Rated
PG-13 (Sequences of Action and Violence)
Running
Time: 2 Hours & 16 Minutes
Cast-
Andrew
Garfield-Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Emma
Stone-Gwen Stacy
Rhys
Ifans-Dr. Curtis 'Curt' Connors/The Lizard
Denis
Leary-NYPD Captain George Stacy
Martin
Sheen-Uncle Ben
Sally
Field-Aunt May
Irrfan
Khan-Dr. Rajit Ratha
Chris
Zylka-Eugene 'Flash' Thompson
Campbell
Scott-Richard Parker
Embeth
Davidtz-Mary Parker
Michael
Massee-Gustav Fiers/The Gentleman
Directed
by Marc Webb
 |
| Marvel's iconic hero swings back into action once more in the reboot "The Amazing Spider-Man." |
It's
amazing (no pun intended!) how one bad apple can ruin the whole bunch. Trapped
in development hell for close to twenty-five years, pre-production work finally
began for the original "Spider-Man" in April 1999 when Columbia
Pictures/Sony acquired the film rights to the Marvel character from MGM in a
complex trade-off where Columbia agreed to relinquish its rights to create a
competing 007 series if MGM gave up its claim to Spider-Man. Sam Raimi, who was
primarily known for his horror-comedy trilogy "The Evil Dead," signed
on as director in January 2000. A fan of the comics in his youth, Raimi's
passion for the character earned him the job. Tobey Maguire was cast six months
later in the iconic role thanks to his performance in 1999's "The Cider
House Rules." Riding a wave of massive hype, "Spider-Man" was
released on May 3, 2002 to critical acclaim (89% on Rotten Tomatoes) and
massive box office success, grossing a gargantuan $822 million worldwide, which
was unheard of at the time. "Spider-Man 2" arrived two years later in
2004 and received glowing praise (93% on Rotten Tomatoes), with many ranking it
as one of the best comic book films of all time. Unfortunately, franchise
fatigue set in when "Spider-Man 3" was released in 2007 and although
its hype resulted in a then-record breaking $151 million opening weekend debut,
the film was viewed as a disappointment from both critics and fans, with 63% on
Rotten Tomatoes. Raimi was under pressure to top his own film but studio
interference played a role as well as fan-favorite villain Venom was
shoe-horned into the script in an already over-stuffed story. Despite the mixed
reception, Raimi had every intention to make "Spider-Man 4" but after
going through four script revisions, he (along with Maguire) withdrew from the
film as the director felt that he could not meet its summer 2011 release date
and maintain his creative integrity at the same time. In other words, he didn't
want to do a half-assed sequel and while I was sad to see Raimi go, I
understood his stance. Almost immediately, Columbia Pictures/Sony announced a
reboot of the franchise for 2012 but the news was negatively received by fans, as
it would've only been ten years since
the release of the original film, which was still fresh in moviegoers' minds.
Even I was skeptical of its 'gritty, contemporary' approach as it felt like the
studio was courting the "Twilight" crowd. Having director Marc Webb (what
an ironic last name) didn't inspire much confidence either. While I loved
2009's "(500) Days of Summer," Webb had absolutely no experience in
directing a big-budget blockbuster. Fortunately, my doubts began to melt away
as the more previews I saw, the more I came away impressed and it became clear
that this wasn't just a cash-grab, but a serious attempt at re-interpreting a
pop culture icon. "The Amazing Spider-Man" finally swings into
theaters but does it do the character justice? Although it does not tread any
significant new ground and will invite some feelings of déjà vu, "The
Amazing Spider-Man" remains a triumphant return to form for the franchise
as the film not only benefits from its impressive cast, especially Andrew
Garfield, but also from Webb's perfect blend of drama and action.
