It was just five years ago that Spider-Man 3 was
released, the third installment of the popular franchise. While the general
consensus, of which I agree, was that the third one was subpar compared to the
first two, wasn’t it too soon for a reboot with a new director to replace Sam Rami and a new star to don the suit in place of Tobey McGuire?
I had my hesitations, but of course I was going to give
it a shot. For those who don’t know, the new film goes back to the beginning,
when Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man while in high school. As IMDb explains: “Peter Parker
finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he
was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his
father's former partner.”
It was nice to see that The Amazing Spider-Man didn’t traverse the same territory as
its predecessors. Sure, there were a few similarities between the films, but
they were always essential to the story (i.e. Spider-Man’s origin). Otherwise,
the new installment brought a lot to the party.
First
and foremost was the new man behind the mask, Andrew Garfield. Best known for
playing Eduardo Saverin in The Social Network, Garfield seemed a curious choice
to play Peter Parker. He beat out such actors as Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylor
Lautner, Michael Cera and Anton Yelchin for the role, but even so I had my
reservations.
Once
I learned that he got the blessing of Maguire and was a bit of a comic
geek, I felt a bit better, but it ended up being his performance that blew me away. I’ve read Spider-Man comics for a long time, and
Garfield is exactly how I picture Peter Parker. His mannerism and wit was spot
on, and he had the lean, slender build that has always characterized Spider-Man
(I always thought Maguire was a bit too beefy).
The
only drawback for Garfield is that it’s hard to imagine him as an unlikeable
geek in high school. He’s just got the look, attitude and inherent confidence
that goes against it; in other words, he’s just too smooth and cool to be
looked down on. On the flip side, Garfield accomplished something Maguire was
never able to do, he brought the character to life. Maybe it was just me, but I
always though Maguire’s portrayal lacked conviction and enthusiasm.
Another
thing that I liked was the new villain. There are a few iconic antagonists in
the Spider-Man universe, many of which have been featured in previous films. It
was important for the filmmakers to bring a new character into the fray, which
they did with the Lizard, played brilliantly by Rhys Ifans. While I’d have
preferred the movie-version Lizard to have a snout like in the comic books, I must
admit I found the character intriguing, visually appealing (great CGI) and an
all-around badass.
The
addition of other new characters like Captain Stacy and Gwen Stacey, was also a
pleasant spin on the story. Both have had big roles in the Spider-Man universe,
and the filmmakers did a good job shying away from the Mary Jane Watson love
story to that of Peter Parker’s first love, the blonde bombshell Gwen Stacey,
played superbly by the very-talented Emma Stone. Interestingly, Stone had to
change her hair from red to blonde to play the leading lady, while years
earlier Kirsten Dunst had to go from blonde to red.
I’d
also be remiss if I didn’t mention Sally Field and Martin Sheen as Aunt May and
Uncle Ben respectively. They had limited roles, but they lit up the screen when
they were on, especially the latter. I liked these two characters in the first
Spider-Man film, but I loved them in the reboot.
I
will admit that, at times, The Amazing Spider-Man felt a lot like it’s
predecessor, but truth be told I like the new version better. It was more modern,
Garfield proved to be a great Peter Parker, and overall it generally felt more
true to the comics. I had an awesome time at the film, despite not being able to see it in 3D because of a sold-out theater, and I have no doubt it will
inspire an enduring and successful franchise. Kudos to director Marc Webb, who
has an appropriate name for the film.
Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 85%
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