The Amazing Spider-Man Review

Same powers, new responsibilities
Full review by Isaac Handelman

What’s perhaps most remarkable about The Amazing Spider-Man is the fact that it works at all. 2002’s film adaptation of the web-slinging hero was such a wild success, both critically and commercially, that Sony's decision to reboot the franchise a mere decade later was a questionable one at best. So, naturally, the real question for many is simply, “Is The Amazing Spider-Man as good as Spider-Man?” I’d have to respond with another question: does it really matter?

This version of the web-head’s tale finds Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) more deeply embedded in day-to-day high school life, and still haunted by the sudden mysterious departure of his parents when he was young. He feels compelled to delve into his father’s studies at Oscorp with Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), more specifically the area of cross-species genetics. Hence Peter eventually receiving spider-like superpowers, as well as Connors’ periodic transformations into a monstrous scaly reptilian monster (a somewhat unfortunate side-effect of his experiments with regenerative limbs).

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Yes, Spidey’s out to stop the big green bad guy and save New York City, which does help to highlight Marc Webb’s slick direction of action sequences, but that’s not really what makes The Amazing Spider-Man interesting. The tale The Amazing Spider-Man weaves is a far more personal account of Peter Parker’s struggles than Raimi’s take was. As I mentioned above, Peter’s high school life is placed in a relative spotlight, and we experience his classes, quirks and, of course, confrontations with jock and all-around-mean-guy Flash Thompson firsthand. The mysteries revolving around Peter’s parents are another intriguing new prospect rife with potential areas to explore. Accompanying these differentiations from the 2002 film are the absence of Peter’s Daily Bugle job and Norman and Harry Osborne (though the former of whom is brought up in conversation).

We’re also treated to many-a-scene evolving the relationship between Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), a duo whom, may I also mention, are far more convincing as high school aged kids than Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, despite the fact that both actors are in fact in their mid to late twenties. The romantic goings-on between the two seem rather cliched at first, but by the film’s close their relationship has potential to go in some interesting directions  (and as a side note, who would've thought that a Coldplay song could be used so effectively in a Spider-Man film?). Also, kudos to the screenwriters for not resorting to the achingly overused, “and they all lived happily ever after, kiss, fade to black,” and instead resolving Peter and Gwen’s relationship in an infinitely more clever way.

But while the film does take these steps to separate itself, certain attributes of the wall-crawler do stay the same. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say that there’s a sequence towards the beginning of the film, a turning point for Peter, that is very plainly reminiscent of events which transpired in the original film. It’s all in a new context and it’s far from identical, but it’s just a tad disappointing how similar everything plays out, and it certainly takes away from the suspense factor for anyone who saw the 2002 film (which, let’s face it, is all of us).

The Amazing Spider-Man is, oddly enough, both the most violent and the most knowingly cheesy version of the wall-crawler yet. There are a select few moments during the film where the viewer is almost inclined to laugh at how preposterous what’s onscreen is. The film asks its audience to suspend their disbelief to an extent far beyond what they may be used to in a Spider-Man film. But you know what, that’s just fine. Recent blockbuster superhero films like The Avengers have begun exploring fantastical elements; it seems Hollywood is finally realizing that it doesn’t have to ground masked vigilantes wearing spandex suits in reality. The Amazing Spider-Man’s occasional ridiculousness may turn some viewers off but, in a day and age when a superhero outing as openly dark and brooding as The Dark Knight can achieve such massive success, who’s to say a film that does the exact opposite can’t perform just as well?

Ultimately, it comes down to yet another simple question: are you willing to accept a new Spider-Man? If, despite your love for Raimi’s interpretation, you can find it in your heart to answer “yes” to this question, I can guarantee you’ll have a hearty good time with The Amazing Spider-Man. And if you answer no, well, that’s just too bad. Sure, you’ll save yourself from a few overly silly moments and derivative sequences, but you’ll also be missing out on what’s bound to be the web-head’s signature cinematic franchise well into the foreseeable future, and, I’m surprised to say, I’m just fine with that. In fact, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say I can’t wait for my next chance to cheer Spidey on.

Final Score:

7.0/10

“Good”