In this day and age, “adults” are also big kids who still see Spider-Man movies, and The Amazing Spider-Man faces the challenge of making both the old and new generations satisfied with a revised vision of an iconic hero. If you fall into the camp of ‘big kids who still love their Spider-Man films,’ know right from the get-go that Amazing Spider-Man covers a familiar origin story – albeit in different fashion than Sam Raimi’s game-changing film did in 2002. If you can’t get behind that idea – even in the slightest – then this movie simply is not for you.
However, for all others:
We pick up the familiar tale of Spider-Man with a re-imagined version of Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), a high school geek who exists in the contemporary age of smartphones and social media, in which “the geek,” as an archetype, has become something slightly cooler and more accepted than what it used to be. Garfield’s Peter Parker – with his skateboard, contact lenses and vintage punk band tee-shirts – is definitely the epitome of modern “geek chic”; as such, the goofy nerdisms of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s 1960s Peter Parker have been replaced with deeper emotional troubles centered around Peter’s status as an orphan who never answered the question of his parents’ disappearance.
The chance discovery of his dad’s old research into cross-species genetics (a replacement for the outdated radiation experiments that originally created Spider-Man) sends Peter to the beehive-shaped halls of Oscorp, where his high school crush Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) interns alongside the brilliant but disabled Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), who was once Peter’s father’s closest associate. That meeting results in Connors and young Parker bonding over scientific theory – and of course, Peter stumbles into the chance accident which leaves him endowed with super powers – abilities which the young man at first squanders for selfish gain, resulting in a life-altering tragedy close to home.
Meanwhile, facing coercion from his shadowy employer Norman Osborn, Dr. Connors takes a big risk testing a promising new serum, which has the unfortunate side-effect of transforming him into a humanoid Lizard. With a super-powered monster on the loose, only Spider-Man is up to the task of stopping the threat. But as both his personal and super hero lives begin to collide at every turn, Peter fears that tragedy may strike home all over again.
Amazing Spider-Man arguably gets more right than it gets wrong, but it is far from being a perfect film. At its core, the movie seems to be, in fact, two films: The hour-long teenage character drama that director Marc Webb ((500) Days of Summer) invests great time and care in telling – followed by a standard superhero blockbuster, complete with 3D CGI battle sequences and an overly-formulaic structure. The point of debate amongst fans will be the question of which half of the film is the better one, and the answer will largely depend on the preferences and expectations of the viewer.
Martin Sheen, Sally Field and Andrew Garfield in 'Amazing Spider-Man'
For my money, the first hour of Amazing Spider-Man is the more interesting half, as it presents a version of the character we haven’t seen before. Webb creates the world of Peter Parker – and the characters that inhabit it – in a way that few people before him have. In this film, Peter Parker feels like a fully-realized person; the home he shares with his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field) feels like a real place, and the high school he attends feels like one you could walk right into. Andrew Garfield owns the leading role, offering a mix of lanky physicality, sharp wit and carefully measured emotion – traits that are effective on both sides of the mask, and help him to wall-crawl right out of the shadow of Tobey Maguire. The rest of the cast is just as strong; on the whole, the players in this new version far outshine the original ensemble.
Raimi’s film always felt somewhat emotionally distant, while Webb grabs hold of personal turmoil and emotional connections as his primary point of interest. The chemistry between the principal actors – Garfield, Sheen, Field and Denis Leary as Gwen’s father, Captain Stacy – is very palpable and engaging, so that we actually care when reckless super-Peter has his big angry blow up at Uncle Ben and Aunt May, or when he causes tension at the dinner table trading quips with Cpt. Stacy – or the emotional punch we get as Peter listens to the last voice message his Uncle left him, professing fatherly affection. Garfield and Stone have even better chemistry, and indeed Amazing Spider-Man is often at its best when watching the two young leads trading snappy flirtatious dialogue or (in one scene) maturely discussing the dangers of Peter’s heroics. Stone is a much better heroine than Kirsten Dunst’s Mary Jane (smart and feisty, rather than hapless and dramatic) – though she’s still given little to actually do besides to stare into her co-star’s eyes in key scenes (which she does well).
Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone in 'Amazing Spider-Man'
When the first hour is up, and the film inevitably transitions into the superhero blockbuster we’ve been waiting for, the rough seams quickly start show. The studio had to know that an indie director like Marc Webb would be somewhat out of his element handling such big-budget action fare – but to his credit, Webb (with a good deal of assistance, no doubt) manages to keep things together – if only barely.
