Review: The Amazing Spider-Man

Sony/Columbia Pictures, 2012

Available On Blu-ray/Blu-Ray 3D/DVD

 

            It’s only been ten years since Sony first brought the Marvel Comics web-slinger to the screen, and some would argue that it’s a bit too soon to reboot the franchise, but in that amount of time we’ve seen the superhero film genre become much more layered and sophisticated. Films like Christopher Nolan’s current Batman trilogy and Marvel Studios’ own efforts have raised the bar considerably and redefined what these movies could, and should, be. Sony/Columbia’s newest entry in the tights-and-spandex ring, The Amazing Spider-Man, seeks to restart and redeem the franchise that many felt had run its course.

            A retelling of Spider-Man’s origin story, the film follows the young Peter Parker as he struggles to find his place, both in his high school and in the world at large. He’s a bit of a loner, an outcast who lives with his kindly aunt and uncle after his parents disappear under mysterious circumstances. After stumbling across evidence of his father's scientific research, Peter seeks out his father's former partner, Dr. Curt Connors, a reptile specialist working for OSCORP who is obsessed with ridding humanity of genetic imperfections. It is there at OSCORP that young Parker encounters the spider that bites him and transforms him into the titular wall-crawler. Using DNA samples of a lizard, Peter works with Connors to figure out the missing piece of the formula needed to make his regenerative cure a reality.  OSCORP executives, however, have an agenda of their own for the miracle formula. While the serum does succeed, it brings with it some horrible side-effects, and Dr. Connors is transformed into the villainous Lizard, a giant, super-strong reptile with some serious delusions of grandeur.  A superhero-versus-monster battle royale ensues, with humanity’s future at stake. Woven throughout the superheroic mayhem is a touching love story between Peter and his high-school sweetheart Gwen Stacy and the tragedy of his Uncle Ben’s death, the event that ultimately causes Peter to become Spider-Man.

 

     The cast of The Amazing Spider-Man delivers with such earnestness that it’s hard to find much fault with the performances. The characters are well-developed, with each allowed to grow and have a realistic arc.  Andrew Garfield, as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, shines. His portrayal reminds us that the best Spidey stories aren’t really about Spider-Man at all, but rather the guy under the mask. He plays the geeky outcast well. Peter’s not very well-off with the fairer sex, gets bullied by school jocks, and has had a young life littered with tragedy. Many viewers can relate to that, and Garfield’s performance bristles with empathy, charm, and earnest goodness. He has a few scenes where there is very little dialogue, but the expression in his eyes and face speak volumes for him. He brings an emotionally-charged energy to Peter Parker, making viewers identify with him and care about him as a character.

 Emma Stone is terrific as Peter’s love interest, Gwen Stacy. She looks as though she stepped out of the classic-era Spider-Man comic books and onto the screen. Stone brings a humor and warmth to the role that transcends typical characters of this kind. She makes us fall in love with Gwen along with Peter. Smart, funny, strong, and articulate, Gwen Stacy is more than just eye candy for the fanboys in this film. It’s worth mentioning that the onscreen chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone is fantastic, making the characters’ relationship seem very realistic and reminding us of what it was like to be awkward teenagers in love.

Rhys Ifans plays Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard with a Jekyll and Hyde-type duality, causing the audience to simultaneously like and hate him. As Peter’s pseudo-mentor, and later his nemesis, Ifans creates a convincing villain for our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Misguided and driven mad by his miracle serum, Dr. Connors becomes a wholly different character when transformed into the Lizard, but at his core remains the well-meaning doctor. After all, the best villains never think that they’re villains, and Rhys Ifans plays this up rather well.

The supporting cast is impressive as well, with Denis Leary as Gwen’s father, police Captain Stacy, whose quest to bring to justice the masked vigilante known as Spider-Man takes an unexpected turn. Martin Sheen and Sally Field portray Peter’s surrogate parents, Uncle Ben and Aunt May, with sincerity and realism. Also appearing in small roles are Campbell Scott, C. Thomas Howell, and, of course, Stan “The Man” Lee.

Screenwriters James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, and Steve Kloves have crafted an excellent script, updating the Spider-Man origin and presenting the audience with a contemporary cast of characters, all the while keeping intact the core elements of what make the original story so great. There are deviances from the comic book source material, sure, but certainly less than the last cycle of Spider-Man movies.

The Amazing Spider-Man delivers on multiple levels; part character-driven indie film, part old-fashioned monster movie, and part Hollywood spectacle. Director Marc Webb balances these radically different sensibilities near-perfectly, switching between insane action and quiet character moments without jarring the audience or making one feel as though they’re watching two different movies. He’s created a high-octane superhero movie with an emotionally-driven core.

 

The action and CGI scenes work remarkably well with the practical effects and live-action, creating a convincing and exciting viewing experience. There are a few instances where the CG animation for the Lizard character seems a bit wonky, and the newly-designed Spider-Man costume takes a little getting used to, but these factors never detract from the overall experience.

 While comparisons to Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy are inevitable and expected, The Amazing Spider-Man spins its own web and stands on its own as the first installment of an intended trilogy. With passing mentions of other note-worthy characters from the Spider-Man mythology, most notably Norman Osborn, one can only hope that the next film will build on this foundation and be as fine of a film as this one.

The transfer on both the Blu-ray and the DVD look and sound terrific, but the special features are standard for a movie of this budget. The video nerd in me suspects that Sony's holding back some extra material to include in a future re-release, most likely before the forthcoming sequel hits theaters. Special Features include a fairly impressive featurette selection and a decent commentary track featuring director Marc Webb and super-Marvel producer Avi Arad. There's also an art gallery, and deleted scenes. Are you getting your money's worth by purchasing it? If you're a fan of Spidey, I'd say yes. Not as good as The Avengers, but by far one of the best on-screen versions of Spider-Man to come from any medium. I give it five thwipps!

 

Reviewed by Shawn Strawbridge