REVIEW: The Amazing Spider-Man

There are minor spoilers in this review. It was my #6 most anticipated film of the year.

PLOT: Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father's former partner.


THE GOOD: Story. I find Peter Parker's origins in The Amazing Spider-Man to be far more intriguing than any of Marvel's other superheroes. I guess it's safe to say that Spidey is my favorite Marvel character. When I found out that Marc Webb, director of 500 Days of Summer, was going to be directing a reboot of the Spider-Man franchise, I was initially very excited. Webb's storytelling capabilities were what made 500 Days my favorite film of 2009. His ability to convey emotion and intensity is still very strong here, but that may have a lot to do with the improved acting as well. Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films are good in their own right. They're fun, free, and humorous. However, they seem to consistently jump into familiar territory throughout the trilogy. Peter Parker is a loser, woe is Mary Jane, and Harry wants vengeance. We get it. What Webb's Spider-Man has done is take the character to a higher level. More serious, yes, but there's still humor to be had in this entertaining movie. In the Raimi films, we never really got to hear much about Parker's parents. And for good reason, too, because the comics don't dwell too much on this sad part of his life. He would be more like Bruce Wayne if they did that. No, Spider-Man's parents only thrust the character into meeting Dr. Conners, but there is still the possibility of them coming into play in future films. Uncle Ben is where Spider-Man really gets his sense of purpose and direction. How story creator James Vanderbilt handled that situation was a work of genius. If you thought Peter Parker was to blame in Raimi's Spider-Man, then you'll think he practically pulled the trigger in this version. The story eventually does become a little too convenient as it goes on, but I feel like I have more invested already with this Spider-Man. It already feels like he has more to lose if he fails. That sense of on-edge is really what makes me enjoy this movie.

PETER PARKER: "Subway patrons, watch my fancy stripper pole moves!"

Acting. I found the acting to be much better than the previous films. I've always given Andrew Garfield lots of credit when it comes to his acting ability. He was far better than Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network. Thankfully, Garfield looks the part of Peter Parker despite being a few months older than me. He's not as dorky as Tobey Maguire's Parker and he seems more in-control and confident. His American accent is perfect, but that's probably because he was born in the U.S. before he moved to England at the age of 3. Emma Stone is an interesting pick for Gwen Stacy, but she totally makes it work. Her in her natural blonde hair actually looked nice and she seemed like a girl worth saving. Rhys Ifans does what he can with Dr. Conners and Denis Leary is an appropriate cast as Captain Stacy. Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben would probably be my least favorite actor in the bunch. His mouth was weird. I don't know if he's wearing dentures now or something, but it just bothered me. Sally Field as Aunt May was a cute choice.


THE BAD: The Lizard. Alright, The Lizard is a brilliant supervillain, but his translation into live-action film had to have been quite the challenge. It was a failure in my opinion, but only when Dr. Conners is in Lizard form. When he's in the hybrid version, it actually looks pretty good, but the full lizard thing just doesn't work for me. It looks more fake than any of the CG used in the Raimi films. That being said, I think it's worth mentioning that the CGI used for Spidey himself in The Amazing Spider-Man has improved quite dramatically. There were many times that I couldn't tell what was real and what was computer graphics. The sequel for this film is set for release on May 2, 2014 and I can only speculate as to who the villain(s) will be. There is a scene in the middle of the end credits that seems to introduce one, but it's really hard to figure out who exactly it is. Since the individual seems to have the ability to teleport in and out of the jail cell, many think it's either Baron Mordo or Mysterio. I'd love to see Baron Mordo enter the picture as he is largely responsible for introducing Venom and Carnage into the story. Since the person seems to want to make sure Peter Parker doesn't know anything about his dad, it could prove to be true that Richard Parker creates Venom under Baron Mordo's command. If that does indeed happen, I'd like to see Flash Thompson be the human host to Venom like he currently is. You can then also bring Carnage in. For those who don't know, Dr. Conners' research on the Venom suit leads to the creation of Carnage in the Ultimate Universe. This has a major impact on Gwen Stacy that I won't get too deep into. Still, with that small scene in the movie, the villain could be anyone, so I'm just speculating and daydreaming.

GWEN STACY: "I think you're cute because you remind me of that sexy news host, Rachel Maddow."

THE END: The Amazing Spider-Man is a safe, fun, and entertaining summer movie. There's nothing in here that's going to shock or surprise you, and it's not the best superhero film of the year, but the story is interesting enough and gets a bit more serious.. If you've enjoyed previous Spider-Mans, go check this out in theatres. Otherwise, just wait a little bit. It's much better than the Sam Raimi movies, except it's missing one thing:

NOTE: I saw the film in LIEMAX 3D, which wasn't all that impressive until the end. Webb used RED Epic cameras to film the movie, but he kept the fact that the movie was going to play in IMAX/LIEMAX theatres in mind. The final action sequenced used the entire screen in my theatre and I noticed it right away. It looked fantastic. Crisp, clear, and with lots of depth. If you are willing to shell out a few more bucks for IMAX/LIEMAX, do so.


DISCUSS: What did you think of The Amazing Spider-Man? Did you like the previous films? What did you think of The Lizard? What would you like to see in the sequels? Who do you think that was at the end of the film in Conners' jail cell?

 PETER PARKER/SPIDER-MAN: "Help computer."