The Spider-Man action in the film is better than ever, thanks to some improved conceptualization (Spider-Man actually moves and fights like a spider) and a whole lot of superior technology. The cinematography is gorgeous and there are well-staged practical stunts that help avoid an over-reliance on CGI – and even the effects-heavy portions of the film (like the character of The Lizard) are handled reasonably well. The 3D effects are phenomenal whenever Spider-Man suits up to do some web-slinging, but are almost non-existent in the domestic scenes. You could go an hour before really needing to put on the glasses.
Pacing and editing are the two biggest issues in the film – and this is very apparent in some of the rushed set pieces that are wedged into the second and third acts. Example: a second-act sewer battle seeks to build tension and suspense, only to come to an abrupt end – followed by a speedy and awkward transition into a high school battle sequence. The entire character of “Curt Connors” becomes an extraneous narrative concern as the Spider-Man action ramps up, and a lot of the primary plot threads that galvanize the movie get pushed off onto an inevitable sequel, so that time and space are freed up for Spidey to pound on (or get pounded by) the mostly arbitrary villain that is The Lizard.
The Spider-Man action is cooler, but totally at odds with the deeper story that precedes it; the initial character and world building are handled much better than the hollow and cartoonish Raimi film, but those threads are ultimately left dangling without much resolution or acknowledgement. What we’re left with is a pastiche of scenes that are, generally speaking, all interesting, impactful or ‘cool,’ but when looked at as a whole, are clearly the rough stitch-work of an inexperienced tailor.
Whether that “tailor” is Webb, screenwriters James Vanderbilt (Zodiac), Alvin Sargent (the original Spider-Man trilogy) and Steve Kloves (the Harry Potter films) – or simply some meddling studio executives, we may never know. But whatever the case, the fact is that The Amazing Spider-Man is somewhat at odds with itself. And while that might be a fitting metaphor for the character himself, as a film seeking to justify its own new beginning, Amazing Spider-Man ends up being a solid relaunch, rather than a “good” or (wait for it) “amazing” one. The potential is there for a much bigger, better, Spider-Man movie universe to come, even if this movie doesn’t fully realize that potential.
For an in-depth discussion of the film by the Screen Rant team check out our Amazing Spider-Man episode of the SR Underground podcast.
If you want to talk about the movie in detail, head over to our Amazing Spider-Man Spoilers Discussion, or rate the movie for yourself below.
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The Amazing Spider-Man is now playing in theaters. It is Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence.
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Our Rating:
3.5 out of 5
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The Raimi pictures went away from the comic script while this one is much more true, the most important thing being the web cartridges as this was always a major factor in most fights in the comics. Over time he gets better at developing better cartridges but ultimately he is in constant need of saving webbing in order to be effective and this has that in it which to me is highly important to be a true spider man. Also Emma Stone by far the better actress even though anyone who has actually followed the comic series knows her dramatic fate if the story line stays true. I think it was much darker and more dramatic than the previous versions and it has much more room to grow and develop now that you actually care about the characters. Half the time I was rooting for something to actually end Mary Jane’s whiny character in the Raimi series since Dunst could not act at all, so that alone makes this series much more entertaining and believable. I liked it and it was worth my money and I think the reboot was a good idea then trying to fill in the old weak characters
@ the wolf: Thanks for your review it has doused my alarm fires and now I will go see the movie.
Agreed, Gwen is the rightful female role to follow in any soiderman seris at the start. Her untimly fate helps shape Spider-Man and mold him into the charcter that we know. I found it ironic that they decided to have her know Peter Parker was Spider-Man, after all in the comics she hates Spider-Man for getting her father killed… But hey, its hollywood and they love to change things. I did however find the Stan Lee scene to be the best one he has been in.
One of the most enjoyable movies I have seen, probably equal to Iron Man and slightly better than Sam Raimi’s Spider Man. The action sequences were well done and the 3D was amazing. I love how they kept the Lizard with an intelligence, instead of some mindless monster going on a rampage. I know some feel the pacing was a little slow, but it was a good way for the audience to identify, get to know and care about the characters. Wonderfully acted and directed. Can’t wait for Spider Man II!
