The Amazing Spider-Man lived up to its title.

Rating: 9/10 (4 July 2012)

*MINOR SPOILERS*
The wise-cracking, web-slinging masked vigilante is back for a reboot and it doesn't fail to deliver. It had the key ingredients: brilliant actors who were believable in an unbelievable world (namely Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spiderman and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy), great chemistry, revelations, character development, good tone and balance between humour and heartfelt moments and generally an entertaining, action-packed time to be enjoyed by all.
This Spiderman was a lot more entertaining to watch and with each emotion or timely one- liners played brilliantly by one Andrew Garfield. It was great to see him in a leading role for a Hollywood blockbuster and this showed that he is capable of being a leading man. The character development for Peter Parker wasn't overly rushed and a lot of the unnecessary dialogue was removed, leaving a cleaner film with less clutter and unnecessary repetition of lines (there are a few clichéd or clunky moments, but nothing that really detracts from the entire film or nothing that makes you want to walk out of the cinemas).
I'm a big believer in "show, don't tell" when possible. Sometimes subtle lines, moments and body language can tell a story more powerfully than lengthy dialogue ever could.
Apart from that, there are a handful of stock-standard Hollywood clunky and clichéd moments that seem to go hand-in-hand with anything to do with overcoming all odds and with science which, while making more sense than Raimi's versions (cross-species genetics and why the spider was "radioactive"), for the most part seems to be dumbed down to a basic level for the audience. However it was enjoyable to see this version of Peter Parker being slightly less of a loser and more of a child prodigy, taking after his father. Lastly, Spiderman's movements seemed much more fluid, strongly representing a man-spider hybrid.
Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy was also a welcome addition to the film. I liked that she wasn't the typical damsel in distress of most movies of this genre. She had her own personality and wasn't just a reactive character. She was funny and smart, jumped in and helped others, even risking her safety and life, because she believed it was the right thing to do. To me, this is a much more entertaining love interest than the droning whines of someone constantly crying for help. Stone and Garfield are always delightfully adorkable and, put together, create some magical moments. The chemistry between them in this film was intense which just added to the believability of their relationship (go figure). There are a couple of scenes that almost made me feel like a pervy voyeur, witnessing a private moment between two lovers.
The baddie for this film was Dr Curt Connors/The Lizard played by Rhys Ifans whose motives of ambition and desperation weren't as developed as they could have been. His to's and fro's between his motives seemed almost manic but I guess that fit the character with the "voices in his head". Denis Leary playing the antihero, Captain Stacy, and Sally Field and Martin Sheen as Aunt May and Uncle Ben were also entertaining to watch, adding some heart to the film.
All in all, I think most viewers will either love it or at least be entertained by it. It's quirky and funny when it needs to be, but is also serious and moving at just the right moments with the lead actors playing each part and moment to a T. The obligatory Stan Lee cameo scene drew quite a few laughs as well.
P.S. Stick around for the credits. Like all films of this genre, there's an additional short scene hinting at a sequel.