Worthy franchise starter.

Rating: 7/10 (6 July 2012)

Everyone whinged like spoilt brats when Sony announced it was rebooting Spider-Man only 5 years after the Sam Raimi trilogy was completed. Those sooks need to eat their words: Marc Webb's film is a worthy franchise starter and one which is darker and more akin to the comics than the previous movies, without relinquishing the unbridled blockbuster fun that is synonymous with the webslinger. It's not remotely close to perfect – in fact it has a few notable flaws which stop it from surpassing Raimi's second instalment as the best Spidey flick yet – but what it lacks in a decent villain and a tightly wound narrative, it makes up for with superb central performances, great character development and some breathtaking action set-pieces that prove 3D can be used wisely. Easily the finest enhancement though is the leading duo of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, playing Peter Parker and Gwen Stacey respectively. They nail the late-teen way of interaction and share a marvellous chemistry that keeps the picture afloat during a few of the duller patches the bloated runtime produces. We all know that there will be a sequel, the question is, can it elevate this new series into more memorable territory?