I love this movie just saw it last night it really is a great Spider-Man flick. I was suprised when i read some reviews from other people and they said that it was basically the same thing as the original, i was thinking that its absolutley nothing like the original Raimi film if anything its a lot different than all three of the originals. While i was watching this in the theater i was amazed on how entertained i was by it i really liked Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man i think he really took the character in a much more different direction that Tobey did, he made him more realistic in humorous and emotional ways, Emma Stone was fabulous she’s overall a great actress and played Gwen very well, i love how she was flirty serious and heroic at the same time, she is great dominant Female in this becasue she wasn’t a hostage like Mary Jane was all the time in all 3 movies, man that really got annoying after a while. Rhys Ifans was a great Lizard/Dr.Connors i was a little dissapointed that there was a ton of deleted scenes, i heard that they reshot a tone of things because the studio didn’t like the original so thats why we saw less of Nels Van Adder, no Billy Connors ect… but it was still entertaining. Sheen and Field were great together and played a great realistic Ben and May. Overall this movie was awesome ignore everything that people say about it being the same thing as the original because trust me it isn’t this to me is the real Spider-Man this is how its done, i think that people are saying that because they think that the only way to do a Spider-Man movie is the way that all the originals were done and they can’t adapt to a change like this, but please try and adapt its totally worth it. I WANT A SEQUEL
i agree i walked away caring for peter parker also understanding how he feels . we all have been an outsider or felt left alone in some ways in life . marc webb made the amazing spiderman but also the amazing peter parker. the raimi films felt fake to me childish , corny this movie was grounded deep and i even liked the love connection . i have never seen a movie with so many haters before and even after its realise sam raimi doesnt deserve that much respect .
Just came back from the theater and I loved it!
The acting was great (especially Garfield – he’s an amazing Peter Parker AND Spider-Man), and the rest of the cast was pretty good too. I was very skeptical about the actors they hired, but it looks like I was proven wrong…
As for the story: it had similarities to the original Spidey movies and the comics, but isn’t that what we all want? Come on people, it’s Spider-Man! Do we really want them to do a totally different origin story? (I don’t), but I digress… as I said, it did have similarities, but for the most part it was fresh and pretty original. I thought it would be very predictable, but again, I was proven wrong.
The action was well done and the fight scenes where VERY well choreographed.
The Lizard looked a little fake (i.e. goofy looking animation) during some of the scenes, especially when he talks, but for the most part he seemed real enough.
The 3D price is worth it I think. There aren’t THAT many scenes where it actually adds to the experience, but the scenes where it does add something, were pretty thrilling. It has to be said that some of the shots where a little blurry (surprisingly not the action scenes though – those were clear and vibrant), just normal scenes where people walk around… but there weren’t times where that happened.
Some of the emotional moments did feel a bit rushed and I think the movie could have benefited from a SLIGHTLY longer run-time, but I’m just nitpicking now.
It was funny, emotional, goofy and heartbreaking – EXACTLY like Spider-Man.
I’m just so happy that they finally made a Spider-Man that’s true to it’s comic book counterpart and the hero I grew up with.
‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ is the best live action adaption of the character that I’ve ever seen and it was actually, too my surprise, one of the best movies I’ve seen all year.
4 out of 5 (I considered giving it a 4.5, but I think I’ll go see the movie again before I make that decision)
Upon further reflection (thinking back at all my other favorite movies that I’ve rated as 4.5 out of 5), I think I’ll stick with a solid 4 out 5 on this one.
Agreed. It was much better than I anticipated. Some glaring discrepancies in the overall story as in how it ties into the original Spiderman Universe but nothing that should discourage anyone from checking it out.
I want give a shout out to Legacy Effects and George Hull. Two different companies but both extremely talented and their websites and respective bodies of work are awesome. The animation on the Lizard in this movie will never be outdone, it was 100% top notch and I’d have spent the money just to see that alone. I personally do not like films with just computer animation for the effects, Legacy Effects uses traditional props, make up etc. with animated overlay and additions and it is gorgeous work. Cannot wait for LE’s work on Pacific Rim or to see George Hull’s work on Jupiter Rising.
Great, the Skrulls have apparently reached South Africa. First Loeb and now my younger self……what is this world coming to!
Give it a chance man… it was actually really good.
I think this movie surpasses the Raimi films! I loved this movie. I loved The Lizard as the villain. Garfield was great as Spidey! The chemistry between Garfield and Stone was great. The origin was great, and loved seeing the mechanical webshooters! Great cast. Definitely one of my favorite Supehero films!
