Without symbolism, superheroes really don't have any meaning. After
The Dark Knight came out, people crowed about Heath Ledger's acting and the setting and the drama, but there were also a lot of discussions about how it connected to the politics of today's world (is tapping every cell phone in Gotham justifiable?). Iron Man symbolizes the dangers of excess, whether alcohol or technology, if people aren't aware of how they're being used. Spider-Man, of course, represents both the awkwardness of puberty (he hits his teen years and suddenly has strange things happening to his body) and of the importance of responsibility when there's great power involved.
Of course, the fact that they omitted that quote from the first movie should have been a warning sign, but I went in to
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 at least hoping for a sensible story and a few cute moments of character development. Did I get them?
Well, yes and no.
