The Amazing Spider-Man

Question: What was your first reaction when you heard Hollywood was rebooting Spider-Man? Honestly, I thought, “Why? It’s only been a decade since Tobey McGuire came out as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. A decade!!” And then I got really annoyed but I can’t control what Hollywood does and nor do I want to, but this seemed like a waste to me.

I may have mentioned, a time or two, how much I dislike remakes, reboots and just the general laziness I think Hollywood is taking regarding movies and the mass production of uninteresting films or films that ALREADY HAVE BEEN MADE!!! So, I won’t bore you again with another full-on rant, but this one really threw me as to why or who decided to make this so quickly after such a well-made and beloved franchise.

But then I thought of my son and how much he wanted to see it after I read on the internet they were redoing the series. After watching the trailer, and despite my apprehension, I saw the HUGE smile on his face and I knew right then and there I would take him to see it. He LOVES Spider-Man, from his Spider-Man covered bed sheets, to his, at least, five Spider-Man action figures and other Spidey games and toys; Spider-Man is always near him in one form or another. It is the one superhero he always asks for when it’s birthday or Christmas time. Oh, I forgot to mention he has a ton of the web slinger’s comic books. The Amazing Spider-Man went on the must-see list, his not mine, and I knew he would enjoy the film – no matter what.

Nonetheless, I was still less than excited to see this version, but I was interested in seeing Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker. The actor has already proven his acting chops in The Social Network and Never Let Me Go. Two films where I thoroughly enjoyed his performances. So I was curious, a little.

Well, the movie came out a few weeks ago and it took me a little while to convince myself I could sit through it. Yes, I know I sound like I went in with a preconceived notion about the latest Marvel film, but many of us do. I am a movie fan first and a critic second, and I was NOT a fan of seeing a reboot. However, I kept my mind open and my mouth shut as the movie started.

All in all, I found the reboot to be a mediocre film….and with that said, I really don’t want to make this a long review and pick it apart. Although despite my earlier prejudices, I did enjoy some of the movie. Andrew Garfield did a wonderful job, and I didn’t find myself comparing his performance to Tobey McGuire’s, which surprised me. So I am giving it points there. Also, the casting of Martin Sheen and Sally Field as Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben and Aunt May was a perfect match.

A lot of the film, or story line, was different from what I know about Spider-Man, and in case you are going to see it, I will keep the differences to myself. But I will say, some I liked and some I didn’t.

The special effects were good, of course, but that hardly makes a movie for me. If the story isn’t there, then you lose me as a fan. This Spider-Man lost me on the overall story between the hero and the villain – and that’s all I will say about that. However, my son really enjoyed the film: the effects, the villain, the jokes, etc….He smiled throughout the entire film but he did say Spider-Man 2 was still his favorite Spidey movie as we were walking out of the theatre.

But to be a good reviewer, I just wanted to check and see if that was still accurate. So I asked him again, just now, and he’s already changed his mind and said The Amazing Spider-Man was the best of all the Spider-Man films. And he added that Tobey McGuire didn’t really fit the part once he saw Andrew Garfield’s performance. (I might be raising a future movie reviewer…haha.) Maybe Hollywood does know something about these reboots, remakes, and comic book heroes, oh my.

My favorite thing: Andrew Garfield. He really is an amazing actor.

My least favorite: The villain and his story with Spider-Man.

Directed by Mark Webb, Columbia Pictures, 2012.

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, Sally Field and Martin Sheen.

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Thriller

Rating: PG-13

Length: 136 minutes

Review: 5 out of 10