The original "Spider-Man" films by Sam Raimi surely hold special places in everyone's heart whether they're strictly a fan of superhero films or were just excited to finally see their friendly neighborhood Spider-Man up on the big screen for the first time. This particular fan saw "Spider-Man" three times in the theater and still cites "Spider-Man 2" as one of the best superhero films out there. Five years after Raimi's third film, we're getting a reboot. While many believed that it was entirely too soon to reboot a billion dollar franchise, it was difficult to ignore the immense amount of talent Sony acquired for "The Amazing Spider-Man."
You should probably know ahead of time that Spider-Man's origin has been altered in the film. Several things have been switched around including how Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man, his parents, Uncle Ben, and Gwen Stacy. The interesting part is that it kind of feels necessary for a film like this. Telling the exact same story again would be completely redundant. They've kept the big events the same, but altered the little ones. It's like taking a different path you haven't taken before to reach the same destination.
Andrew Garfield is particularly spectacular in the role of Peter Parker. He's completely different in comparison to Tobey Maguire; both in appearance and performance. Garfield is more slender and taller than Maguire. This version of Spider-Man seems to actually embrace the smart mouth aspect of the character in "The Amazing Spider-Man." The car thief with the knife scene is the best example. It also seems like Garfield's Peter Parker goes through a hell of a lot more in one movie than Tobey Maguire did. It feels more emotional and more tragic. You don't even see anything remotely resembling the Spider-Man suit for nearly an hour.
The special effects are pretty astounding, as well. Oscorp's technology is as impressive as Tony Stark's is in the "Iron Man" movies. The Lizard looks pretty fantastic for being mostly CG. Rhys Ifans does a phenomenal job as Dr. Curt Connors. He has this sequence in the sewer after he's already transformed a few times where he's arguing with himself that is really impressive.
The 3D is also the best to come along in quite some time. It mostly comes into play when Spider-Man is web slinging through the city (as his feet or webbing jump out at you) and during credit sequences, but there's also an endless amount of debris that flies into the camera. The first person Spider-Man sequences may visually be the best thing about the movie. All those little kids who have dreamt of being Spider-Man now have a visual aid to back it up.
The superhero blockbuster packs a lot of brains into its 136-minute runtime. The amount of science crammed into the film including the cross species genetics stuff is very interesting. But the way Peter incorporates natural spider-like qualities into his abilities is also really cool; Garfield certainly deserves a lot of credit for that. When Spider-Man is trying to find The Lizard, he makes a spider web in the sewer and waits for something to come to him.
Does it bother anyone else the way Peter Parker seems to throw his secret identity around like it's nothing? Maybe it's because the comics played up the importance of it so much and Peter wasn't taking off his mask in public six times in the span of two hours, but it just feels like everybody knows who he is by the time the movie ends.
"The Amazing Spider-Man" is pretty extraordinary for a reboot of a beloved franchise. In fact, it's better than it really has any right to be. The 3D isn't a complete waste, the special effects are fantastic, the action sequences are extremely impressive, and the entire cast keeps your eyes glued to the screen. The battles between Spider-Man and The Lizard are pretty breathtaking.
But is it better than the original trilogy? It's difficult to say. This is like discovering a new formula to reach a similar result. "The Amazing Spider-Man" is slightly darker in tone and less campy than the "Spider-Man" films. Visually incredible, intimate, emotional, and intelligent; "The Amazing Spider-Man" is a sensational entry in the superhero genre that lives up to the Spider-Man name.
http://www.examiner.com/slideshow/the-amazing-spider-man-14#slide=endcard
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