Sony's decision to cut loose Sam Raimi and the cast of his top grossing, popular Spider-Man franchise left a lot of people with a bad taste in their mouths. It's only been a decade since the first film brought your friendly neighborhood wallcrawler to the big screen, and despite early success, including the spectacular Spider-Man 2, Raimi fumbled the ball in the third film and exposed serious creative and budgetary weaknesses. Most people don't see or care about that side of it, though, and in truth it doesn't really matter. What does matter is that Sony made the right call by starting over fresh with The Amazing Spider-Man, and by taking a ballsy gamble on a talented, untested director in the ironically named Marc Webb. And by bringing in two stars the caliber of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, Sony has themselves a Spider-Man film that isn't just better than what we've seen before, it's truly worthy of being called amazing!
The question whether or not this reboot is necessary is answered in the opening moments, as we see a side of Peter Parker's origin that the previous films basically ignored. Kicking off with Peter as a child, we see the idolizing of his scientist father(Campbell Scott), and the beginnings of his genius intellect rounding into shape. After a mysterious break-in at his father's study, Peter watches helplessly as his parents flee into the night, never to be seen again. Left in the care of the doting Aunt May(Sally Field), and kind-hearted Uncle Ben(Martin Sheen), Peter grows into his teenage years with a ton of questions, a lot of brains, and a chip on his shoulder.
Discovering an old briefcase belonging to his father, Peter(Andrew Garfield) takes it upon himself to discover the truth about what happened, and the trail leads to one of his father's old colleagues, Dr. Curt Connors(Rhys Ifans). The two were working on an experimental project involving the splicing of animal and lizard DNA with humans, and it's through this that Peter gains his fateful spider bite, in one of the creepier scenes of the entire film. Gifted with the newfound abilities that would become his namesake, Peter makes kissy faces with the smart and feisty Gwen Stacy(Emma Stone), while also getting a little revenge on the bullying Flash Thompson(Chris Zylka). Not unlike the kids in Chronicle, Peter lets his powers go to his head, and he can rightly be considered a jerk up until he gets taught a deadly lesson about responsibility after the death of his beloved Uncle. Spidey cooks up a couple of crappy costumes before settling on a slick, aerodynamic new one, and sets off to unburden his soul with a little vigilante justice. Meanwhile, Connors is busy proving that not all scientists have common sense by injecting himself with the lizard serum, with monstrous results. Sounds familiar, but Webb and screenwriter James Vanderbilt pepper the film with plenty of new touches that make this not a complete rehash. Many writers, and this includes some in the comic book world, put a little too much emphasis on the death of Uncle Ben in shaping Peter's transformation into Spider-Man. The disappearance of his parents, and the perceived abandonment, is just as much of a factor, and seeing how that impacts Peter in this film is part of what makes it a totally different experience. This Spider-Man rightfully reclaims his proper mantle as the geek champion of all superheroes, as Peter's intellect is a big part of what makes him tick. The mechanical web shooters and chemically engineered web fluid are back, showing that Spider-Man isn't just super strong but super smart. The way he uses angles and momentum both in his acrobatic fighting style and in web swinging through the city, are subtle nods to Peter Parker the genius. Not to knock Sam Raimi's films, but the easy analysis by many is going to be to say that this film isn't different enough, and it's simply not true.
For one, this film focuses less on the action and more on the central love story between Peter and Gwen. Unlike Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane Watson, Gwen is on Peter's level in just about every way. She's sexy, tough, and smart enough to work at the same corporation as Dr. Connors. She's more than just a damsel in distress. She's Peter's equal, and that dynamic is something we almost never see in superhero movies. The film is more fun when they're together, especially when they're dealing with the harsh recriminations of her father, Captain George Stacy(Denis Leary). With no J. Jonah Jameson in sight, it's Captain Stacy and his police force that take up the Spider-Man demagoguery, pursuing the costumed hero across town and getting in the way of his pursuit of the Lizard.
Andrew Garfield was a risky choice for the lead, but it pays off in ways nobody could have predicted. He and Emma Stone, who are dating in real life apparently, shine at practically every turn. Even when their puppy love starts to take on the saccharine sweetness of an MTV romance, the two are so likable that you just want to see them happy. Webb, who directed the trippy romantic comedy, (500) Days of Summer, knows how to hit all the emotional sweet spots. Garfield slips easily in and out of Peter's dual personalities. He's vulnerable and defensive out of the costume, wild and untamed when he dons the mask. Martin Sheen is a definite upgrade as Uncle Ben, and knowing his fate only makes his every appearance more meaningful.
Webb's inexperience in the action realm doesn't prove to be much of a hindrance, either. While the 3D is a waste, the film is quick and agile in a way Raimi's films weren't. Spider-Man isn't just your typical superhero with hyper reflexes and increased strength, he's gifted with the attributes of a spider, and it's nice to see someone finally acknowledge that. He moves and reacts like an insect, and has spider instincts, even using his famous webbing as a makeshift sonar in one of the film's most inventive moments.The Lizard turns out to be a problem, though. Ifans is excellent as Connors, a man broken and desperate due to his physical limitations, and burdened by a terrible secret rekindled by Peter's arrival. But as his scaly alter ego, he's pretty one-dimensional, and his scheme is so silly that it undercuts just how grounded the rest of the film has been.
Spider-Man's a tough character to get just right, because he's the ultimate quixotic hero. No hero has been through as much turmoil as Spider-Man, but the worst of it is the burden he places on himself. He's forever atoning for the one mistake he made, and all his talk of "with great power comes great responsibility" is just a means for him to keep pursuing an impossible goal of perfection. This film gets that aspect of Spider-Man just right, and it takes some necessarily dark turns because of it. But there's also the understanding of just how important humor is to Spider-Man's character. It's his defense mechanism, basically, and he employs humor savagely against the Lizard and everybody who stands in his way. It's a fine line being walked between humor and darkness, and Webb deserves credit for making it look relatively easy. A confusing, hyper-patriotic sequence involving some of New York's finest and bravest construction workers(including C. Thomas Howell!?) seems like it was tacked on at the last moment because it tested well.
So what's next? There are plenty of tantalizing secrets left dangling, as well as a few sequel hints dropped. Such a good job is done opening up and establishing Spider-Man's world that there are limitless possibilities. Wherever it goes, The Amazing Spider-Man proves that you don't have to wait long to relaunch a popular character as long as it's done for the right reason, in the right way, and with the right people.
