Unnecessary, though not necessarily bad

Rating: 6/10 (11 November 2012)

A re-boot of a series that only started a decade ago, and ended just five years ago. As such, it feels unnecessary and probably a tad rushed. It has to go through all that origin story stuff again, and, in my opinion, that's almost always what kills comic book movies, especially ones where I'm already familiar with the origin story (Batman Begins, despite being very well liked, has never worked for me either for the very same reason). It also doesn't help that James Garfield, who has proved himself a really fine actor elsewhere, feels weak as Peter Parker. He just never seems like he could be a super hero. Tobey Maguire really surprised me as being capable in the role, but Garfield doesn't. The film does get better as it goes on, especially after the super-villain, the Lizard, is created (played by Rhys Ifans). Before the classic accident that turns him into the Lizard, Ifans is kind of dull, but the actual Lizard monster is truly an imposing villain and actually kind of frightening. The action sequences are pretty good, though both Spider-Man and the Lizard are CGI creation. It thus amounts to simply watching cartoons fight, but it's well done for what it is. Emma Stone has good presence as the girlfriend, Gwen Stacy. Dennis Leary plays her father. Martin Sheen and Sally Field are Peter's Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Sheen's good when he's around, but Field has no presence as Aunt May.