Plot: The "untold" story of the webslinging superhero, The Amazing Spiderman follows the origin story of Peter Parker/Spiderman (Andrew Garfield). When his parents die in a tragic plane crash, relatives Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field) raise the introverted but extremely intelligent Peter. An awkward high school loner, Peter pines after the beautiful and talented Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) and struggles to fit in. One day Peter discovers his father's briefcase which eventually leads him to his father's old company Oscorp, his father's friend and former partner Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), and an encounter with a spider that will change his destiny forever.
Review: Although Spiderman 3 was an epic failure critically, most fans didn't expect a complete reboot of the franchise just five short years after the last incarnation. I know I certainly wasn't. But when there are gobs of money to be made, no studio will turn down a sure fire cash cow like Spiderman. And with global box office receipts climbing towards $350 million in just just seven days, that assessment is certainly justified.
But is The Amazing Spiderman a good movie?
While it is certainly better than its predecessor, the latest rebooted installment of Spidey is merely an average film. On paper The Amazing Spiderman seems like it has all the right ingredients: two up and coming talented young actors, a solid villain, a darker edgier tone, and great special effects. And don't get me wrong all of those things exist within this film. However, throughout The Amazing Spiderman it contains no bite, no substance, and lacks an essential quality that kept me from connecting with this movie. Call it the "it factor." It's as good a name as any because I can't assign a specific name to it.
Director Marc Webb's take on the Marvel superhero is definitely darker, with a more intense sense of realism, ala Christopher Nolan in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. However, The Amazing Spiderman is a pale imitation of what Nolan has previously created. Webb's film unfortunately comes across as trying to be too much like Nolan's movies. It's often strained and lacks a definitive tone or focus. This is tragic when you consider the fact that James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, and Steve Kloves's script is actually quite good. One wonders how another director might have handled their screenplay. At two hours and sixteen minutes, The Amazing Spiderman also suffers an overly long run time. Trimming the film by fifteen to twenty minutes might have done wonders.
As for the acting, Andrew Garfield is head and shoulders above Tobey MacGuire as Peter Parker/Spiderman. Garfield's portrayal of the vaunted webslinger is much more nuanced and emotional. He's a loner who still feels a sense of abandonment by his parents. Garfield's Parker is awkward and shy at first; you can see his struggles with acceptance in school and in trying to attract his first love Gwen Stacy. I actually found some of the scenes between Garfield, Martin Sheen, and Aunt May to be more interesting than some of the action sequences.
I had high expectations for Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy but unfortunately she fell flat for me. The chemistry was severely lacking between her and Garfield and I felt no real emotional connection to her character. Though Garfield tries his best I couldn't bring myself to care about the plight of these two lovers.
On the plus side Rhys Ifans makes for a fantastic Dr. Curt Connors/Lizard. This is the villain Spidey fans have been begging for for years. Their patience was well worth the wait as Ifans excels in this role. There is a real pathos about his character. He's someone with mixed motivations. On the one hand he ostensibly wants to eliminate genetic defects but deep down Connors also desires to regrow the arm he lost in a fatal accident years ago. Things are further complicated by pressure from his boss, Norman Osbourne, who is apparently dying and needs Connors' science to work. As Ifans descends further into the role of The Lizard, a distinct Frankenstein's monster-esque quality begins to emerge. This in turn makes Ifans maybe the most sympathetic and relatable character in the whole film.
For viewers expecting visual wonders there are plenty in The Amazing Spiderman. From Spidey's initial rooftop webslinging, to an impressive rescue on the Brooklynn Bridge, to the final climactic confrontation with The Lizard, The Amazing Spiderman abounds with raw visual intensity that's sure to please fans and non-fans of the arachnid superhero.
I wanted to like The Amazing Spiderman. I really did. Yet as I've said there was an essence, a substance that just wasn't there. The film didn't resonate fully like I expected it to. Underneath the glitz and glamor of the Spiderman mask there was nothing but an empty shell. Perhaps a second viewing might change my mind but I'm not hopeful. At the end of the day The Amazing Spiderman proves to be nothing more than a mildly entertaining summer popcorn flick.
My rating: 7/10
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