The
Amazing Spider-Man
Webb’s Web-Slinging
Reboot
Released:
July 3 2012
Director:
Marc Webb
Cast:
Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally
Field.
Plot:
Living
with his Aunt and Uncle, Peter Parker (Garfield) goes through his school life
being bullied, and obsessing over classmate Gwen Stacy (Stone) all the while
investigating the disappearance of his parents. Eventually his search leads to
Dr. Curt Connors, a colleague of his father at OsCorp, where he is
subsequently bitten by a genetically engineered spider.
PERHAPS the
most prevalent attitude on the internet for Sony Pictures Entertainment’s
reboot of this superhero franchise was that it was all ‘too soon’ after Raimi’s
trilogy wrapped up in 2007. It is not an uncommon criticism, particularly when
it comes to reworks of foreign films, but for good reason – The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo a rare
instance in which the remake scratched up to the quality of the original – and
evidently The Amazing Spider-Man has
received divided critique. Plus, it has unfortunately been dropped right in the
middle of two other superhero blockbusters, Marvel’s Avengers Assemble and Nolan’s highly anticipated The Dark Knight Rises. Though it doesn’t
have the dark hyper- realism Nolan’s series does, nor the witty banter-esque
relations between Avengers’
protagonists, it does have qualities
these two don’t – Andrew Garfield’s
interpretation of Peter Parker being the operative feature here. Whereas Tobey
Maguire’s Peter had the bad hair, glasses and adult appearance, even at 28
Garfield portrays a 17 year old truthfully and successfully, sporting ‘cool’
hair, a skateboard, and even trades in Spidey’s specs for contacts (at first,
anyway). Parker fits into a new generation of nerdiness comfortably. His proficiency
in science also shines through better: he invents a contraption for locking his
bedroom door remotely (a must- have for a teenage boy) and develops his
web-shooters himself, as in the comic books. The scene in which Parker
initially discovers his abilities encapsulates the film’s uniqueness, and the
following montage depicting his inability to perform his usual routine such as
turning his alarm clock off or squeezing toothpaste from the tube adds charm
and comedy to the film in a way few superhero movies can. It additionally
succeeds in expanding Parker’s school years – the nerd-turned-hero aspect of
audience’s love for him breaking through at this stage brilliantly. It is no
surprise then that this first act dominates the film, earning extra credits
Raimi’s didn’t have.
 |
| Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy |
There
is more to this feature too – dialogue between Garfield’s Peter Parker and Emma
Stone’s Gwen Stacy accurately reflects that teenage awkwardness around the
opposite sex – when he’s not lost for words, he’s tripping over them. Then
there’s the tense meet-the-parents-for-the-first-time moment, Parker’s opinions
on his crime- fighting secret identity and the inefficiency of the NYPD clashing
brutally with Gwen’s father’s, who is also the Chief of Police. Additional
accomplishment is acquired this way – reworkings of Uncle Ben and Aunt May make
for comic and emotional relief, all the while providing moral stand-ins for
Peter’s parents (particularly Martin Sheen’s Ben, as in Raimi’s film). On that
note, The Amazing Spider-Man lays the
disappearance of his parents down as an underlying current for the already
announced sequels, in much the same way as omnipresence of Norman Osborne
(mentioned but not seen) functions. Even without the end-credit extra scene,
which, by the way, isn’t Avengers-
related, we could have smelt a film or two more in the works. The prevalent question of Peter’s parents’
disappearance makes for a satisfying focus of attention too, having been
ignored in Raimi’s trilogy. It is hard not to bear the originals in mind when
viewing The Amazing Spider-Man, since
many likenesses can be found – Uncle Ben’s first- act death, Rhys Ifans’ Curt
Connors/The Lizard schizophrenic state of mind – the latter of which doesn’t
live up to the dynamic of the Norman Osborne/Goblin dichotomy. What works well,
though, are the first person camera shots dispersed effectively amongst the
conventional CGI Spidey- following shots, especially in 3D. Besides this
though, the format does little to compliment the film.
 |
| Rhys Ifans as Curt Connors aka The Lizard |
Once
the first act is over, the film falls a little flat. It feels hurried, and what
made it unique slides away amid blockbuster cliché. The Lizard appears somewhat
randomly and drops from the action suddenly, and rather a lot happens in very
short spaces of time in between as a result, drowning the talents of Garfield
and Stone in the process. Citizens cornily aid Spider-Man in an effort to
reflect New York’s unity in Raimi’s work, and cheesy lines and predictable
moments haunt the film to its conclusion. By this point, too many character
arcs have taken place and add nothing to the movie’s substance. As such, you
can’t help but wonder if the large budget, blockbuster storytelling is suited
better to Raimi’s territory. A climactic battle is actually overshadowed by an
earlier car-on-fire-hanging-off-a-bridge rescue, in which we see Spider-Man and
Peter Parker interweave to help a child in need of help. The overall sense of
having been rushed pervades the film, degrading the performances from Stone and
Garfield, which brought freshness to the superhero genre.
Verdict:
Looks promising to start, with terrific performances from Stone and Garfield,
which sink into the background once the action- driven plot takes over, lacking
in its initial style and charm. It’s good enough to sit comfortably between Avengers Assemble and the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises, but falters at maintaining
the pace of the former. Perhaps it was, after all, a tad too soon. ★★★