I personally feel like this series makes more sense. I see the direction there going with it.
sigh, saw it today…not sure what movie the rest of you were watching but it was boring…sure they went back to the mechanical web shooters…who cares…that was the best part of the movie tho…this movie was fail imo…waste of time…
this movie was so dumb every scene made me want to punch a baby in the face. there’s so many things wrong with this film and if any one here is a true spidey fan you would see why. nothing in this movie is accurate to the comics at all. Besides looking like peter parker I couldn’t figure out what andrew garfield was trying to go for. is he a nerd? a hipster? a rebellious teen? a bully? a romantic? atleast tobey made it clear he was a socially awkward nerd regardless of how stupid he looks when he cries. since when does gwen have a full family with 3 brothers last time I checked it was just her and her father. speaking of captain stacey why did they make him hate spidey? in the comic books he was the only one who supported spiderman, i mean they lead to that towards the end but then he died. also the count for how many times peter takes his mask off in situations where people can clearly see who he is is ridiculous. id prefer the emo dancing in sm3 than that…my god. this movie sucked major donkey ass.
I have some major trouble coming to grips with your comment.
First, this film was meant to change his origin story and adapt to mix modernity with aspects from the original comics that were not done in the 2002 Raimi film. Of course things wouldn’t be the same! I was surprised by how much they did pay tribute to the other films, and not at all upset by the new and interesting changes.
All in all, I was thoroughly impressed with this film. I’m very sad that you weren’t, but I think it’s worth it for any critic to revisit this film with a more open mind. This film had so much potential, and it’s addressing villains and characters that were completely ignored in the original film series. Take Gwen Stacy, for example – she was Peter’s first love. She came before MJ, and there was a huge story behind her and her relationship with Peter. I’m glad that this new film addresses her properly, with the way she was snuffed in the previous films.
Dude, seriously? hate on the movie if you want but try and not FILL your post with @#$%ing SPOILERS describing multiple scenes of the movie, put that stuff in the spoiler discussion man! luckily i already saw the movie or else i would HATE YOU right now. your post should be deleted!
A spoiler alert would have worked wonders in your paragraph. GEEZ!!
*sigh* why is everyone complaining that Spidey didn’t find the killer of his uncle in the movie, & then defend SM1? SM1 did the exact same thing. Flint Marko (who doesn’t appear until SM3…) was the one who shot Ben. Spider-Man got the wrong guy in Raimi’s series as well. So, if you’re going to bash ASM for him not finding the killer, bash the previous series as well.
Good point, but sadly all the haters will hate regardless.
Most of them went into the theater with preconceived notions and were ready for the bashing before they even saw it…
It’s really sad & unfortunate. I didn’t necessarily like the costumes golden eyes or soles, & some of the acting choices, when I saw the movie & how it all came together, it was very well done. I can understand people who will say they hate it because it’s not the Spider-Man they know, they should give this movie a chance. This movie totally exceeded my expectations, & I’m excited for ASM2.
Completely agree.
A Very Enjoyable Film. Would go see it again, but need the extra cash to go see Dark Knight Rises. If they could ever find a way for Spider Man to be in the next Avengers film, Andrew Garfield should return for the role of Spidey.
I saw Amazing Spider-Man and it was anything but amazing. Very disappointed with this reboot. It hit all the same beats as the first Spider-Man but with far less style and grace. Why did Peter Parker cry so much? Why was the CGI for the Lizard so bad especially in this day and age? The film couldn’t decide what it wanted to be imo.
Reasons for crying in SM3: I’m nearly 30yrs old, Its Monday, Its Tuesday, Its Thursday, Its Friday, Its Saturday, Its Sunday, I breath oxygen, I punched the girl I want to marry, my suit has a black stain on it.
(mild spoilers)
Reasons for crying in ASM: I’m only 16/17yrs old, Parents ditched me and died, Uncle murdered less than 30 ft from me, I get beat up at school, I have no friends, my girlfriend’s dad is hunting me, I have real world problems and deal with them in a realistic way.
I personally thought the CGI was pretty decent, though at some parts (bridge scene) could have been better. Definitely better in comparison to Sandman from SM3 and Doc Oc from the train scene in SM2.
When a film dips into more than one genre, it makes the film more captivating and interesting. So a drama, thriller, scifi, action, romance movie is pretty great.
HAHAHA well put.
This movie may not have been perfect (and could never be perfect since everybody has their own opinion on what the movie should be), but it is -for dang sure- better than the past three spidey flicks.
Loved it for what it was, and can’t wait for more from this series!
Man this review is spot on. First half was much more interesting, it was like after he settled into the roll of Spider-Man there wasn’t much left to do except for settle the plot. Needed a much better defined character arc for Peter over the course of the film, and to resolve the character issues they brought up earlier (ie. orphan status, arrogance after his powers etc..).
