Spinning A New, Big-Screen Web

Rating: 8/10 (28 July 2012)

SO NOW, WE have the conclusion of the Toby Maguire chapter of the SPIDER-MAN franchise; but not without the passing the torch to new era. One series' having lived out its life and relevancy, it finds it being superseded by another version. Indeed, leads and casts come and go; but a SUPERHERO goes on and on and on and.......
BEING DEFINITELY WHAT one would have to classify as being, perhaps, old lone purists, we are seldom totally satisfied with any adaptation of a Comic Strip/Comic Book character to another medium; be it Radio, Television or the Movies. This may well seem to be an obvious sort of difficulty and yet one that is unavoidable and inevitable. Yet, we (that is I) always find myself giving any super hero cinematic project the closest of my microscopic vision's scrutinies.*
MOST FREQUENTLY, A PRODUCTION has had more positive elements than negative; hence, we usually can learn to accept the new version; at least for what it is. For if we want to see a completely true to the original comic adaptation, we should stick to the 4 colour, printed page.
IN DEFENSE OF this latest celluloid Web-Slinger, we appreciate the tone that was set early on. Peter Parker is a young man with a tremendous power; which has been thrust upon him, all without his asking.** Even though he is now a truly super-powered costumed Super Hero, that does not mean that he won't be having his own lion's share of problems in his personal life.***
THE PRODUCTION TEAM should be congratulated for giving the Spider-Man legend a well thought out, serious treatment; without abandoning an occasional infusion of much needed humor,"comic relief", if you will. They do so without causing an awkward bump in the scenario; rendering it as just a normal part of life. Afyter all, if we cannot have an occasional laugh, even in the most dire situations, we would not be human.
IN THAT AREA, we must mention that a high spot in the film came late in the action. It was the sequence that gave Spider-Man writer/editor/co-creator, Stan Lee his traditional Hitchcockian practice of doing an on screen cameo appearance. With this scene-stealer, Stan not only made his latest in film (coming toward the end during the big fight), but also his best, most substantial and most amusing guest shot!
ONE POINT THAT we have to mention is the establishing of Spider-Man's web slinging abilities as being a technological augmentation; rather than being a biological mutation; as had been previously shown in the last three SPIDER-MANS. (Perhaps you find this as being just a trifle picayune, but remember, after all, we are first and foremost a Comics Puirst and Hard Line Traditionalist!)
THAT THE VENTURE took us into area hereto for unexplored, was both a fine plot device and an area in the life of Peter Parker/Spidey that needed to be looked at. The retro-plot provided plenty of energy to drive the story forward and will certainly figure in the plots of future Spiodey sequels.
WE MUST COMMEND the producer and the casting department for a fine job in casting in not only in the leads of Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone & Rhys Ifans; but also for the inclusion of Sally Field, Martin Sheen and Denis Leary in the primary supporting roles. (One knows that Father Time has been active when we have the former GIDGET and THE FLYING NUN, now portraying Aunt May!!!)
SO, AS FOR the report card on this THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN flick, we cannot give it an "A"; but we don't think a definite "B+" is out of order.
NOTE: * Origins, for example, don't have to be exactly as originally written, just as long as the main elements and the spirit of the character is retained and maintained.
NOTE: ** Recalling the old axiom that: "Some men are born great, some men have to acquire greatness and some men have greatness thrust upon them!" (Do you suppose that Spidey falls into the latter category?)
NOTE: *** In his 1966 book, THE GREAT COMIC BOOK HEROES, cartoonist Jules Feiffer referred to Spider-Man as being "the Woody Allen" of the Comic Book Suoer Heroes; reasoning that just because some guy has these preternatural abilities and wears a really neat costume, that it doesn't mean that he won't have acne and problems with the females of the species!!