With Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man set to hit theaters this week, people are dying to know, how is it? Well, I have seen the second super hero film of the summer and here is what I have to say about it.
In this installment we follow Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) as he gets abandoned by his parents and subsequently raised by Aunt May (Sally Field) and Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen). Eventually, Peter finds a suitcase that once belonged to his father which leads him to Oscorp where he meets Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans). When Oscorp forces Dr. Connors into a corner he decides to inject himself with a regeneration serum that eventually turns him into The Lizard, an angry man-beast hell bent on causing chaos and who Peter indirectly created.
It’s hard for a Spider-Man film not to entertain. Hell, it’s hard for any recent comic book movie not to entertain. Can they suck? Absolutely, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be fun to watch. So if you ask me, Marc Webb, the director of 500 Days of Summer, had a pretty easy job to do: deliver what the people love about the original and simply add your own flair, which he does to a certain extent. I was a fan of the various first person web-slinging shots but I wasn’t a fan of the 3D because you could actually watch half the movie without your glasses on.
In Marc Webb’s reboot, Andrew Garfield takes the reins of Peter Parker and makes the character his own while staying true to the actual almost spunky/sarcastic personality that the comic book character is known for. Emma Stone was a perfect Gwen Stacy bringing her natural comical charisma to a role that also required intelligence and confidence. Rhys Ifans was brilliant as well. His transition from good guy to psychopath couldn’t have been any smoother or better.
The real question on everyone’s mind is if it’s better than the original starring Tobey Maguire? Personally, I think audience members will be divided. The reason I say this is because unlike the slogan for the movie, “the untold story,” this movie is anything but. This flick is practically the same as the first but with a different villain and a different love interest. The untold story aspect is touched upon but won’t actually be a factor until the sequel is made, and yes, there will be a sequel, so stay during the first part of the credits for a little surprise. Though a little tedious and long, I’m tempted to say I liked this o
ne better than the first because I’m a fan of The Lizard as a villain and character even if they did make him look like a goomba from the Super Mario Bros. movie.
Though entertaining, the film did have a plethora of minor inconsistencies having to do with the details. I’ll give you a simple but noticeable example. Parker walks everywhere with his backpack but it usually disappears when he turns into Spider-Man. What I want to know is how does he always get his backpack back when he returns home even after being wounded from battling NYC cops and The Lizard? How is that more important than getting a gun wound treated? I’m just saying.
Marc Webb’s reboot is a faithful and accurate one that will entertain the masses. Did we need a new one so soon? Not necessarily, but The Amazing Spider-Man is a character driven story and its desire to go down a different route will keep audience members and comic book movie fans like me intrigued. It may not be perfect and it may be too long, but it’s a fun film that’s more of the same of what we love (including my favorite Stan Lee cameo to date). Let’s just hope that what’s coming down the road is much more unique than what we’re getting this time around because the ending certainly sets it up that way.
Rating: Just as amazing as the first but with different faces and a much different future (6.7/10)
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