Amazing? Not Really. A Solid Comic Book Movie? Yes!

Rating: 7/10 (3 July 2012)

I've always been a huge fan of Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" trilogy (yes, even the third one), but after watching them again, they aren't exactly the great movies I remember them being. True, they are a lot of fun and did address the dilemmas of being a superhero, but, face facts, folks: they are very corny and very silly. And this re-boot, though I think it came out a little too soon, manages to capture that spirit and energy that the first trilogy had, as well as improve upon the mistakes of the previous movies.
Even though I liked the earlier movies, I never liked Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. As Parker, he certainly played up the part of being socially awkward, but, even after he got bit by the spider, he still stayed in that phase of acting. There was no variation, no passion in him that made me want to get invested in him. Andrew Garfield is very much the superior performance here. There are some aspects in his acting that seem very Haden Christensen- esque, but he is very likable and very funny. I found myself rooting for this Spidey more in this single movie than I did at all in the previous trilogy!
The supporting cast is much better as well, for the most part. Gwen Stacy played by Emma Stone is very cute but wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty. In the original trilogy, I always got tired of Kirsten Dunst's Mary-Jane screaming and hollering until Spidey came to the rescue. Here, Gwen Stacy still needed to be saved, but she was quite capable of defending herself when she needed to. We also have Denis Leary as the tough, no-nonsense Cpt. Stacy and Martin Sheen and Sally Field being very likable and supportive in their respective roles.
Now a common complaint from a lot of people is the villain, Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard. I have to disagree, but not for the reasons you may think. I think Rhys Ifans did a great job as Connors, making him very likable and complex, which makes you all the more heartbroken when this travesty befalls him. I'm also glad that The Lizard did talk instead just being a huge, grunting, CGI mess. But, like everyone, I'm not a fan of his design and he doest hold a candle to the villains from the first two movies.
There are also some problems with the movie. In the trailers, we were promised answers to "The Untold Story"; we were meant to know what happened to Peter's parents. And what do we learn from this plot point? Nothing! I guess that means that they'll save the answers for a sequel, but they could of at least given us some clues as to what's to unfold.
The action scenes, while good, seem much less cinematic and sweeping than the first trilogy. There was this sense of wonder and atmosphere that they captured and, try as I might, I just didn't get that from this movie. Still, the action is decent.
Final verdict: Anyone who's fresh off "The Avengers" and is still awaiting "The Dark Knight Rises" should definitely check out this flick. Die-hard fans of the Raimi movies probably won't enjoy it, but if you're a comic book geek or an action movie fan, this should definitely quench your summer movie season thirst.