The Amazing Spider-Man Isn't Amazing At All.

Rating: Null/10 (11 October 2013)

When Sony Pictures decided to reboot the Spider-Man franchise, I wondered if there really was a need for it considering that not much time had passed since Spider-Man 3 came out & overall, this franchise hadn't fared as worse as others to justify a reboot. Anyway, The Amazing Spider-Man tries to bring on screen the story of our friendly neighbourhood from its origins. Everyone must already be aware of the premise but in case you're not, it tells the story of Peter Parker & how he became Spider-Man in addition to an ugly, stupid villain thrown in here who is more funny (unintentionally, obviously) than scary.
Director Marc Webb tries very hard to take his movie away from Sam Raimi's versions but it ends up with too many similarities in events, much less charm or excitement & is a dumbed down version of the original Spider-Man movie in a new package. Plus, the romantic arc between Peter Parker & Gwen Stacy is just absurd & eye-rollingly cheesy. Cinematography is more oriented to point-of-view shots while editing is just horrible. Visual effects feel incomplete & the music by James Horner is simply no match to Danny Elfman's magnificent score that actually feels like belonging to Spider-Man.
Coming to the performances, Andrew Garfield is very much believable in the costume of Spider-Man & does a brilliant job in portraying the recklessness of a teenager in possession of newly discovered superpowers. Emma Stone is a darling as Gwen Stacy but she isn't given much to play with yet manages to tag along with a fine performance. Rest of the cast is simply forgettable. Also, Irrfan Khan's "pivotal role" was; to be used as the poster boy for the film's marketing in India, which actually paid off as this movie had a record-breaking opening here.
Now those who are still reading this review & are unfortunately fans of this film, few of them might argue that I should not compare this film with the original Spider-Man but if that's the case then what exactly was the point of making this film if it never was going to be better than its decade old version anyway? On an overall scale, adding nothing but only a new dimension (3D) which had its little moments, The Amazing Spider-Man isn't amazing at all & is just no match to Raimi's versions, which are more fun even today. In short, a needless reboot whose needless sequel is coming soon. Good luck, Sony Pictures.
Full review at: cinemaclown.wordpress.com