way too much plot. It feels as thought the studio was trying to cram two movies into one complete with a preview of a fourth. There are way too many stories going on here: Peter hiding his identity from Aunt May, Peter's relationship with Gwen, Peter's relationship with Harry, the origin of Electro, Harry dealing with his father's legacy, Harry becoming the Goblin, Peter dealing with HIS father's legacy.... so many plot threads to keep track of you forget that you're there for a Spider-Man movie. I don't know why they packed so much into one movie; maybe they were just afraid that Andrew Garfield wouldn't sign on for a third movie without (real life girlfriend) Emma Stone on board or maybe they just couldn't secure her for a third film (that shouldn't be a spoiler for anyone who has ever read a comic book)One plot element that could have been chucked quite easily the one involving Peter's parents; I always hated when the comics tried to explain this, period; Aunt May and Uncle Ben are his parents---'nuff said! However, I always found it especially irksome when they tried to somehow connect his parents with his origin or powers in some way. In the film, it turns out that the spider Peter was bitten by in the first movie was developed by his father using his own blood so that only someone of his bloodline could benefit from it! My problem with this is that it makes Peter's story one of destiny; he was somehow meant to have these powers. Part of the appeal of Peter to me is that he has always been the superhero everyman; he never asked for or wanted these powers--- he was just some poor schmuck who happened to be in the right place, at the right time (or wrong place depending on how you see it). He, at first, abuses those powers (as the average person one) but then, of course, learns that "with great power, comes great responsibility". His story is not one of destiny it is one of chance and choice.
As for the other plots, Harry shouldn't have yet become the Goblin; his transformation feels rushed and almost tacked on. After injecting himself with the 'super-spider' venom, he collapses and, even though he just entered the facility 30 seconds earlier, somehow knows to crawl directly to the body armor and glider that will preserve his life; it's a mess. And all for only about 5 minutes of screen time as the Goblin. Think about that for a minute: the Green Goblin, Spider-Man's deadliest foe, shows up for 5 minutes and has one fight with Spider-Man.... really? They should have simply introduced Harry in this movie and then had the transformation take place in a third film (and, hey, then maybe Emma Stone could have stuck around a little longer). Also, he looks pretty stupid as the Goblin.
On top of that, the number plots slows the pacing to a grind and, the more plots you have, the more plot holes. They should have trimmed down the story; just make it Spidey Vs Electro with a subplot of furthering the romance between Peter and Gwen. Save the Goblin for part three.
Also, the CG is bad... I mean, really bad in places; the Rhino almost looks like something out of a Sci-Fi original movie; what's weird is that it is inconsistent in its badness. In some places, it's decent; in others, awful. As though some scenes were left unfinished and completed in a rush.
It's not that there isn't anything to like: Andrew Garfield is great as Parker/Spidey, Emma Stone is delightful and has great chemistry with Garfield... oh, and they finally made Spidey funny! I've longed for a movie Spider-Man who slung jokes just as much as webs. Also, the first third of the movie is actually a lot of fun before it trips up and gets lost in its own plot.
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