A Whole New Perspective on Spidey

Rating: 8/10 (15 August 2012)

This is a different brand of Spider-man movie than what we've seen so far. Whereas the first three films sought to create a cinematic version of the characters and sentiments of the original comic books, this reboot changes it up. Hate it or love it, we are shown an entirely new angle on Spider-man. Though Peter Parker is still loosely the same, (smart, goofy photographer on the outside of high school social life)his characterization goes much deeper in one film than anything that came of the entire Raimi trilogy. Now, certainly we all have our preferences; while some would scold the movie for its slight deviation from the original Parker, others would praise it for making Peter more believable and thorough while still maintaining the basis of the original character. In The Amazing Spider-man, Peter is presented as conflicted over an event in his past (his abandonment by his parents.) While most cannot understand such a sentiment to the degree of Peter, a sense of internal conflict over our past trials and traumas is something that nearly all can attest to feeling, especially confused and maturing teenage boys. Additionally, Peter's status as an outsider appeals to the idea in the minds of many that they are misunderstood by almost everyone, even those close to them. All in all, the latest characterization of the web-slinger outside the suit is easy to relate to for the introverted, intellectual teens of today just as the original comic book version was to the same types of teens in previous decades.
The characters and the sequences in this film operate on a level of emotional depth that is several notches deeper than that in the first three Spidey-flicks. The most glaring reflection of this comes from the romance between Garfield's Peter Parker and Stone's Gwen Stacy; from the natural, warm smiling moments to the awkwardness of the first date proposal and mom opening the door mid-kiss, this is very much a real-world type of teenage romance that everyone has experienced at least once. The solace and unique understanding that Peter finds in Gwen is, although not necessarily true to comic book storyline, yet another element of the film that is very palpable and very real.
One area of the film that seems to have left many wanting is the storyline involving Dr. Curt Conners/ the Lizard. Certainly Dr. Conners wishes to turn everyone in the world into mutant lizard-people was not nearly as believable or sensible as other elements of the story, and it seemed as though the idea was forced to make the film seem more "comic-bookish." Thought that basis of the story was not quite perfect, I believe it is an issue that will be resolved in the sequels. As stated previously, this is a whole different kind of Spider-man film that what we're used to. Rather than striving to create a cinematic graphic novel, this film's crew set out to create a believable and sentimental cast with depth and motivation, something that will make the later movies in the series even more compelling. This a is a new type of hero movie (a la Nolan) that gives us more than grueling duels with baddies, but also palpable inner-conflict that comes along with the super sweet stretch-suit. The Amazing Spider-man was so much more than I expected it to be, and my hopes are extremely high for what is to come for this series in the next few years.