The Amazing...Peter Parker?

"The Amazing Spider-Man"

Directed by: Marc Webb

Written by: James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, Steve Kloves

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary

Rated: PG-13

136 Minutes

 

 

The big concern on everyone's mind with the release of "The Amazing Spider-Man" is whether the Spider-Man franchise needed a 'reboot' so soon after Sam Raimi finished his trilogy in 2007.  It could be easily argued that the best Spider-Man story was already told with Raimi's "Spider-Man 2" and while this new version may not convince audiences that this Spidey is better than the last, I believe where "The Amazing Spider-Man" earns its stripes and justifies itself is by absolutely nailing the story of Peter Parker.  Marc Webb has crafted a motion picture that does a pretty good job of mostly avoiding too many comparisons to the earlier films by wisely containing its scope to a more touching and streamlined human story.

Much of the appeal in "The Amazing Spider-Man" is the inspired casting of Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.  Some may remember him from "The Social network" but his best role to date is in John Crowley's British drama "Boy A."  Garfield is 28, but has young features and carries himself just awkwardly enough to pass for a nerdy adolescent.  There would be little point in me reciting Peter Parker's defining moments because the origin story is largely the same, but is now told from different angles.  The most significant addition is the intriguing mystery surrounding the disappearance of his parents, who left him with Aunt May (Sally Field) and Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) when he was just a boy.  This development is a catalyst for the tension and conflict between Peter and his Aunt and Uncle, because when Peter finds out they have been keeping secrets from him, he starts to keep a few of his own.  Of course the fate of Uncle Ben has always been a defining moment in the Spider-Man cannon and that remains true here.  The Raimi version diluted the emotional impact because it immediately transitioned into that film's first sensational web-swinging sequence, too much in a hurry to show off its visuals.  It's not that "The Amazing Spider-Man" is darker and grittier, per say, but it's a great deal more contemplative and pauses to allow Peter to really feel his anger and grief.

There are other familiar moments in Peter's life that are given a bit more heft here as well, such as his conflict with Flash Thompson (Chris Zylka).  Instead of being a caricature of run-of-the-mill high school bullies, this Flash is wisely injected with some humanity, and one of his confrontations with Peter provides one of the film's most touching moments.  The entire feel of the high school environment feels several shades more honest because instead of cliched moments with Peter being relentlessly tormented as a target of ridicule, he is more accepted and just kind of blends in.  His insignificance is more relatable than endless victimization.  He does manage to catch the eye of Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), who works as an assistant under Dr. Connors (Rhys Ifans) at Oscorp.  Garfield and Stone are both accomplished actors for their age and they display a maturity here that elevates their chemistry.  Marc Webb's resume as a director may be shorter, but his experience helming the excellent "(500) Days of Summer" seems to inform his intimate focus on "The Amazing Spider-Man."

As for the action sequences and traditional Spider-Man elements, they are at least as good as anything that has come before.  I always thought the Raimi series felt a little light on its feet, especially with the disappointing third installment.  Now the action feels more grounded, more informed by physics that we can measure just by watching.  Spider-Man even makes better use of his powers while fighting, using his webs to pull himself out of harm's way, and taking advantage of the environment to get the upper-hand on his foes.  While there is a traditional montage of Peter assembling the various elements like the suit, the web shooters, etc., Webb doesn't let that overshadow the emotional journey involved in those steps.  The full Spider-Man garb doesn't appear until nearly an hour into the film, which is okay, because to rush through the broad strokes to quickly get to the finished product would be too reminiscent of Sam Raimi's approach. 

"The Amazing Spider-Man" isn't without its short-comings.  With the Lizard as the villain of choice, it bears a striking resemblance to so many other Spider-Man foes, who always seem to be well-intentioned scientists who fall victim to some experimental mishap; although that may be more of a reflection on the redundancy of the comics.  Nevertheless, some of the Lizard sequences are a bit too over-the-top for the more grounded approach.  More fascinating is the manhunt for Spider-Man led by Gwen's father, Captain Stacy (Denis Leary).  His character arc is slightly under-developed but still effective because of what it means for Peter and Gwen.  There is, however, one really sensational sequence near the middle of the film that bests a similar set piece in the first Sam Raimi movie.  It works well because it never feels like Marc Webb is trying to one-up Raimi on any front, but instead trying to respectfully acknowledge what made Spider-Man work before while still keeping him relevant now.

Where "The Amazing Spider-Man" will rank in a few years' time is hard to say.  Some will argue for the existing trilogy and some may find more to like in this update.  For my money, this iteration of Peter Parker is far and away more compelling than Tobey Maguire's take, who in "Spider-Man 3" was inexcusably annoying.  Andrew Garfield is the selling-point for this one and is successfully able to reel in Marc Webb's emotional focus.  There is plenty to like here no matter which version you prefer and even though "The Amazing Spider-Man" arrives so soon following the last cinematic outing, it is a respectful kick-start to a new story arc. Even if you feel like you already know it.  It also contains probably the best Stan Lee cameo to date, and if the creator himself is okay with a new version, who am I to argue?