'Secrets have a cost. They're not free. Not now, not ever.'

Rating: 6/10 (27 November 2012)

Why we needed another Spiderman series after the recent (2002/2007) Tobey McGuire run is probably the same reason we keep getting remakes of foreign films (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, etc): they make money. And it looks like the public will never tire of Marvel Comic Book stories, so might as well settle in and give them a try. It is an evening's entertainment approaching 3 hours of visual shenanigans that are pretty entertaining.
There are some differences between this Spiderman and the last - aside from cast: the stories are different although they both claim to show the origin of this magic transformation of a lonely confused young man trying to figure out who he is until he discovers some super secrets and the power to change into a humanoid spider-gifted hero. It all starts out well enough - Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is shy and unable to relate to about everyone except his aunt and uncle (Sally Field and Martin Sheen do a fine job here). He fails at a run-in with the high school bully Flash (a hunky and promising Chris Zylka), is noticed by the perky Gwen (Emma Stone) who is involved in Peter's introduction to scientist Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) who is an old friend of Peter's strangely disappeared father (Campbell Scott) and mother (Embeth Davidtz). Peter is smart, discovers a formula in his father's briefcase, and ultimately is able to transform himself into Spiderman - his nemesis being The Lizard who is actually Dr. Connors taking a potent experimental solution. After a lot of flying around on buildings and throwing spider web tendrils at everything including The Lizard, Peter is hunted as a threat until Gwen's policeman father (Denis Leary) eventually bonds with the insecure Peter in a life saving situation. Then we are given footage of what is up for the sequel...
The human (read 'credible') parts work the best - Garfield and Stone make a fine pair and Sheen and Field give fine cameos. Once the transformation takes place the film becomes a lesson in special effects and that is fun enough to watch. It just goes on far too long...and there is more to come. Makes you wonder when the next cycle of Spiderman will come along.
Grady Harp