Really missed the great words of Uncle Ben too. Paraphrasing sometimes just doesn’t do.
I cannot write this review without it having two sides; the Spider-Man fan boy side and the movie lover side. I must admit I love comic books and by far the most relatable character I have ever seen is Peter Parker. That being said, the Peter Parker played by Toby McGuire seems to be a better fit for the series. However, the Spider-Man in this film is uncanny! A few times he seemed to be overly sarcastic, but as a whole the clumsy, quick on his feet, and intuitive Spider-Man is here and I loved it! The Peter Parker in this film I think missed its mark, but we must give credit that they didn’t want to replicate the first three films. The biggest let down was Coners (the Lizard). I really wish they had included the depth to him that is in the comics; they don’t develop him enough in my opinion. The movie as a whole is on par, if not slightly (and I mean ever so slightly) better than the first Spider-Man movie with Toby McGuire. Also, I need to say good choice with Emma Stone as Gwen!
Now for the movie lover side. Great action-packed thrill ride of a movie. The story is solid, the characters are well played and the cinematic effects are fantastic. I saw this movie with a noisy crowd of moviegoers that seem to pay more attention to their cell phones and dates than the actual movie, but I was so captivated by what I was watching that I hardly noticed them. I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed this film! With the post credit scene and the announcement of a sequel, you can bet I will be at opening day for the next one. This is a movie I think even the non-comic book nerds will enjoy and it’s definitely worth full admission.
I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. It was probably more entertaining to newer audiences than longtime fans of the comics and the original films. Seeing the origin story over and over gets kind of boring, and it’s half of the film here. Once the lizard makes his appearance, the film got more interesting. I was a little put off by the secretive foreshadowing with Dr. Connors/Oscorp. This looks like a setup for the Green Goblin to me.
Absolutely loved this movie. And Idk if Disney has considered purchasing Sony yet(or Fox for that matter), but they should. This Spider-man, much moreso than Raimi’s, I could see RDJ or Chris Evans walking up to him at the end and saying something like, “How’d you like to join the team?” Disney could certainly afford to buy and sell and buy Fox again, and probably at least pull together a deal with Sony if not a merger. But now, more than ever with the X-men/Avengers comic merger, they need to be able to share universes with all their characters. And
*POSSIBLE SPOILER*
fingers crossed that was supposed to be Osborn in the mid-credits sequence.
It can’t be Osborn for 4 reasons.
1) Webb has said this is a complete revamp and we won’t see in this trilogy anything we have seen before.
2) Furthermore, if you really consider it this is someone with abilities that seem to surprise that of the Green Goblin. While I am not saying the goblin should be under estimated I am saying it’s a long shot to see him in this trilogy.
3) Also considering a recant interview with the actor who plays Connors:”…….How he gets in there and how he leaves, we don’t know. Maybe we will find out. But it’s not Norman Osborn.”
4) In the film Connors is working on something that Osborn needs quick, it was mentioned that Osborn was ill and need the project completed fast.
My idea is we are going to see either Quentin Beck, which would be unfortunate if they change his back-story that greatly, or Dmitri Smerdyakov, but i would hope he speaks more Russian.
I could be wrong…
it cant be osborn, he looked to old, and has never had the power to appear and disappear, if anything its Michele Morbius, the vampire, or electro. I say Morbius bcause darkness, vampires, makes sense, but it could be Elecro because he appeared when the thunder and lightning struck, and then left with the Lightning and thunder.
Why would it be Morbius? he has no ties to Oscorp, no powers of teleportation, and never met Parkers father… if they do Morbius it will be a completely new rendition and i would bet it sucks.(just like the lame “new goblin” from SM3). Electro is an even worse choice for who it was, consider who he his Maxwell Dillon- the electrician who stumbled onto the ability to harness electricity… I guess they could also do Sergei Kravinoff, he did hunt the lizard, but I think we will not know for sometime……
No, it cant be osborn, he looked to old, and has never had the power to appear and disappear, if anything its Michele Morbius, the vampire, or electro. I say Morbius bcause darkness, vampires, makes sense, but it could be Elecro because he appeared when the thunder and lightning struck, and then left with the Lightning and thunder.
