For almost a decade, the word "reboot" has been a four-letter word. Aside from the whirlwind success with Christopher Nolan's Batman/Dark Knight trilogy (thus far), every other attempt at a reboot or remake has been met with disdain and discord. So when Sony decided to reboot the Spider-Man franchise about five years after the "Spider-Man 3" left such a sour tastes in the mouths of critics and, more importantly, audiences, the groans were to be expected.
Indeed, "The Amazing Spider-Man" is a reboot. And has absolutely nothing to do with what Sam Raimi has done with the prior three Spidey movies. And perhaps that's the most glorious part of the movie.
Not only is this a do-over for the franchise, they're incorporating the full story from the original comics generations have loved. Let me tell you...this is how Spider-Man is supposed to be.
Mysteriously abandoned by his parents Richard and Mary (Campbell Scott and Embeth Davidtz) and left in the care of his uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and aunt May (Sally Field) when he was little, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is your run-of-the-mill high school nerd. He loves science, takes pictures for various school functions, and quietly has a crush on classmate Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone).
When Peter finds a folder in his father's old brief case with a bizarre formula in it, he goes to Oscorp in search of his father's former colleage, Doctor Curt Conners (Rhys Ifans). While in Oscorp, Peter is bitten by a genertically altered spider, and realizes he has similar abilities as a spider. After developing custom web-shooters and honing his abilites, he begins a crusade to stop crime on the mean streets of New York, while dodging suspicion from his aunt and uncle, getting arrested or killed by Gwen's father Police Captain Stacy (Denis Leary), and Doctor Connors himself, who's science experiment goes terribly wrong.
Director Marc Webb ("(500) Days of Summer"), along with writers Alvin Sergant (screen story writer for "Spider-Man 2"), Steve Kloves (every Harry Potter film except Year 5) and James Vanderbilt ("Zodiac", "The Losers"), have literally thrown out everything Sam Raimi did before and finally give us the Spider-Man film we deserve. Peter Parker is a snarky geek, they have Gwen Stacy rather than Mary Jane Watson, and ground as much of the film in a stark realism as they can. The characters are real and relatable, and so are the situations.
Tobey who? Who cares! Andrew Garfield IS Peter Parker in every way, shape, and form. They couldn't have casted this film any better. From his gawky mannerisms, his perfect delivery, and his expressive face, Garfield is going to have a long career as Spider-Man ahead of him. Emma Stone radiates as Gwen Stacy, showing comic book heroines don't have to be stupid (Kirsten Dunst, we're glaring at you).
The rest of the cast? How can you not love them? Sally Field as Aunt May. Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben. Denis Leary as Captain Stacy. This is casting at its finest.
Much like what Christopher Nolan did for the Batman franchise, "The Amazing Spider-Man" is a grittier. darker take on the series. Fans, worry not. Peter still cracks all the jokes he did in the original comics, and the love story between he and Gwen is a endearing as you would expect. But expect to have your breath taken away from you when the action starts up -- especially if you're seeing this in IMAX 3D. As great as the story is, the action is pure magic. Pulse-pounding, edge-of-your-seat magic.
FINAL VERDICT: Forget what has come before it. "The Amazing Spider-Man" lives up to its name. This is the film that geeks and movie-goers will be able to agree on for once. As awe-inspiring as it is sweet, as incredible as it is human, "The Amazing Spider-Man" is the movie that should have been made the first time around, and the new franchise I will not-so-patienty be waiting for (the sequel comes out in 2014).
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