Simply Amazing...Nuff said!

Rating: 10/10 (29 June 2012)

A decade ago, Tobey Maguire brought everyone's friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man to the big screen in Sam Raimi's blockbuster film, that spawned two sequels and won a legion of loyal fans across the globe...including me! For it was Raimi's 'Spider-Man' that first introduced me to Peter Parker and his world, and for that I will always be grateful to the film...but, there's simply no denying the fact that Marc Webb's 'The Amazing Spider-Man' has FAR surpassed the webhead's original cinematic incarnation!
I think the best comparison one can offer for this film is Christopher Nolan's now-legendary Batman reboot, 'Batman Begins'. Much like how 'Begins' reinvented the Dark Knight for a new generation by focusing on a more grounded, character-driven arc for Bruce Wayne...'Amazing Spider- Man' does the same for Peter Parker. This is a Spider-Man one almost feels CAN exist in the real world...a Peter Parker who, while technically still a 'nerd', is no milksop and far from a goody-two- shoes.
Andrew Garfield unquestionably deserves the bulk of the credit for the success of this film. He highlights the duality of Peter Parker and Spider-Man as Maguire never did-'Spider-Man' is not just Peter in a mask...Spider-Man is Peter freed from all the restraints of his identity, all the consequences of his actions. The mask of Spider-Man, to Peter, represents the anonymity similarly offered by Internet chat- rooms and forums; a point Garfield has raised in interviews, and which is is reflected throughout the film. His Peter doesn't become a superhero overnight...rather, his is a journey that encompasses the whole narrative of the film until, by the end, we finally see him become the heroic legend we all know and love. Perhaps the most striking difference, at least on a superficial level, between Garfield's Spider- Man and his predecessor, is the fact that this is a Spidey who's liberal with the wise-cracks. He is a hormonal, sometimes annoying, 17 year old and he sure acts like one!
Emma Stone and Rhys Ifans deliver solid performances as Gwen Stacy and Dr. Curt Connors respectively. Stone's Gwen Stacy is certainly superior to Kirsten Dundt's Mary Jane Watson from the previous series-she's not just a love interest, but an integral part of the plot, along with her father, Captain George Stacy (Dennis Leary). Ifans plays Connors as a well-intentioned visionary gone astray, literally, as the reptilian monster known as the 'Lizard'...a powerful performance that easily rivals those of William Dafoe as Green Goblin or Alfred Molina as Dr. Octopus from the old series.
Beyond the excellent portrayals though, the movie's true strength is derived from an excellent script and some brilliant direction on the part of Marc Webb. While quiet a few liberties have been taken with the source material, Webb manages to stay pretty close to the spirit of Stan Lee's original story. The 'Ultimate Spider-Man' series has also clearly been a major influence, both stylistically and conceptually. While the film is a complete story in itself, there are a few plot threads left hanging...mysteries waiting to be resolved in the inevitable future installments. For now though, Spidey fans all over the world can enjoy this wonderful love-letter to Stan Lee and Steve Dikto's 50 year old creation!