I went into this film with lowered expectations, mainly because I wasn't so sure a film that reboots a series that had its last film released as recently as 2007, could be that well made. Then again, I'll admit, I was never blown away by any of the Tobey Maguire Spiderman film entries. Sure, Spiderman 2 was a well made comic book film, but the overall nagging complaint I had about those entries was how much Peter Parker worshipped Mary Jane. It was overkill, and in reverse, how much Mary Jane allowed Parker to worship her. It ruined any sincerity those films could have had because they didn't create a love story on equal footing. It was a stereotypical, one-sided affair, and I think it sends the wrong message to young girls and guys in general.
Fast forward to The Amazing Spiderman and that's one key area they knocked out of the park. Spiderman/Peter Parker, played so well by Andrew Garfield, is certainly smitten by his classmate Gwen Stacy, played by Emma Stone. However, it's not a case of him having to chase her, or beg for her attention. Gwen develops an eye for him even before he becomes Spiderman, observing his bravery at school when he refuses to let another classmate get picked on; and takes a beating for it in return. Additionally, Gwen is a self-sufficient, science loving, intelligent woman in this film, versus the sometimes smug attitude of the Mary Jane character in the previous films. The dynamic between Garfield's Spiderman and Stone's Gwen Stacy character just works, and never drags the film down with it. It's a 50/50 admiration for the two, and I hope more films like this approach it the same way in the future. Additionally, Garfield's interpretation of Peter Parker is vastly superior to Tobey Maguire's in my opinion. Maguire came off as almost too nerdy, and way too depressed over moments when things weren't working out with Mary Jane. Whereas Garfield adds multiple layers to his character, displaying not just a small nerdy side, but a socially awkward side as well that projects much more than what was seen in the original three films.
The rest of the film is built around Peter Parker learning about what it means to be responsible, and to take responsibility for his actions as a superhero. His Uncle Ben, played so convincingly by Martin sheen, really walks the walk by showing Parker what it means to help others and be a man when he tries to stop a thief from getting away on the streets of NYC. This was a defining moment in the picture when Parker understands he can't just be running around as Spiderman in an irresponsible way, and that he needs to temper his energy and sometimes immature attitude. Later in the film, when he has to save people from near death on a bridge, thanks to the transformed Dr. Curt Connors Lizard character reaking havoc, it's saving one child in particular from a car that's hanging from the bridge and on fire that cements Peter Parker as Spiderman. Not only is he firmly cemented as a superhero, but he gains an important ally out of saving the child that will help him later on in the film.
Special mention for Dennis Leary and his portrayal of Captain Stacy, he does a nice job making you believe he really is a police chief of such a big city. I think the only disappointing performance for my money is the main villain, played by Rhys Ifans. It just seemed somewhat dull for me. Obviously the action scenes where his character is fighting with Spiderman as the Lizard are well done, and thought out, but overall Ifan's portrayal doesn't command a lot of attention in my book as a top notch villain the same way some previous comic book film bad guys have. Put it this way, you're not going to go home and quote any of his lines from the film like you may have with The Joker, General Zod, The Penguin, or even Obehdiah Stane from Iron Man. That's really my only gripe with the picture, and it's not enough to detract from how impressed overall I was with the story and execution of this film. I know some comic book purists may be upset they redid the origin story again, but I could care less. This is a comic book film and as far as I'm concerned it should be allowed to have many different interpretations of how a superhero came into harnessing such great powers.
Go see this movie, I have a feeling it'll be the only comic book film through the summer months (not counting The Avengers) that will be worth a hill of beans. The Dark Knight Rises, judging from trailers, looks more like a depressing episode of Law and Order than an actual bright, colorful, comic book film. Time will tell though. Nuff said.
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