Spider Man for Teens

Rating: 6/10 (6 July 2012)

While Tobey Maguire was your 'friendly, neighbourhood Spider-Man', Andrew Garfield is more like your 'hip, juvenile, generation Y' Spider-Man. The kind of superhero unafraid of calling on his mobile phone in a busy New York street corner and the kind of superhero who lies on a self-made web playing video games whilst waiting for his foes to appear. Despite this slightly novel approach, 'The Amazing Spider Man' is just a rehash of Sam Raimi's original 'Spider Man', much of the plot is either similar, identical or along the same lines with a tweak here and there making more than half the film somewhat of an unnecessary recap of sorts.
It was certainly pleasing to have a script addressing the reasoning behind a burning question, why does Peter Parker live with his aunt and uncle? But even this combined with Peter Parker/Spider Man's other traumas in the film don't give us a good enough definition of Spider-Man as a symbol, the motivation behind Peter Parker's graduation from angry vengeance to selfless nobility.
One noteworthy change was the magnificent camera work which puts you up close and personal with Spider-Man through the first-person shots and dynamic angles employed. At times, it felt like a virtual rollarcoaster ride but it was definitely the closest most people will get to knowing what it's like to be the famous web-slinger.
Garfield knew his deal portraying Peter Parker as more of a typical 21st century confused, directionless adolescent but one who seems to be more noticed than what you would expect. He may not have been the less appealing, geeky Peter Parker as earlier personified by Tobey Maguire but where Maguire trumps Garfield was in turning a genuine nobody into somebody whilst maintaining that anonymity.
Garfield's Parker was already garnering the affections of a pretty girl and was operating far from what you would call incognito, a guy quite willing to divulge his secret to a perfect stranger. The contrast between the person and his alter ego defines a superhero and Garfield couldn't really highlight that contrast as effectively. You could connect with him, but unlike his 'The Social Network' performance, he lacked even a slight bit of maturity. The script further failed to deal with social implications transforming him into a public icon. Ultimately, a superhero is naught without public opinion and interest.
Emma Stone fortunately wasn't the constant damsel in distress like Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane but Gwen Stacy's relationship with Peter Parker furthered the sentiment that the film seemed to become too teen conducive. Not that the teen appeal is a completely bad thing, but the lack of maturity in the characters can occasionally be weak in conviction.
I must express my disappointment in the villainous Lizard however as a character which could not invoke as much terror on screen as its terrific design could to viewers. Rhys Ifans was curiously very similar in his character progression as Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin in Raimi's 'Spider Man'. Although Curt Connors was well played, he made you feel as if you'd seen it all before.
Although I still enjoyed it, I think the enjoyment stemmed more from my unwavering appreciation of the comic book character. Nonetheless, with this relatively immature yet respectably enjoyable origin story done and dusted, I anticipate a more complete sequel which can surpass this. More originality may well be a dominant reason.