Mainstream Nerd Culture meets Romantic Comedy for Decent Summer Flick

Rating: 7/10 (30 June 2012)

Similar to how Daniel Craig had to win his audience as the new James Bond, Andrew Garfield took on his own attempt as Peter Parker.
The last franchise of Spiderman with Toby McGuire was well received and this version had low expectations (I mean, why so soon?). It was a surprising delight, but relied on CGI, 3D, and quite a lot of new technology/scifi.
This adaptation had a sense of humour and took advantage of Andrew Garfield's cute nerdiness that wins girls over with his adorkable crooked smile. Garfield plays an awkward teen, who gets bitten by a genetically-modified spider. The angsty teen, who lost his parents and was at fault for having his uncle killed, had me tearing up (but really I cry at almost anything remotely sad). He then becomes a bit of a cocky teen, who's still a little lost and slowly evolves as he begins to understand responsibility and power. He gets injured a lot, apologizes a lot, and has a few father figure moments.
The filming was nice, but the CGI was gorgeous. Unfortunately, the first person shooter style shots (all CGI) gave me more of a headache than a thrill ride and failed to make me scream of the drop (as Mission Impossible 4 did with less obvious CGI).
The blatant product placement of Sony & Mercades had me cringing, but I did enjoy Stan Lee's cameo in the middle of a fight scene, it was hilarious and unexpected. There was also a scene that Andrew Garfield put on his father's glasses (which happen to fit perfectly) had me whispering "hipster", then laughing at our "modern" fashion.
Emma Stone added a small romantic comedy element (that made me want Andrew Garfield more) and a bit of a storyline convenience (more empathy for dying characters, fear, a magical antidote, and a connection to Captain Stacy). It also appeals to the male audience by having a girl in a short skirt & thigh highs.
Technology & science had a huge role, which appealed to my geekiness. The DIY aspect with a breadboard and Andrew Garfield together, every geek girl's dream (I swear I wasn't that in love with him before).
Things I enjoyed: geekiness, Stan Lee's cameo, having real shots of New York (especially filming in the Hearst Building), Andrew Garfield
Bottomline: The movie takes mainstream nerd culture and mashes it with a romantic comedy to make a good summer movie.