The Amazing Spider-Man comes home!

Rating: 10/10 (10 July 2017)

More than a mere reboot, Marvel Studios have begun building Spider-Man from the ground up - starting completely from scratch! This breath of fresh air casts aside the now stale formula that began well with Raimi's "Spider-Man" 1, before being bleakly retooled for Webb's failed "Amazing" franchise.
Marvel showcase their talents as masters of adaptation by drawing from the deep and rich source material from Stan Lee & Steve Ditko's run.
Although not 100% accurate on the surface, every creative decision made delivers the contemporary, authentic, spirit of a young, well-meaning teenager struggling through high school, who is constantly faced with tough choices which come to define his character.
The film doesn't rely on the exhausted trope of the romantic sub-plot or the love interest in peril. It doesn't need to shuffle years of comic book chronology to bring in eventual mainstays like Mary Jane or the Stacey's or the Osborn's. We have Ned Leeds, we have Liz, we have Betty and we have the Vulture and the Tinkerer (both debuted in Spidey's 2nd issue).
This is that relatable, young every-man that we know Spidey to be. Tom Holland perfectly portrays the character and is well supported by the comedic tone which finally gets the humour right.
Michael Keaton delivers an amazing performance, giving us a layered villain and the supporting cast bounce off one another in the best way - everyone shines.
The stakes are smaller because now we're back with the inexperienced hero finding his way, just like those early books. The friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. Yet somehow the action is all the more threatening for it. This is because Spider-Man and his escapades are now relative to the other giants within the MCU, he really is just a kid and thus every threat is all the more dangerous.
I feel like the reason a few people appear to be disappointed, is because at this stage they want the high stakes, the city/ world wide threat, they want Spider-Man in his prime. Before we get there we need the set up and this is the perfect set up. Give it time. There's even more from those early years to come.
Also, the opening felt a little fast and perhaps one or two more emotional moments could have been drawn out slightly. Just slightly. But it's integrated into the MCU seamlessly.
Some of the powerful moments in the film are pulled straight from the comics, including perhaps the most iconic Spider-Man moment of all time. I won't spoil it, but my jaw hit the floor, I teared up, it was perfect.
This film holds some genuine surprises. It thrills. It's buckets of fun!
Marvel show us that not every film in its tapestry has to be the best standalone film, as long as it's the best film about that character. You'll soon see why you can't really have one Marvel property exist without the other.
Enjoy Spider-Man as you've never seen him before, because this really is the first time we get to meet him.