Ok, first of all spiderman my favorite SH and I hate it that these movies are screwing up his story for a darker, grittier version…NEWSFLASH spidey is NOT batman let’s keep this in mind. With that said, a reboot doesn’t mean let’s change the character’s origin. Case in point TDK reboots stayed true to bruce’s origin and made minor changes like the batmobile, the suit, etc. These movies are changing the origins and destroying the natural mythos…think of a movie where superman was born on earth and not krypton…TRAGIC
This movie got the suit, the webslinging, spidey’s agility, and the web shooters spot-on. Y’all only like garfield because he’s NEW not saying that maguire was a true depiction of my hero…how quickly we forget things in this new age. The problem w/this film was not the visuals-”it’s beautiful i loved the lizard’s CGI he looked real i could feel his scales” (btw emma and garfield should be good…they’re professionals KD was a terrible MJ-MJ tough as nails not a damsel in distress) people get caught up in that when rating films…this movie lacking true storyteling of the original backstory: parker would never ride a skateboard, uncle ben’s death was incorrect, parker met connor’s in college not in freaking highschool, capt. stacey didn’t hate spidey he was an advocate for the webhead etc. Until these injustices are corrected these movies will be flawed…these movies are easy to make get the comic and an actor that rivals the character, pattern the movie after the book and TADAAA…a great movie eg: TDK, ironman, wolverine, x-men 1st class…there’s a formula people…follow it. That’s why these movies are better because of the true nature of the hero. If they don’t get spiderman right people are gonna get tired of seeing a flawed film…after 3 films and multiple reviews you think they have a clue. msg to HOLLYWOOD “stop putting what y’all want in our comic book movies and give the fans what WE want!!! trust me if the movies is good they will come! Your script is the comic you don’t have to rewrite what’s already GREAT!
Really? You’re mad about Peter riding a skateboard, but then you bring up First Class as an example of being “faithful” to the source material? The movie where they basically made Mystique, Professor X’s sister? Really? Ok.
I agree with you guys 100%. I really appreciated the focus they put towards the personal turmoils and relations in the film. I felt like this was Peter Parker, not just some kid that got superpowers.
I’m glad this review did not trash the film. I’m still kind of on the fence about it, and part of me wants to see it. I just can’t get over the fact that Lizard looks like Killer Croc. I don’t know if the CG department looked at pictures of KC, or just did it from their minds, or what. I would have based Lizard’s look on a real lizard. Maybe they did, I don’t know.
My biggest probblemwith this (and there were several others) is the castingof Andrew Garfield as the title role, leading me to wonders this is indeed a reboot of “Spiderman”, or the movie “Rent”? I mean, Andrew Garield?? I mean, c’mon.
Just saw this movie yesterday. I loved it. While it had lots of issues, it was overall a great new superhero movie.
So I saw the movie yesterday and I’m not a fan. I mean there’s some stuff in the movie that I like but mostly the film is a mess. I agree with the majority of this review. I feel like a 3.5 is way too generous and that at absolute most it deserves a 3, and I feel like even that’s still being generous. I really tried to like the film.
The first act of the film isn’t bad and I enjoyed most of it, and I feel like some of the segments were more well done than the ones in the original (another discussion for another time), but around the time when the second act started (I would say after Peter drops into the wrestler’s ring) the movie kind of falls apart completely in the second act and by the third act it was beyond the point of no return. I didn’t care for Garfield’s portrayal of the character. He’s a good actor, and he’s great in the emotional scenes, but in most of the normal scenes he way overacts the neurotic side of Peter to me so much that I found it incredibly irritating to watch him and it took me out of the film. I like Emma Stone as Gwen, and all the other actors in their roles, but not Garfield. Which is a real shame because I thought he would be great in the role. I also feel like the romance between Peter and Gwen was totally underdeveloped. The chemistry between them felt like chemistry between the actors and not the characters, if that makes any sense. I felt like the plot development was pretty sloppy and I didn’t buy Conners’s descent into madness. He was fine in the first act but after that, psh. I think he said the line “a world without weakness” like ten times and it really flattened the emotional impact (an example of showing insight into a character done right was when he was looking at the reflection of his hand, I really loved that). I felt like he was also underdeveloped like you said. And I also felt like the stakes were way too high for the first film. It just felt so pointless and ridiculous and I didn’t care about what was happening. And yeah, it’s a comic book movie, so it’s going to be ridiculous to some extent, but since I didn’t really care about any of the characters I couldn’t enjoy it. It just felt completely artificial and didn’t really have an heart to it. And I didn’t really feel Spiderman’s connection with the city at all. It’s like, he suddenly went around rounding up suspects looking for his uncle’s killer and he just gained a notorious reputation, and he was suddenly known amongst the city? I’ll get to that point later but I didn’t buy into the world that Spiderman was in. There was no cohesiveness to the film for me. It had some good parts that I enjoyed but mostly bad parts, and the film as a whole is totally mediocre at its very best but it could have been so great.
