Good film but it should have been called "The Amazing Peter Parker"

Rating: 7/10 (5 July 2012)

It is clear from the trailers that The Amazing Spiderman is cutting off all ties with the old silly Spiderman 3 with a new, more serious Spidey. Of course everyone will be comparing this to Sam Raimis take on the wall crawler so re-telling the origin story of the young college student Peter Parker needs to be fresh yet familiar. So does Spiderman swing to new heights or does it get washed away like a spider in the bath?
The Amazing Spiderman echoes the plot threads of Sam Raimis Spiderman with the origins of these unusual powers which Peter obtains and how peter recklessly uses them for selfish gain and then thanks to his Uncle Ben Peter atones his powers to become a hero rather than a vigilante. What Marc Webb emphasises in his version of Spiderman Peter Parkers struggles having mysteriously lost his parents, having a tough time at school and losing his uncle. This fleshes out Peter with the first act introducing the insight to the struggles he carries even before he becomes Spiderman. But in the few moments we see Peter in the iconic costume the film doesn't know what to do with its self and the film swings (if you would pardon the pun) from one story arc to another making everything feel less connected.
The performance from Andrew Garfield is defiantly the highlight of the film. I can't believe the guy is 28 years old he looks like a teenager so he pulls of the look as well as the portrayal of his introduction from a typical ruff day at school to worrying his aunt and uncle with his odd behaviour. Garfield conveys Peter similar to Maguire accept more restrained in his awkwardness and perhaps more timid which makes him a captivating brainy character who keeps himself to himself. One of my favourite scenes from the film which is in the 4 minute trailer is when Spiderman is saving a little boy and throws him his mask and says it would make him stronger this emphasises the humanity of Peter Parker and is a very suspenseful and touching scene. It's just a same there isn't more scenes where Spiderman is being Spiderman. Sally Field and Martin Sheen who play Peter's Aunt and Uncle are very versatile characters who play the kooky yet concerned guardians. Of course the same tragic events occur just like in the 2002 Spiderman accept with a rather different outcome.
Other performances, that leave less of an impact would be Emma Stone as the brainy Gwen Stacy. Her portrayal was nothing great nor nothing terrible it's just a little dull how there are breaks in the action for a scene about coco. The romance isn't as developed then the first Spiderman also and is blended in well with the other plot points in that movie. Rhys Ifans who plays Doctor Connors is also a rather one dimensional villain they try and make him interesting by throwing in that he's got schizophrenia at the last minute but it's too little too late. Plus I found the effects on the Lizard to be more cute then threatening with that permanent smile on his face he looks like the snake from The Jungle Book.
Marc Webb also doesn't fully utilise the vistas that New York has to offer it is also a lot more domestic then the 2002 Spiderman. The soundtrack is also lacklustre and distracting and at times it doesn't complement the scene but it's only a minor nitpick.
Overall The Amazing Spiderman has now got everything setup for hopefully a worthwhile sequel where we get to see Spiderman doing what a Spider can. It's slightly annoying that we must sit threw another tiresome and somewhat predictable origin story but Marc Webb just barely manages to keep things fresh with his leading man Andrew Garfield pulling it off. Out of all the superhero films that are coming out this summer The Avengers is for those who are looking something larger than life and straightforward, The Dark Knight Rises is for the Drama and the psychological battle as well as the physical one and The Amazing Spiderman is for people looking for a coming of age story with someone who has everyday problems along with supernatural problems thrust upon them. 7/10