An entertaining reboot of the superhero franchise

Rating: 6/10 (8 July 2017)

Rebooting the franchise and telling a similar yet different story, the Amazing Spider-Man adds a new face to the main character and fills in an alternate backstory. Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is orphaned at a young age when his parents disappear under mysterious circumstances and leave with his Aunt May (Sally Field) and Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen). Peter grows into a brilliant high school student and photographer, obsessed with his missing parents. Peter stands up for the smaller kids bullied by Flash Gordon (Chris Zylka) earning a beatdown until Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) steps in. A discovery of his father's old suitcase leads him to Oscorp and the research lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) where Gwen Stacy interns. Wandering away from the guided tour and past a security door, he stumbles into a room full of genetically modified spiders that rain down on him. Bitten by one, he experiences strange side effects like quick reflexes and adhesive fingers, leading to a violent encounter on the subway.
The enhanced abilities continue to progress as Peter researches what has happened to him even digging into his father's old notes to find a decay rate algorithm. He takes this discovery to Dr. Connors who explains the cross-species genetics he worked with Richard Parker. The doctor invites Peter to accompany him at the Oscorp tower to help with his experiments. Back at high school, Peter stands up to Flash, breaking a basketball goal with his super strength. His uncle reprimands him but he manages to awkwardly ask out Gwen Stacy. High off the potential date, Peter explores his newfound abilities while skateboarding. Caught up in his experiment with Dr. Connors, Peter is late coming home sparking an argument with Uncle Ben. He storms off into the streets. At a convenience store, Peter lets a thief escape who ends up shooting Uncle Ben.
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