The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Director: Marc Webb

Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone

Genre: Superhero

Plot: Your friendly neighborhood super hero is back. Again!

First things first, 3d is best ever you might have seen thus far, even the dim lightning scenes rendered perfectly which isn’t usually the case with most 3d films.

Amazing Spider-Man starts with a young Parker playing with his father. From there onwards, back story of Spider-Man has been told well and explains a lot why Spidey is the way he is. He is usually considered a geek who is perplexed with his love-life and saddened by the death of his Uncle. But this films shows, even before he was a superhero he was a boy of solid beliefs—beliefs that were instilled in him during his upbringing. His disappointments that he always curled inside had more to do than just girls. Untimely death of his parents and the hole they left in Peter Parker’s life has all been brought to us, explicitly, from behind the curtains.

Be it film or comicbook, Spider-Man of late took a back seat to X-Men and Avengers franchise. The reboot didn’t make much sense to many but it did to Marc Webb and the crew, and I am very happy for that!

Spider-Man, like many other superheroes, is driven by love for his family and friends and they, along with his beliefs, are his actual strength. Marc Webb does a good job in making sure action and special effects don’t overshadow these basic human tendencies.     

The chemistry between Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker) and Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy) is the USP of the film—even though they lack the ‘famous kiss.’ They look adorable as a couple, seem made for each and emit some sort of instant freshness—something that was missing in earlier Spidey films. The scene where both are clearly eager to go out but none can say it out is simply too good!

Andrew Garfield with his antics does light up the screen. Emma Stone (unlike Kristen Dunst) complements him equally. She does so with her prettiness, trademark Gwen Stacy looks and a neat performance—surely an up and coming actress. For female protagonists, she is a breath of fresh air for Spider Man films.

Amazing Spider-Man remains right on track when it comes to character development and some of the most influential scenes from previous Spidey flicks have been executed alright—Uncle Ben’s death has been rightly toned down a bit, to be in line with this slightly different Peter Parker who has already experienced the suffering of losing loved ones, so he doesn’t blow his cork as frantically this time.    

However, Tobey Maguire is one tough act to follow and as a superhero film Amazing Spider-Man lags behind its predecessor. A superhero flick must guarantee, never-before like, brilliant action sequences and even though it has some good action scenes, like the one where Spidey is saving people on bridge or the one where crane workers are helping him out, these are no match to the intensity of awe-inspiring sequences from Sam Raimi’s versions. E.g., Spider Man’s efforts to stop the train headed toward a certain death of all the passengers.        

A few things, perhaps in an attempt to be a distinct, seemed hasty and awkward. The scene where Spider man simply tells the boy’s father that he is ‘Spider-man’ lacked glitz. Are Parker and Gwen already getting together again? You are definitely going to miss the words "Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man"!

Webb has given us a decent first reboot film but he needs to take it all to level-next in upcoming sequel—action being an uncharted territory, he has his task cut out.

A real good theater watch.

7.5/10

   

P.S., going in with zero expectations did help and free popcorn plus cold-drink was an additional perk!