Review: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

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. ★★★