The Amazing Spiderman- fly, swing and get positively amazed!

Rating: 9/10 (29 June 2012)

"The best types of promises are those that are meant to be broken"
Superhero movies reached their nadir with the atrocious and mindless Batman and Robin in 1997, which is why the next superhero movie to come out- Sam Raimi's Spiderman in 2002 is remains especially memorable, in addition to it being a great movie in itself. So why make a remake? Is Marvel's comic book chest this threadbare? Or is it a testament to the fact that no matter darkest nights or assembling avengers, Spidey remains one of the most bankable stars, and a seriously capable superhero.
You have seen it all, you have read it all, folks- coming of age story where boy becomes spider and spider becomes man, dealing with loss and taking on responsibility. High school kid gets bitten by a radioactive spider and begins to acquire spider-inspired superpowers. That and personal issues conspire to make a vigilante out of this teenager, resplendent in impossibly tight red and blue spandex. The first hour is predictably mushy family stuff, so have some patience, because the second half literally explodes out of the screen with visceral 3D action.
Yet that's where the similarity ends, and there are a bunch of things that make this movie to find its own voice. Compared to the 2002 version, this one is a far truer representation of Spiderman and his universe as Stan Lee envisaged. For starters, this is more about Peter Parker than Spiderman, Peter is the face, Spidey is just an act. Its a teenage superhero, so much of the movie takes place in a college. This one is actually the polar opposite of The Dark Knight- nothing heavy handed, mostly light-footed, breezy treatment, with the core being a love story rather than moral corruption. This version attempts to answer a lot many questions that the previous brushed under the carpet- for example, what happened to Peter's parents? How does Spidey get his webs? Where does he gets his super sized brains from? And this Spiderman is THE Spiderman- right out of the comic book downright funny- always ready with the one-liners, not able to take out his kid self whatever situation he may be in.
Director Marc Webb who certainly knows how to weave love stories (as shown in his previous outing, 500 Days of Summer) , gives this movie its moments of magic- No upside down kisses, but Spiderman using a mobile phone, the sequence in a crowded train where Peter begins to discover his powers, and him using a web to tell Gwen that he is Spiderman, in addition to the Godzilla inspired climactic showdown with the Lizard where Spidey keeps delightfully improvising just to keep up with a powerful villain were awesome.
Unlike wide eyed Toby Maguire, Andrew Garfield with his nervous energy, and a nerdy demeanor, gives his own spin on Peter Parker. Effortlessly charismatic, even a bit of a showoff right from the start, with a slightly reckless attitude- he even takes on the school bully when in a non super-powered state. He is bumbling, awkward, socially inept, but deeply charming. Hell, what a casting coup this is- watch closely, even without his spidey suit, Andrew with his thin frame and gangly arms looks like a spider! Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy is no bimbo and not a perennially damsel in distress as Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane Watson was, but she is smart, sassy, and sensitive-perfectly complementing our hero. She in terrific form, as the only one who is able to enter the sanctum sanctorum of this confused, gawky teenager struggling to use his powers, and makes him her own, and in so many ways, completing him. Martin Sheen and Sally Field as Uncle Ben and Aunt May are solid, and our very own Irfan Khan plays a small but crucial role in the film.
It has its weaknesses though- sometimes it felt the editors went on strike, not in an overtly bad way though, but the movie felt a bit overlong. For all of Sam Raimi's flaws, no one can still question him for making impact in his trilogy, this one though sincere, is less so. Rhys Ifans as Dr Curt Connor whose experiments go wrong and turns into a giant Lizard is serviceable, but not scene stealing as Raimi's Doc Ock and Green Goblin were. And at the end, he is not truly evil, just a kindly soul gone astray.
I have a secret to share. When I was a kid, I used to try to get myself bitten by spiders- Spiderman has always been and will remain my favorite superhero- not only because he is vulnerable, but because he always has a knack of seeing the lighter side of things. And unlike other superheroes, his character has not changed according to the whims and fancies of writers. The last Spiderman movie was just 5 years ago, yet this reboot is welcome enough for me just to see Andrew Garfield as the titular character- he is the best Spidey ever, and his act alone is worth the price of admission. From the scheme of things, a sequel seems to be already in the works. But I have had enough of reptiles, is it too much for me to wish for more "Venom"-ous action?
9/10- Go ahead, take to the air with Spidey- fly, swing and get positively amazed, enjoy with your family!