An amazing thrill ride of webs and scales!

Rating: 10/10 (8 July 2012)

This movie truly lives up to its name. The web slinger has quite a history in the world of cinema. Sam Raimi may be the first to bring the superhero to the big screen (and he did a good job...mostly), but Mark Webb pretty much perfected it. Not only did Mark bring back Peter Parker, but he gave the wall crawler a much needed makeover, especially after the disaster called Spider-Man 3. So, let's swing into The Amazing Spider-Man.
The plot is excellent: We know Peter Parker is a bit of a social outcast at school and lives with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, but what about his parents? Richard and Mary Parker had to leave Peter for some ambiguous business, and disappeared for it. Years later, Peter finds his father's possessions and seeks answers, not only getting himself bit by a genetically-altered spider in the process, but also running into his father's former partner Dr. Curt Connors, who specializes in cross-species genetics. As Peter struggles with his newfound powers and a growing romance with fellow genius Gwen Stacy, Connors, through his experimentation, becomes the monstrous villain known as the Lizard. Can Spider-Man deal with the stress of being a hero and face this reptilian menace?
The cast can't be any more awesome. Let's start with Spider-Man. Much as I like Tobey Maguire, he was a little too goofy and emotional. Andrew Garfield nails the character right on. As Peter Parker, he manages to make him smart and enthusiastic, but also both tragic and hilarious. As Spider-Man, he gets the whole wisecracking thing right as he makes criminals look like total idiots with his jokes. I like the way he fights as his movements are more fast and spider-like. I'm also happy to see the web shooters as they are a huge part of the comics, something Sam Raimi avoided in his movies. Nicely done.
A lot of people will agree that Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy is way more interesting than Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson. Not only does she have the looks, but also the attitude and sweet nature Gwen has. While Mary Jane is not portrayed entirely accurately and is always the damsel in distress (not to mention constantly balling Peter out), Gwen Stacy is more active in her role and is more cunning. She's also fairly intelligent, perhaps rivaling even Peter. Definitely a huge improvement over the older films.
Doctor Curt Connors a.k.a. The Lizard is by far my favorite character in the whole franchise. Rhys Ifans did an excellent job portraying one of the most complex characters in the comics. As a man, Connors is a good man who want to help people, including himself, and he can relate to Peter quite easily for he knew the boy's father. As the Lizard, he is totally awesome. The villain is so powerful and menacing that he puts the other villains to shame. I daresay the Lizard is more threatening than a guy dressed as a goblin, not only to Spidey but also all of New York. It's so satisfying seeing the scaly fiend take a starring role after sitting on the sidelines in the original trilogy for so long. Lizard, you're the man...or...reptile!
The rest of the cast is a load of fun too, like Denis Leary as George Stacy and Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben. The special effects are to behold as they are realistic to the finest detail, from Spidey swinging to Lizard's complex design. There's also a good deal of realism to the science like how can one fight crime as Spider-Man (as well as the pressures of being the hero) and how cross-species genetics (a reality by the way) works and its uses. The action scenes are without a doubt the best in the film series, having a fast pace and quite a bit of destruction as the raging wall crawlers duke it out.
In conclusion, The Amazing Spider-Man is by far greater than Sam Raimi's original trilogy. With this new path Mark Webb is taking with Spidey, I look forward to any sequel coming up. This action-packed thrill ride is sure to please any fan and any newcomer to the franchise. Definitely worth the watch, so check it out!