And just as a side note; I haven’t read very many Spiderman comics, and this is just something I felt after seeing the film, so I’m not saying it’s irrefutable or anything, but… in both this film and Sam Raimi’s first Spiderman film, my favorite period of the movie is always from when Peter starts experimenting with his powers to when he starts to get a reputation around the city. Which is about like a 30 minute period? Especially the period from after Ben’s death to him being known as Spiderman, which is like 20 minutes or so. That’s the part that I love most about both films. But it got cut short both times because the film has to have one of the villains from the mythos shoved into it. I kind of just want to see a Spiderman origin film where the main antagonistic force is NOT one of the known villains. The movie should have someone in the background (like this movie clearly did, with the post credits scene) to build for a future story, but I really just want to see a movie completely about Peter rebounding after Ben’s death, finding the hero within himself~~ or whatever, and then figuring out how to balance his high school life with his alter ego, and dealing with the people and the cops and gaining a reputation and everything. Because I really did not buy anything that was happening in this film, and the two most interesting parts of it– Peter’s parents and the 20 minute period I mentioned– were both cut short for the sake of having the Lizard hatch this ridiculous scheme (and I mentioned the stakes being too high because they WERE, way too high for a first film in a seemingly ongoing story, and like I said the concept was totally ridiculous, but I digress). Maybe something like that? Maybe not. And I don’t want there to be another origin movie, I just think maybe that might have worked better in a theoretical sense. All I know is that this movie did not work for me most of the time.
I agreee completly about this spidermans connection with the sity. Its literally almost non existent… They should have included daily bugle and shown how hes being misrepresentated in the media. Like they dont even really need to show jjj just the paper.
I think during his search for his uncles killer they should have placed the publics view of him there
NY finest were pretty much “shoot first..” That bike cop didn’t even dismount. He held out his gun and started unloading just because he put his arms down.
Seems like a 2.5 star review (I noticed a couple others say the same thing I was thinking). Kofi’s reviews are always stellar and he’s my favorite critic, even though I rarely ever agree with his perception. Weird how that works.
Even if the movie was 5 stars and 100% of viewers raved about it, Im just not that inclined or interested to pay to see this one at the movies. Raimi’s Spiderman worked for me, I was happy with it, and will just sit this one out and wait for a brand new story. I can only take so many different visions of the same stories being thrown out there today.
Im not saying this movie is not worthy or try to talk it down, instead just sharing the reason why Im not hyped or going to the movies to see it. I will definitely rent the DVD when it comes out and watch it at my leisure, in my comfy recliner, for $1.00.
I think this movie was ok. Nothing special though. Another fun but silly comic book film.
The Amazing Spiderman – really enjoyed this one. The origin story is changed enough to make it fresh – though the more familiar version done by Raimi resonates more emotionally.
Garfield is fantastic as Peter Parker. Emma Stone is too as Gwen Stacy – and thankfully Gwen is not cast in the damsel in distress role but actively contributes to the resolution of the climax. Their scenes together really spark.
This movie is really well cast with Martin Sheen, Denis Leary, and Rhys Ifans putting in good to great work. Sally Fields does not get much to do but I suspect that her turn is yet to come.
As much as I enjoyed Garfield’s turn as Parker, the advances in SFX since the last Raimi Spidey flick captured Spidey’s full range of abilities for the first time. Not only are the web swinging scenes exhilarating but his speed and agility is displayed too. All done with a sense of weight and inertia not possible apparently with the previous trilogy. There is one fight scene in the school corridor that really displays this beautifully. The Lizard SFX were dodgy at times but never took me out of the movie because by the point I was into the characters and story.
I really, really like this one. Place it behind Spidey 2 for now. Need time to let it settle in my mind before rendering a final verdict.
Liked it enough to be seeing it a second time on Saturday – this time in UltraAVX. Can’t wait to see this on in a better viewing environment.
Finally, this one left me anticipating the sequel – always a good sign.
Amazing Spider-Man > Rami’s Spider-Man. I connected to it on some many levels and the story was fantastic. Overall, I was well pleased.
