THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2
A thrilling, hopeful superhero adventure for older children and adults.
Should You Watch It?
This is an exciting, emotionally involving superhero movie with strong moral values and hardly any objectionable content. Its story promotes hope in hardship, courage in the face of evil, protecting others, and becoming a positive role model for children.
The movie does have a slightly convoluted script with several subplots. Still, those threads eventually converge in a thrilling, action-packed climax. The romance between Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy is passionate, but the film remains one of the cleanest superhero movies in recent years.
You should see it if your family enjoys superhero action and can handle scary images and strong peril. For younger children, use your judgment; for older children and adults, this is WORTH THE TRIP — OLDER CHILDREN AND UP.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESPeter Parker is still struggling with his father’s disappearance and the promise he made to Gwen Stacy’s dying father. He wants to be with Gwen, but fears his Spider-Man identity will put her in danger.
As Peter searches for answers about his parents, he faces Electro, a new super-villain with powerful electrical abilities. He must also confront a childhood friend who turns to evil.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is an excellent, exciting action movie. It is emotionally involving, packed with superhero action, and built around strong moral values. The opening action sequence is rousing, and the story ultimately converges in a thrilling climax.
The main weakness is the script’s complexity. There are too many subplots to follow, including Peter’s search for the truth about his parents and Harry’s struggle with his dying father. Even so, the various threads come together effectively by the end.
The Worldview
The film presents a light redemptive worldview centered on hope, goodness, and heroism. Spider-Man protects others, tries to defuse dangerous situations, and repeatedly urges villains to stop, turn away from evil, or give up. The movie also encourages people, including children, to stand against evil and become positive role models.
It warns about the corrupting influence of power and resentment. It also includes a positive father-son subplot and connects Peter’s personal struggles with the pain caused by absent or dying fathers. The film’s moral vision is strongest when it presents heroism as self-sacrifice and responsibility rather than power over others.
The movie’s central longing is to remain hopeful in spite of hardship and tragedy. Scripture gives that hope a firm foundation: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Very strong moral, light redemptive worldview of being a hero and a role model children can admire, appealing to the bad guys to turn away from evil, stop what they’re doing, or give up, trying to defuse a bad situation, protecting others, a positive father-son plot, extolling hope, a warning about the corrupting influence of power and resentment, and Aunt May says a heartfelt “Thank God” at a positive moment, plus some Romantic elements where the hero is torn between doing the right thing and following his feelings; four obscenities (two “h” words, one “d” word, and one use of “pissed) and four light profanities (such as, “Oh God” and “For Lord’s sake”); and, strong action violence, including a couple scary moments, includes a fighting and punching, hero struggles with villains, man gets electric shock, man falls into large vat with scary-looking radioactive electric eels that repeatedly shock him until he’s unconscious and the glass breaks, Spider-Man falls and swings and jumps while hurrying to emergences and fighting bad guys, vehicles crash, super-villain destroys parts of buildings and objects and endangers people with his electrical charges, villain attacks young woman, characters thrown into objects, people fall from great heights; no sex scenes, salacious content, or sexual immorality, but kissing and romance between two high school graduates; no nudity; no alcohol; no smoking or drugs; and, man overtly becomes greedy for godlike power over people, another villain becomes consumed with revenge, evil COO takes company away from its young heir, COO holds another man captive against his will, information about his parents is withheld from hero.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Spider-Man repeatedly urges people doing evil to stop and choose what is right. What does it look like to confront evil without becoming evil ourselves?
Romans 12:21 · Ephesians 4:26–27The film presents hope as a response to hardship and tragedy. Where do you need to practice hope, and what does biblical hope rest on?
Romans 5:3–5 · Hebrews 6:19Peter struggles with the responsibility of protecting Gwen. How can love lead us toward wise sacrifice rather than controlling someone else’s choices?
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 · Philippians 2:3–4The story warns that power and resentment can corrupt people. How does Scripture tell us to handle power, anger, and revenge?
Micah 6:8 · Romans 12:19The Final Word
This is a thrilling, morally serious superhero adventure with hope at its center. The script is somewhat convoluted, but the action, emotion, and positive values make it an excellent choice for older children and adults. Use discernment with younger children because of the violence and scary moments. WORTH THE TRIP — OLDER CHILDREN AND UP.
