The Story
After their house is broken into, Peter’s parents take him to live with his aunt and uncle, before disappearing. Years later, Peter is bitten while investigating his father’s partner, Dr Connors. He gains spider powers, and starts working on his father’s formula with Dr Connors. The compound leads to Connors turning into a lizard monster, and it’s up to Peter to stop him.
The Review
Despite the general lack of excitement by most, I for one was stoked for this movie. Sure it may have seemed like it was too soon for a Spider-Man reboot, but that honestly didn’t bother me. I was just excited to see a new Spider-Man movie.
So I was please to see my excitement paid off. The Amazing Spider-Man is, despite what rotten tomates says, a very good movie. Even though I love the first two movies, I’d have to say I just might like this one better.
For one, Andrew Garfield is perfect for the role. Tobey Maguire could do nerd really well, but Andrew does nerd and smartass really well. I honestly have no complaints about him. Emma Stone was amazing too, and while I’m a bigger Mary-Jane fan (mostly thanks to the cartoon), Emma was a great addition to the cast. Her rendition of Gwen Stacy is a great example for how to write proactiv, normal characters in a super hero story. Just because someone can’t punch holes in walls doesn’t mean they aren’t an important character, and it’s refreshing to see a romantic interst that contributes to the story.
I also liked this version of Flash Thompson much better than the original movie. He’s a jerk, and even though he’s a minor character, he gets his own small character arc. It stays true to the original character, and was a welcome addition to the film. Though we never find out why exactly he’s sympathetic to Peter after Uncle Ben’s death, it’s still a touching scene. It would have been improved, though, with the addition of Flash mentioning he’s had someone close die. Though that’s a small complaint in an otherwise satisfying part of the movie.
The story, while simple, was very enjoyable, and featured one moment at the climax that got me a little choked up. For the same reason that I like most Roland Emmerich films, it shows that there are people, not important people, who are just good people. I love movies that do this, they help remind me that no matter how crappy this world is, there are other people willing to do the right thing.
The last thing I should mention is that Spider-Man actually acts like a spider in this movie. Beyond climbing walls, and using webs, he actually fights like a spider. He sets a trap, using his webs to detect motion, like a real spider would, and he tries to tap the lizard in a cocoon of webs. This movie also features the best Stan Lee Cameo I’ve seen in any of the Marvel movies.
All I can say is that if you love Spider-Man, you really need to see this movie. If you like super hero movies, you need to see this movie. If you just like good movies, you need to see this movie.