THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (Rated PG-13)

When it comes to superhero action films, a cloud has seemingly formed inside my brain, either fogging up my judgment or, as it seems more likely, making it more difficult to differentiate between recent entries in the genre.

I may have lost count, but “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is only the second installment in a reboot of the franchise that initially started with Sam Raimi as director of films which starred Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man.

Raimi’s last film in the series was “Spider-Man 3,” and so I, and perhaps many others, may be forgiven for thinking that this newest entry is really “Spider-Man 5” and that its reason for being is setting up the inevitable “Spider-Man 6,” or what would be current director Marc Webb’s “The Amazing Spider-Man 3.”

The fog rolling over my brain also has something to do with keeping track of all the superheroes running loose at the cinema, whether or not they originate from Marvel Comics.

We’ve got Captain America, Superman, Batman, the Green Hornet, the Hulk and Kick-Ass, just to name a few. Am I alone in feeling overwhelmed?

Now that we have partially cleared up the Spider-Man entries, let’s talk about Andrew Garfield and his fit as the eponymous character in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.” He’s joined again by his love interest, Gwen Stacy (a terrific Emma Stone). The best part of the movie just might be their romantic chemistry.

Of course, this is a relationship fraught with peril, because hanging out with Spider-Man or his alter ego, Peter Parker, is almost a death wish, which is why Gwen’s late father pleaded with Spider-Man to keep his distance.

Father issues are very much front-and-center for Peter Parker. He still needs to resolve the fate of his late father, who worked at Oscorp (the corporate tech villain in this and other stories) and wanted to prevent turning biological cures into weapons.

Peter’s old childhood friend Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) has his own father issues, being the son of Norman Osborn (Chris Cooper), the founder of Oscorp. It should not be a surprise to anyone that the Osborn family has many bad intentions.

Early on, Spider-Man saves a troubled Oscorp employee, Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx), from a car accident. But Max is transformed into new villain Electro when he falls into a vat of mutant and once fortified with electrical powers he turns on Spider-Man.

Another character introduced in the universe of Sinister Six villains is the Rhino (Paul Giamatti). At the film’s beginning, Spider-Man swings into action to thwart a heist being masterminded by Giamatti’s Russian thug, who only later acquires his new merrily fanatic Rhino identity.

The primary villain subplot, though not completely dominating the action, revolves around Harry Osborn’s creepily deranged obsession with defeating Spider-Man. It’s only later that Harry is transformed into the Green Goblin, setting up some crucial scenes near the film’s end.

Actually, it is rather hard to swallow the idea that Harry and Peter were friends during their youth. After all, Peter lived modestly in Queens, while Harry was a privileged trust fund kid whose father ruled a corporate empire.

Thus, it is not that surprising when Harry takes over the reins of Oscorp and marshals the vast resources of the company in an effort to save his own life from the disease that plagues his family.

Through his discovery of Oscorp’s secret lair of Special Projects, Harry comes to believe that Spider-Man’s blood is the answer to his prayers – and that belief becomes an obsession that eventually leads Harry to his transformation as the Green Goblin.

Circling back to the Peter and Gwen relationship, it should be noted that their romance, though it has an ersatz Romeo and Juliet quality, is a complicated teen love story. Gwen is bright, the class valedictorian who has the opportunity to go to Oxford.

Gwen knows her father wanted her protected from an association with Spider-Man, but she really wants to be with Peter, even though he swore to stay away.

Regardless, Peter remains conflicted about the situation, and that creates a lot of tension between them throughout the movie.

Both Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield have grown into their roles. Aside from their chemistry, Garfield is also delivering plenty of cheesy one-liners, allowing a sense of humor to pervade the proceedings.

The younger audience is going to love all the action scenes, particularly the web-slinging that allows Spider-Man to sweep through the concrete canyons of Manhattan. For many of us, though, it all seems too familiar.

On the plus side, New York City landmarks appear in abundance, with the result that the Big Apple shines brightly. “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” used actual locations rather than studio backlots.

Fans of the franchise may look forward to the evolution of the Sinister Six as the creation of the evil Oscorp. “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” offers clues to the plots to come against Spider-Man. The wait probably won’t be long.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.