*I'm going to try to make this as SPOILER-FREE as possible; but to be safe maybe read this after seeing the movie*
Rebooting the franchise was exactly what was needed. I was not a fan of Spider-Man 3. My main complaint was that it just didn't feel like the comic book. Venom didn't look like Venom, Harry definitely didn't look like a Goblin, and until Tobey took off his mask I would've sworn someone else was playing him.
What The Amazing Spider-Man does so well, is bring the character back to his roots. He has mechanical web shooters. Which anyone who was annoyed with what Raimi did will love the inclusion. Peters parents are front and centre, and I feel this resonance with Martin Sheen's Uncle Ben. No offence to Cliff Robertson but Garfield and Sheen work well and even though the classic phrase is NEVER uttered in the film, the values resonate.
Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man is the most inspired casting. He's got the right body type (Sorry Tobey, but you're just awkward looking). He's also good at playing the awkward moments as Peter; and while the humour is primarily the screenwriters and director -- It's Garfields delivery that makes it work.
The Lizard is probably the best villain for this story. He ties into Peters parents storyline, and even connects to Norman Osborn; who invariably will show up in this timeline. I got annoyed with the Lizards design, I seriously laughed anytime the camera focused on him for too long. He looked like a rejected cast member from the 91' Dinosaurs TV show. Still, he served a decent purpose and I'm glad that they didn't just go for Goblin again. I personally think he should be the villain of the next piece, which means...
Gwen has to die. It's a shame too, because the romance was really good in this movie. Gwen and Peter have great chemistry, and their banter is fun. Still, between the line where Captain Stacy makes Peter promise to never see Gwen again, to Stacy again saying that people around Peter will die. To it being acknowledged that Peter will pretty much break that promise...well, I'm sorry to say it but Gwen looks as good as gone.
The 3D in this film was good, if not mixed. A lot of the segments worked, but there were a lot of missed opportunities. Shots that I figured would be in 3D. The 3D is in random spots; so even though it's decent it's just confusing. I'm guessing this may be Webbs directorial debut with 3D so here's hoping that he can make better shots in 3D with the sequel if he returns. Also, can someone tell Webb that if you are going to end your movie on a 3D shot; it's nice to let the shot take full effect. Man was that anticlimactic to see what could be the greatest 3D shot in the fail just fail.
Like I said from the outset, what I love about this movie is that it brings the film character closer to his comic book origin. So in that sense, there's a lot of potential for more here. Osborn, the death of Gwen, Venom (Maybe with Flash as the host?). Hell, even the genetic mutation opens up for villains like The Rhino or The Scorpion. Like the end of Batman Begins, I want to see more of this universe. This is a feeling I have with the Marvel Cinematic Universe too. These origin movies are nothing more then a first step into this new universe, and if people are interested; we'll want to see that second step. There were some minor flaws, but overall I think this is far superior to the original Spider-Man film, and is easily one of the better comic book movies on the market. Now it's up to Webb to deliver on an enthralling sequel.