Thursday, July 5, 2012

"The Amazing Spider-Man" Review

    Spider-Man is back on the big screen, but is his return really worth checking out? This is The Amazing Spider-Man!





    The Amazing Spider-Man is a film that, up until actually watching it, I'd have tried to give it as fair an assessment as I could have, but I mostly agreed that we probably didn't need another retelling of Spider-Man's origin this close after the last one. The one real way the movie was gonna change my mind on that fact was if the movie was really good.
    The Amazing Spider-Man is really good. It's just as good as the originals. Yes, it is a reboot. Yes it does change the origin story a little. And it works. Very well. This time around Peter Parker AKA Spider-Man is played by Andrew Garfield. He undeniably hits it out of the park. He not better that Tobey Maguire, but he isn't any worse either. He brings charm to the role and acts just like you'd imagine Peter Parker would. Gwen Stacy is the love interest this time, played by the always great Emma Stone. She is much better that Mary Jane in the last films. She seems to actually like Peter in this film. I don't know about Mary Jane. She always seemed like she could take or leave Peter.
    The villain this time around in Doctor Curt Connors AKA The Lizard. He isn't as good as the previous Spidey villains, but he holds his own and Rhys Ifans does a good job playing him. The CGI on him is actually pretty good too. Those worried about the changing of Spider-man origin need not worry. In fact, this is actually a much closer origin that the previous films. Spider-Man has his web shooters. He's still looks like he could be in high school. Gwen is the love interest. Captain Stacy shows up. (Played by Denis Leary!) Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) still dies and Aunt May (Sally Field) still loves Peter.

If I had a nickle for every time I heard
"Where's MJ?"...
    The only big change is that there is no Norman Osborn (Or Harry for that matter) and Peter's parents (Campbell Scott and Embeth Davidtz) seem to have much more of a dramatic backstory, though it isn't explore all that much in the film. The film also takes a page out of The Dark Knight's playbook and is darker than the previous films. And as I said earlier, it all works. The new story is fun to watch. It grabs your attention and never lets go. That is, if you let it.
    The key to enjoying The Amazing Spider-Man is not to be closed-minded. Odds are, anyone who says they truly hated this film probably made up there minds to hate it long before they saw the film. Fanboys who don't like even the simplest chance in an origin. Who think that the film trying to be darker is the equivalent to it becoming Twilight. Who will nitpick the entire film to justify their "It will always suck" mindset. But, if you are willing to have an open-mind, then you will probably like the film. Director Marc Webb has made something truly special. The emotions it brings to the origin are just as good as the fantastic web-slinging action. Hell, there's even a cheesy scene involving cranes that is meant to remind most people of the bridge scene from the first Spider-Man film. And it's awesome. 


How does that work with his shoes on?
    Yes, The Amazing Spider-Man is a reboot. But it's a damn good reboot. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are great. The new origin works. The Lizard is cool. The action is awesome. And it works on an emotional level too. If your willing to leave everything you know about Spider-Man at the door, then The Amazing Spider-Man is a wild ride. The Amazing Spider-Man get 5 and a half stars out of 6.

3 comments:

  1. my problem with it is there seems no reason for that peter parker to have gotten super powers, the way they established the family relationship with his parents leaving at the beginning of the movie, it seemed like he would discover a family secret, not fight a lizard man and avenge his uncle

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  2. There actually was more of an explanation as to what happen to him and his parents and how he got his powers, but the scene was cut from the movie.

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  3. what pissed me off is in the main spidey storyline BOTH MJ and Gwen Stacey are there, not one or the other. Honestly, Stacy is Peter's secret love interest (although he is still wedded to MJ), IN COLLEGE. (Yes she dies derp da derp)/ Honestly this could've worked easily as a sequel, not a reboot. Garfield surely is old enough to make it work.

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