Twilight with Spiders

Rating: 2/10 (10 January 2013)

Not good not bad. Thankfully I went into this knowing that it will be different from Raimi's Spider-Man. There are things I liked about Raimi's version and Marc Webb's version.
Here's what I liked and didn't like about both movies - 1) I still like the idea that Spidey's web-shooting ability being a genetic mutation rather than coming from a device. 2) Maguire was suitably geeky and nerdy as Peter Parker. 3) Garfield's Peter Parker was too cocksure to be convincing that he'd ever be bullied at school, have trouble making friends or get the girls. Also his version of Spider-Man was too cocky. 4) Raimi's style meant the movie had a horror comedy feel which made it stand out from the other polished and shiny superhero movies. 5) Although typical of most superheroes, Raimi's Parker's desire to keep his identity a secret to protect his loved ones makes the character richer and easier to root for. Whilst Webb's Parker seems to be a lot more immature and reckless with his powers; like a teenager who seems disinterested in anything else except getting the girl. 6) Uncle Ben - I prefer Martin Sheen's Uncle Ben way more than Cliff Robertson's. 7) Aunt May - Sally Field's Aunt May doesn't seem to have much more to do than pout around the house waiting for Peter to come home. However, I'm not sure if I prefer this or Rosemary Harris' naggy version. 8) Raimi's montage of Peter's realisation, acceptance and transformation into Spider-Man was more fun to watch and more structured; it showed the process. Whereas Webb's montage was more like a Nike commercial or music video. 9) The pace of Webb's movie was a little uneven, it just jumped from one set-piece to another before the previous one has finished. 10) In Webb's Spider-Man, I do appreciate the implications of Peter's mysterious family history and shadowy parents, which wasn't even hinted at in Raimi's, but ultimately it didn't really have any real impact on the story, unlike the background of the Hulk for example.
All in all, The Amazing Spider-Man feels rather unnecessary and excessive just now, since Raimi's Spider-Man movies are still fresh in the public consciousness. Also, it feels too much like Twilight with superheroes/supervillains. I'm leaning more towards Raimi's Spider-Man as the more superior movie.