"A Marvelous Spider-Man"

Rating: 8/10 (3 July 2012)

Marc Webb's "The Amazing Spider-Man" is a well rounded film that captures everything you'd expect from a Marvel story line and a Spider- Man film as well. It had everything you want from a Marvel film including: romance, comedy, action, and fun. Some reviewers have criticized this films over-use of the romance element, but I personally enjoyed this aspect.We must not forget that Spider-Man is in high school and romance is undoubtedly a pivotal part in the mask vigilante's comic book presence as well. Most importantly this movie is FUN and I never found myself bored at any point. In fact some of the scenes are so visually phenomenal that you are left in shear amazement. For a two-hour long film, it feels slightly rushed but that's what adds to the constant excitement.
The actors were phenomenal in almost every area. Andrew Garfield completely embodies the Peter Parker/Spider-Man persona perfectly. I can't say that I was shocked because he really took this role as an honor and was very dedicated to embracing the character. Emma Stone is equally as great in her role as Gwen Stacy and you will not be disappointed. Generally I'm not huge on Emma Stone, but I absolutely adored and bought into her character throughout the duration of this film. The only character I was slightly turned off of was Sally Field as Aunt May. She wasn't necessarily bad, there was just something about Sally Field's portrayal of Aunt May that was slightly unsatisfying. Rhys Ifans as Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard was an excellent selection and you'll find that he is a viable good guy and bad guy simultaneously. His story line isn't really explored enough for my taste, but that's a matter of my personal opinion.
Ultimately, I noticed that if you go into this film trying to compare it to the 2002 series you're going to be overly critical of "The Amazing Spider-Man." That being said, in comparison to the old series I felt this one was far more visually pleasing and the overall tone of the film was much more gripping. Andrew Garfield exceeds Tobey Maguire as the masked superhero and he portrays the character better in almost every way. This movie may seem rushed or overly fast-paced for some because Marc Webb didn't want to over-state plot-points that had already been used in the previous trilogy.
Don't allow others to manipulate your view of the movie before you enter the film. If you go in with an open mind and are prepared to have a good time, I guarantee you will not be disappointed!