Spider-Man, Spider-Man, Can Be Rebooted, Oh Yes He Can!

Rating: 9/10 (15 August 2012)

I was a huge fan of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. They had great performances, amazing special effects, and really intriguing villains. It was arguably one of the best comic book film franchises ever made. I liked all the films, including Spider-Man 3. Yes, I know, a lot of people don't like it that much, but I thought despite some really corny moments, they felt like what you'd see in a comic book. The only problem is, the original trilogy felt like it was pulled out of the 1960s comic books. A lot of the dialog was corny, and can we not forget Willem Dafoe's really huge overacting? And of course the worst scene in the series: the dance number in the third film. Ugh! Even with those issues, I still thought they were good films.
Now we have the reboot of the Spider-Man franchise, and I have to admit, I was excited to finally see a different spin on the character. This new Spider-Man was more of a rebel; a wisecracker; a mix of the 1960s and 1990s comics. Spider-Man actually had to build web shooters, he actually used jokes that were reminiscent of the old days of comics. However, the film looked dark, and gritty, and more modern. It felt like the type of comic book movie you would see today. Did this film come out too soon after Spider-Man 3? Maybe, but I think this was still a very well done reboot.
The film begins with Peter Parker being left behind by his parents with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May after their home was burglarized. Jump to over a decade later, and we see Peter (played by a great Andrew Garfield) is an outcast who is picked on, but also attracts the attention of Gwen Stacy (a beautiful and talented Emma Stone), the daughter of NYPD Captain George Stacy (Dennis Leary). After discovering an old suitcase and papers of a mysterious and scientific nature that belonged to his father, Peter goes to Oscorp and meets the one-armed Dr. Curt Conners (Rhys Ifans is excellent here), a former colleague of his father's, who is trying to perfect a serum to regrow lost limbs and rejuvenate health in order to save Norman Osbourne (he's not in the film by the way). Peter is bitten by a genetically altered spider, and gains spider-like abilities and senses, but no webs (he has to build those).
Peter helps Conners complete the formula with reptile DNA, but this causes Peter to shirk his duties at school and at home, so he fights with Uncle Ben (the great and wise Martin Sheen). Ben is then shot down by a thug in the street, after Peter let him go at after robbing a store. Peter swears vengeance, and hunts the criminal down, but never finds him (Oh dear! It's not like the original!) Peter makes a costume and becomes the vigilante Spider-Man, and while he helps stop thugs and other criminals, Captain Stacy remains determined to hunt him down. Peter eventually reveals his identity to Gwen, and they start dating (Wow, Garfield is so much luckier with the ladies than Tobey Maguire). Meanwhile, Conners is forced to test the serum on himself to avoid having it tested on innocent civilians. He unfortunately is turned into a reptilian creature called the Lizard, and he suffers dual personality disorder (Green Goblin remind you of anything?), and decides to turn everyone in New York into lizards, so Spider-Man has to stop him.
I won't spoil the ending, but it's very well done, and opens itself up for sequels. Director Marc Webb, who's only other director's credit is 500 Days of Summer, did a great job creating a gritty, modern-day Spider-Man. All the actors are superb, the action is great, the special effects are amazing (especially the first-person web swinging scenes), and the story is very well done. The film may follow the original Raimi films a bit too much, but that's only a small gripe. It's clear this new universe is headed in a different direction, and hopefully we'll get to see an even better sequel. Spider-Man, I liked you in the originals, but I like this new film just as much. Only time will tell which one is better.
Final Verdict: 9/10