Marvel Mania 2: The Amazing Spider-Man

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans
Directed by: Marc Webb


After the critical failure that was Spider-Man 3, the studio was left in a state of flux on what to do next. They tried to get the original gang back for a Spider-Man 4 and finally said "screw it!" It was time to start fresh and try again at telling the story of how Peter Parker became Spider-Man, but with a darker, grittier tone than we'd seen before. In retrospect, it was also to make sure they'd keep the rights to Spider-Man from falling into the hands of Marvel Studios. The good thing about that is that history always has a way of weaving itself out and now Sony AND Marvel Studios have an opportunity to do the Spider-Man movies they want in a much bigger universe. But that's a discussion for another time. On with this film, The Amazing Spider-Man. As far as this film series goes, it's very polarizing. People either love or hate what they did in the Spider-Man reboot, but all I could see was that there was room for at least 2 Spider-Man adaptations that worked for different reasons. We were given a lot of things we've seen before, but with a new spin (pun intended). And there was definitely room to improve on some things that the other movies didn't get right, so let's see how The Amazing Spider-Man fares out as a comic book film, a standalone film, and a reboot to a property we've previously seen on film.

Let's get to the first major positive for the movie, the choice for Spider-Man. I loved Andrew Garfield's work in The Social Network (one of my all-top favorite movies), so I was on board with him playing Peter Parker. And when I saw the film, I was very into his performance. He's a character that shows a lot of promise in the realms of growth and development. He makes mistakes, but he learns from them. He's socially awkward and nerdy, but has the ability to crack a lot of jokes and gain confidence when he's Spider-Man. He feels much more based on the Ultimate Spider-Man comics than the traditional Spider-Man comics. The older comics felt reflected by MaGuire, but Garfield has the more up to date approach to the character. We live in a world where the stereotypical nerds can be handsome and popular, so the formula doesn't translate on film as well. To play Peter as more of a loner to be picked on was a smarter decision creatively. On top of that, I know a lot of people complained about the costume, but I really enjoyed it. It was a style of suit that felt very resourceful for Peter to build, while also being a suit that is easily recognizable as something Spider-Man would wear. I know people really like Tobey MaGuire's performance, but I think that's out of nostalgia. If you hold both performances and what the actors bring to both Spider-Man AND Peter Parker, I think Garfield is the superior portrayal.

Part of Spider-Man's origin comes with getting to know Peter Parker and his family. His Uncle Ben and Aunt May are played by Martin Sheen and Sally Field in this film. I really liked what these veteran actors did, particularly with Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben. You can tell he's having a blast in the role, so you can't help but have fun with him. And that makes it more tragic when he's gunned down. Sally Field is a great actress without even trying and I got that vibe with Aunt May. She's gone out recently to pretty much disown her performances in these movies, but I don't see the bad performance she sees. Maybe she just doesn't like superhero movies, to each their own. I saw the chemistry these two had with each other and with Garfield and I saw a family out of that. I saw the relationship I have with my Uncle and Aunt and I mean that in the best possible way.

To add even more to the awesome cast in this film is Denis Leary as Captain George Stacy. What else needs to be said? Denis Leary is the man and he is absolutely great as Captain Stacy. A minor character, but definitely is an ideal casting that leaves a lasting impression, just like what J.K. Simmons did with J. Jonah Jameson in the original trilogy.

If there was one negative the movie offers, it's Rhys Ifans as The Lizard. Don't get me wrong, I think he does fine when he's playing Dr. Curt Conners, but there's just something about the giant lizard creature that just doesn't work. I think it boils down to the design. The Lizard has always been one of Spider-Man's most visually appealing villains for me, so I can honestly say I was disappointed when he didn't look like what I was hoping for.

The new look at the story of Spider-Man maybe came a lot sooner than we were expecting, but it was an enjoyable alternate to the nostalgic Spider-Man movies of the past. The Amazing Spider-Man had a great cast and a unique style to it that feels like its own. Of course it has problems, but I think people have been extra harsh on this one, simply because it's different. Yes, many of the plot elements are hard to take seriously but let me remind everyone this is based off something that exists in the forms of comic books and children's cartoons. This is one of those reboots that has a lot of expectations to live up to the stuff we've seen from previous Spider-Man movies, as well as its competition in the form of the MCU. Because of that, I think a lot of people were quick to nitpick and were unable to take in the full experience. For me, I really liked what I saw and I'd even call The Amazing Spider-Man one of the best Spider-Man films to date.


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I know that people out there either love this reboot or hate it. Personally, I love it. The Amazing Spider-Man gave me a fresher, darker take on the Web-Slinger than I'd seen before. The cast is great, the action is well-executed, and the tone feels gritty, but not forced. There's room for more than one good adaptation out there, so if you enjoy all things Spider-Man, give this a watch to see what side of the debate you stand on.

The Amazing Spider-Man and movie images are copyrighted by Columbia Pictures