The Amazing Spider-Man...2.5 out of 4 Skittles

Rating: 6/10 (6 September 2012)

The Spider-Man franchise is launched again, only five years after Sam Raimi wrapped up his highly successful trilogy. After watching the latest installment it makes you wonder why.
Other than the obvious reason of making more money, the latest installment brings nothing new to the table that the Raimi versions didn't. So the reboot starts up with Peter Parker in high school and Uncle Ben is still alivebig whup. The writing is cheesier and the special effects seem virtually the same.
Director Marc Webb, who worked his magic in the 2009 indie hit (500) Days of Summer, missed his chance of leaving a lasting impression as Raimi did. Raimi gave us iconic scenes like a car flying through a coffee shop window in slow-mo, and the infamous upside down first kiss between Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. Webb gives us a montage of Peter Parker learning more about his new Spidey powers whilst skateboarding to a Coldplay soundtrack (this is no joke), and the most awkward first kiss since Harry Potter hooked up with Ginny Weasley.
The trio of big time writers, James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, The Losers), Alvin Sargent (Spider-Man 2 & 3), and Steve Kloves (All the Harry Potter movies), show that too many chefs in the kitchen can sometimes only leave a big mess. Andrew Garfield (The Social Network, Never Let Me Go) and Emma Stone (The Help, Zombieland) make a valiant attempt at bringing the lead characters to life, but the pathetic script leaves them coming off like the B-version of the chemistry put together by Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow in Iron Man. The actors also seem to be out of place in high school. Buying Garfield (28 years-old) & Stone (24) as high school kids requires a large commitment from anyone with a brain. Maybe the people who cast the original 90210 series had their hands in this one too.
If you don't compare The Amazing Spider-Man to Raimi's trilogy you can probably find enough positives to enjoy it and find it somewhat entertaining. But for the most part the latest Spidey flick is just another example of Hollywood forcing out another big budget stinker that they know they can make a quick buck from. I would rather see a comic book reboot for characters that need it. Can someone please do justice for The Fantastic Four? For more quick reviews check out www.FilmStallion.com