A whole 5 years after Raimi’s Spider-Man was last seen on the big screen director Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) “reboots” the comic book hero once more, weaving a somewhat over-familar web of doomed uncles, trademark spectacles and genetically-modified arachnids. It was originally supposed to be released as Spider-Man 4 but, well, you know how it is. Hollywood and that.
Orphan Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) lives in New York with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben (a perfectly-cast Sally Field and Martin Sheen respectively). He has no idea what happened to his overly-secretive parents, is regularly pounded by the school bully Flash Thompson (Chris Zylka) and is trying, with some success, to catch the eye of his devastatingly demure classmate Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). When bitten by the aforementioned spider, however, Parker gains a super-strength and spider-sense that enable him to fight crime on the mean streets of Manhattan. This is most opportune timing as Rhys Ifans is busy morphing into a giant CGI lizard who wants to take humans to the next stage of evolution by turning them all into CGI lizards too…mwahahahah.
Silly plot-line aside this film has a great deal going for it. Andrew Garfield is utterly charming, drawing out the playful side of Parker’s character whilst simulateneously amplifying his energy for the action sequences; selling himself as a credible hero. Plus, any man who works the geek chic and the spidey-suit look quite so effortlessly definitely deserves your attention; he certainly had mine. Stone doesn’t have as much to do, the film is after all called The Amazing Spider-Man, not The Amazing Gwen Stacy, but is equally dishy and keeps the painfully bashful Parker on his toes whilst also trying to stay one step ahead of the other man in her life: Captain Stacy (Denis Leary).
Besides using the unnecessary 3D format, Webb’s directing is both sensitive and engaging. He skillfully spins an alternative spidey-story for the post-Twilight teen audience without the love becoming all-consuming. The marketing bods are understandably keen to play-up the romance element but don’t be fooled: it’s not all midnight flights and high-rise smooching. Frequent lizard attacks, child jeopardy and altercations with the NYPD keep things lively. The major issue with this picture is not the substance, but the pacing. Clocking in at 136 minutes this film dilutes its best sequences making it feel like a bit of a trudge. Given what the cast do with the material at hand this is a great pity.
In summary, Webb’s Spider-Man plays out as more of a remake than a reboot, but it is a superior remake. It’s friendlier, funnier and yet not lacking in action. There have been a lot of complaints about the CGI lizard, I can’t say this bothered me. Was it more menacing than covering Willem Dafoe’s incredibly expressive face with a piece of green plastic? Yes. So by all counts an improvement.
Helen has awarded The Amazing Spider-Man 3.5 Torches of Truth.
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