Amazing?

Rating: 6/10 (28 May 2013)

"The Amazing Spiderman", the Fox re-boot of the much beloved Spiderman series proves to be an interesting one which leaves the audience wondering about the sequel. I don't mean this in a good way though, when I say "interesting", I mean it's an interesting and odd slant on the character. When I say it leaves people wondering about a sequel, I mean that while there is substance there, would it not just repeat the original series ideas? More-so than this one.
Upon my first watch, I agreed with myself that it was a good film. I thought that I could easily watch it again and it was a good re-boot from the previous series, but upon closer inspection, it was very flawed. Peter Parker is one of my main problems, because he is closer to the comic than the original. While this sounds strange let me explain: in the comics, Peter Parker (Spiderman) is meant to be a bit of a wise- crack when fighting villains and really embraces the costume and powers as a source of freedom. This film shows this side more than the original but yet, I felt myself liking Garfield's Spiderman less. He was too arrogant for my liking, even to the police, just because he is wearing the suit. His tenancy to shout "Woo!" is also a tad annoying. The fact he doesn't turn up (or does but about 20 meters away from the actual funeral) adds to this dis-liking of the character. Just because he made a promise to Gwen that he won't get her involved in his superhero life doesn't mean he can't show up to respect a man who, although Gwen's father, helped to save Spiderman and the city, sacrificing his life. He's hardly asking Gwen to become his wife by turning up at her father funeral. These points aside, it was still a like-able Spiderman, just less like-able to Tobey Macguire's.
The next thing would be it's lack of superhero moments. Half-way through the movie I wouldn't be surprised if many confused it with a Romance film, with a suit wearing acrobat lover. The film does great a great Romantic tension between the characters which we can feel for and enjoy but through this we miss what many paid to see, Spiderman. There are about two fight scenes with the Lizard and Parker can't keep his signature mask on for most of it. The audience feels thinking that was a good Romance, but I would have liked more Spiderman. In other words, they are advertising to the right demographic for Spiderman but the wrong one for the movie they made about him.
As for the film in relation to the previous series, it falls short. It starts interestingly enough with Peter Parker's parents scurrying to escape their home, leading the audience to believe that the film will be darker and different from it's predecessor, but it isn't. It's darker but not the story, the design concept. They've made the cities more un-friendly looking and Spiderman a bit more serious looking than Macguire's child-like charm but everything else is just as serious. The story contains little new information too, it uses the Lizard and Gwen Stacey. Neither character was explored in great depth in the original trilogy but adding character alone doesn't make it all too different, it's the same story for the most part. The writers and Director can't be blamed for this though: the story of Spidermans origins have to be the same, otherwise they get an abundance of hate for changing it. Yet they get picked on for it being too similar, it's a lose-lose scenario from this front.
As for the run-up to the sequel, what can we expect. Well more of the same as Spiderman 2 I presume. Peter has adapted to his powers but has lost Gwen, or hasn't, the end scene was done so terribly that we are left wondering what to make of it. None-the-less, the film is too similar to the original Trilogy and even as a stand-alone movie, it falls short of what it said it was- an Action movie- and instead re- invents itself as Romance. It doesn't take a darker slant either, it feels childish with the number of "Woo!"'s and arrogant behavior of Peter Parker and while the ideas for a darker movie are there, they are never explored properly. All-in-all, if you want to see a movie that you'll enjoy fist time around without being too fussed about the technicalities of it, this will do. If you on the other hand, want to see a Spiderman movie that will satisfy your thirst for Action/Adventure then opt instead for the original Trilogy.