Director: Marc Webb.
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans.
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of action and violence
Ah, the Hollywood re-boot, so needless, or are they? Re-boots of popular franchises seem to be met with masses of hostility at their mere mention. Yet, Batman Begins did wonders for the Batman franchise, 2008’s the Incredible Hulk was a much more enjoyable movie than its 2003 predecessor and Casino Royale was just the shot in the arm the Bond franchise needed. Now it’s Spidey’s turn.
The Amazing Spider-Man isn’t really a reinvention of the character, but more of an altered take on the origin with more focus on Peter’s early days and his journey becoming the hero known as Spider-Man. The film’s director Marc Webb, previously known for directing the quirky comedy “500 Days of Summer,” establishes that he is very capable handling a much more ambitious project. Webb creates a world that feels very real or at least as real as it could be given the subject matter.
The film opens with a preadolescent Peter Parker living with his parents. When Peter discovers that his father’s office has been ransacked, his parents bring Peter to the home of his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field). His parents explain to Peter that he will be staying here for a while before leaving that night and are never heard from again. Now attending high school Peter (Andrew Garfield) struggles to fit in and seeks to discover the mystery of his parent’s disappearance.
Much like the original film, the story sets up the foundation of how Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man. All of the classic elements of the origin are intact; Peter is bullied in school, the spider-bite, the failure to stop the thief and the lesson of responsibility. The changes are in the handling of these elements that have been altered to create a more contemporary feel.
In the 2002 Sam Raimi film Peter is portrayed as more of nerdy youth with a passion for science and Mary Jane, whereas the new film depicts him as more of a brooding outsider with a passion for science and a certain blond classmate Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone).
Peter’s search for answers leads him to an old associate of his fathers, Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans). While sneaking about Oscorp Industries Peter gains the famed spider-bite. Peter begins his career as the vigilante known as Spider-Man and is quickly considered a criminal by Gwen’s father Captain Stacy (Denis Leary) who Issues a warrant for his arrest.
Peter also inadvertently helps Dr. Connors to become the classic Spider-Villain known as” the Lizard”. The Lizard views himself as a creature far superior to humans and soon crafts a plan to transform all of New York’s inhabitants into creatures like him. Peter considers the Lizard his responsibility and makes it his mission to stop the Lizard and save Dr. Connors.
The supporting cast does an outstanding job.
Emma Stone’s Gwen is much more competent than just another damsel in distress girlfriend. Rhys Ifans, who is known for playing some screwball characters, brings the right bit of crazy to the Lizard. Martin Sheen's Uncle Ben is incessantly good and forthright. But, major credit for why this film works goes to its star Andrew Garfield.
As Peter, Garfield really shines. He fits the role nearly as perfectly as Robert Downey does as Tony Stark. Garfield’s acting range covers the entire emotional spectrum very convincingly, from awkward flirtations with Gwen, to a heart wrenching scene involving his Uncle Ben’s murder. Garfield is such a good actor it takes little effort on the part of the audience to become invested in his character. As Spider-Man, Garfield also delivers the goods. Behind the mask, he can’t help but show off with his new abilities and his use of Spidey’s trademark –witty banter- makes him feel a bit more comparable to Spider-Man from the comic books.
The special effects are also updated and feel superior to the original films. Audiences really get a sense of what a rush it would be to swing through the towering skyscrapers of the city. Even Spider-Man’s movements and combat-style mimic the comic book even more tightly than before. The film isn’t short on spectacular action sequences that appear to be contingent more on stunt work than actual CGI; all the while maintain a balance between story and spectacle.
The film is not without some flaws and the first half of the movie comes off a bit repetitive after seeing the original. Still, it is a fresh and enjoyable take on the character and paves the way for an exceptional new cast to entertain audiences with further tales of the world’s favorite wall-crawler.
So now that The Amazing Spider-Man is in theaters, in place of the question "why re-boot Spider-Man," a new question can be asked... when is the next Spider-Man movie?
The Amazing Spider-Man gets 4 out of 5 Stars!