A New Spider-Man For A New Time Period

Rating: 9/10 (7 April 2013)

Just recently, I did a review of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man from 2002. Now, I think it would be cool to have a look at the most recent reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man, directed by Marc Webb. After highly praising Spider-Man for it's comic book feeling scope and great take on the classic characters, what do I think of the revamp of my favorite superhero? I loved it, simply put. Sure, people will be comparing this one to the original, but to be honest, I really can't compare the two. I love them both evenly, but we are not here to compare the 2002 film and the 2012 film, we are here to talk about the 2012 reboot solely. So let's get started, shall we? Refill your web shooters, climb up the nearest wall and enjoy the review.
I think what I like most about this film is that it combines the modern day Spider-Man with the Spider-Man of the past. As the original Spider-Man film was much like the Steve Ditko era comics, this film is a lot like the Ultimate Spider-Man stories from the last decade. There is a much more modernized look to the film and the characters act like real life people do nowadays. For example, Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker/Spidey is a much more sarcastic, outspoken fellow who does what a lot of teens do these days. He explores, he gets into it with his aunt and uncle, he listens to music, and he skateboards. He's a lot like the modern day teen, rebellious and free, just like all of us are in one way or another.
This film also borrows key elements from the golden era, some elements that were even missing from the original Raimi film. Garfield's Spider-Man wields web shooters instead of organic webs and has his trademark sarcastic nature and attitude. Peter also has his first female flame from the comics, Gwen Stacy, who is portrayed by Emma Stone. She is a much more determined and headstrong female lead than Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane in the previous films, who always sat around, complaining about how Peter didn't support her or how Peter didn't care about her. I also liked Rhys Ifans as Dr. Curt Connors aka the Lizard, who comes off as a good man who just wanted to make a difference, but it ultimately turned him into a human reptile killing machine. Martin Sheen and Sally Field were also spectacular as Uncle Ben and Aunt May, and Dennis Leary is incredible as Gwen's father, Captain George Stacey. Unlike his comic book counterpart, Stacey despises Spider-Man and it takes him until the end of the film to finally trust him as the hero he really is.
The Amazing Spider-Man is simply put, a New Spider-Man for a New Time Period. The audience who grew up with the original Raimi film are now much older, and a new audience will come in to cherish and savor this new take on the colorful hero. Some people who watched the original might even like this one better, for their opinions and perspectives have changed throughout the years. But I like both Spider-Man films and I hope that, in this new series of Spider-Man flicks, they keep the juices flowing and make Spider-Man retain what we admire him for.
Oh, and one more thing. I like the look of Spidey's suit. It actually looks like something an average teenager would stitch together in a matter of minutes. Way to keep the film diverse from the original, Webb! The Amazing Spider-Man is an exciting treat overall.