Wow. If the whole Spider-man series had started out like this, it would solve so many problems. There wouldn’t have been anymore Spider-man movies, and there probably wouldn’t be many SH movies in general. That was awful. It was slow and boring. The soundtrack sounded tin-y, like some bad TV show. 215 million? You’ve got to be kidding me. Lizard looked like some Ray Harryhausen reject. Worse, he looked like Voldermort. “Poor Harry Pott… I mean Harry Parker… Whatever your name is.”
Going a “realistic” route did not do it any favors either. At least with Raimi’s version, it was clearly a hyper-reality, so you could shrug your shoulders at Peter displaying his powers in public.
The camera lingered. Garfield stammered.
I don’t see the reason for the reboot. The ONLY reason is the mechanical webshooters. I’ll admit, there is a character and dramatic element missing without them, but this movie was not worth it. Spider-man 4 could have picked up with Gwen and Lizard and introduced the past with his parents if they’d wanted.
Marvel has got to be having a big celebration. Spider-man will be theirs again within ten years or less.
I am compelled to reply, as your statement that the Lizard hilariously resembles Voldemort is absolutely true! The Lizard did not look menacing at all… his face was an embarrassing portrayal of a noseless villain we’ve already seen on the big screen. I noticed that the soundtrack was awful, too; you simply cannot beat Danny Elfman. At The Amazing Spider-Man’s conclusion, I actually had to ASK MYSELF if I recalled a soundtrack! The score was practically nonexistent – nothing memorable happened in Webb’s version. Period.
I am compelled to reply, as your statement that the Lizard hilariously resembles Voldemort is absolutely true! The Lizard did not look menacing at all… his face was an embarrassing portrayal of a noseless villain we’ve already seen on the big screen. I noticed that the soundtrack was awful, too; you simply cannot beat Danny Elfman. At The Amazing Spider-Man’s conclusion, I actually had to ASK MYSELF if I recalled a soundtrack! The score was practically nonexistent – nothing memorable happened in Webb’s version. Period.
I’m loving the Raimi movies more than ever. I actually ordered a copy of SM 3, something I thought I’d never do. I’ll probably kiss it when it arrives.
Love Elfman’s music too, although I didn’t appreciate it when it first came out because he was so ubiquitous. Now I love it. Works with Raimi’s direction perfectly.
But Newton and Zimmer’s score for Batman Begins is awesome too. There are endless possibilities. I just remember hearing the score and thinking “what movie does this belong in?” It’s like generic hero music telling you to root for the hero. Stuck out.
Honestly, most great scores I don’t remember the from the first viewing, except that I liked it.
This movie is the beginning of the end for Spider-man/Columbia.
It’s not going to connect with kids or adults. Spider-man is a box office draw, but apparently this movie is already dropping off. I think it will have a hard slog to make 200 million domestically. It probably will struggle overseas as well.
I dont care how many moan and moan and moan about how they disliked this part of the film and that part and the first half and blah blah blah,, For goodness sake have you moaners ever known what goes into making a film. If your that good at moaning and think you know it all make a a film, put the time in, go behind the camera, the writing process. After all the people who worked on this film from the extras to the designers, the producers worked hard to bring this film to us. And also while im at it get outside and get some fresh air, instead of been cooked up in front cpu screens,, all the time,, Life is been lived under your nose ! have a sense of wonder .. without it were chronic moaners that cant appreciate things like the great films that are been made the power of art and creativity…. a moaner never achieved anything other than a club for moaning, and a stream of people running to get out of their way,,,
Its a fantastic time for films who would imagine that some day we would have the avenger movie, thor captain america, iron man, and another spider man with the lizzard wow. C’mon have some lost that sense of amazement and enthusiasim for the hero film. Look whats coming too Batman and Superman, the Hobbit, all these those where mere mere dreams for us and speculation ,, look at the star trek film aint that fantastic,, c’mon stop moaning about what you cant put right and be glad that we are living in great times where films that where taught to be impossible to shoot are been made.
Andrew Garfield was a very good spider man, a very good actor, he played spiderman and peter parker very well. Everything about this was great, it really got the feel and vibe of the comics and cartoons. I was really dig this one. The story was great too, i always longed to see the Lizzard, and martin sheen he is a great actor watching the scenes of him arguing with Andrews peter what great. You could see his expression came from a real hard time of camera with his son, you could really imagine the things he must have said to charlie sheen and the diffucluty poor martin is going through. I felt that come through martins performance very well and it really gave you a sense of God martin is acting this for real! yeah I enjoyed this film very much and i hear that Spider man could be in the next avengers wow,, that would be great!