Four-year-old
Peter Parker is enjoying a game of hide-and-seek when he discovers that his
father's study has been broken into. A concerned Richard Parker (Campbell
Scott) enters the study and quickly gathers up his documents. He and his wife
Mary (Embeth Davidtz) take their son to the home of his Aunt May (Sally Field)
and Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen). After a tearful good-bye, they leave but Richard
promises Peter that he will be back soon. Years later, Peter Parker (Andrew
Garfield) grows into an awkward teenager and attends Midtown Science High
School, where he is often bullied by the more popular Eugene 'Flash' Thompson
(Chris Zylka). Peter also has a secret crush on Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), the
daughter of NYPD Captain George Stacy (Denis Leary). While helping his uncle
fix a flood in the basement, Peter finds a leather briefcase that belonged to
his father. Inside he finds a folder containing his father's equations, which
includes a mysterious 'decay rate algorithm,' and a picture of Richard with his
colleague, Dr. Curtis 'Curt' Connors (Rhys Ifans). Connors is a biologist
working on cross-species genetics at Oscorp, led by its mysterious CEO, Norman
Osborn. Peter sneaks into Oscorp by posing as an intern and runs into Gwen, who
is Connors' lab assistant. He follows a scientist named Dr. Rajit Ratha (Irrfan
Khan) into a locked lab where hundreds of genetically modified spiders are
spinning a super strong 'bio-cable.' A dozen spiders drop on Peter when he touches
one of the strands but he brushes them off and leaves the lab. Unbeknownst to
him, one of the spiders hid in the collar of his jacket and bites him on the
neck. Peter begins developing strange spider-like abilities and uses them to
get revenge on Flash. He also introduces himself to Connors as Richard Parker's
son. Connors and Peter's father were working on cross-species genetics in order
to find a way to regenerate his missing right arm but before a breakthrough
could be made, Richard and Mary were killed in a mysterious plane crash. Peter
gives Connors the decay rate algorithm and works with him to test the
limb-regeneration serum. When he arrives home, Uncle Ben scolds Peter for
neglecting to pick up Aunt May at the train station. A heated argument ensues
and Peter storms out of the house, shattering the door's window. He witnesses a
convenience store robbery but does nothing as the cashier had slighted him
before. Uncle Ben, who had been out looking for Peter, tries to stop the thief
and is shot dead. Overcome with grief, Peter adopts a masked identity to find
his uncle's murderer. Meanwhile, Connors tests the limb-regeneration serum on
himself and although it works, there is a side effect as he is transformed into
an extremely powerful, superhuman hybrid of man and lizard. Now known as
Spider-Man, Peter is forced to stop Connors as he tries to balance his personal
and superhero lives.
It's almost impossible to talk about "The Amazing
Spider-Man" without mentioning Raimi's “Spider-Man" trilogy so let's
get the comparisons out the way first. As much as I love the Raimi films (even
the third one but to a lesser extent), I admit that there's a certain
cheesiness to them, especially when viewed in the context of Christopher
Nolan's "The Dark Knight." Raimi grew up with and was inspired by
Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's stories from the 1960's, which is apparent in his
choice of villains (Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus, and Sandman). In contrast,
"The Amazing Spider-Man" uses Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley's Ultimate Spider-Man as its point of
reference. While not necessarily darker, the tone is definitely more mature and
there's an emphasis on grounding the film in a sleeker, modern setting. Although
it does not tread any significant new ground in its first hour, the difference
in tone and the subtle changes in the origin story keep "The Amazing
Spider-Man" emotionally engaging and owe much to Webb's skillful handling
of the drama. Peter Parker is more angst-ridden with a bit of a snarky
personality but deep down he's still just a timid nerd trying to find his place
in the world. Having experienced so much tragedy, his initial exploits as Spider-Man
are concerned with only finding his uncle's killer but he is soon led away from
this path of vengeance toward a larger world of responsibility when he realizes
what his uncle was trying to teach him. This is what the film really boils down
to and it works because Peter is such a fully-realized individual. Webb and his
writers (James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, and Steve Kloves) understand that
much of what defines Spider-Man as a character often revolves around death and
they use this to create a roadmap of his journey from awkward nerd to vengeful
vigilante to finally self-sacrificing hero. The romance element is also a lot
stronger compared to the Raimi trilogy thanks to the likable chemistry between
Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. Their awkward yet flirtatious exchanges are
amusing but I like the fact that Gwen Stacy isn't just some damsel-in-distress
and proves herself to be every bit the intellectual equal to Peter Parker,
whose aptitude in science is emphasized just as much as his combat prowess. Similar
to "Batman Begins," you'll see Peter slowly develop his costume and
more importantly, his trademark web-shooters.
As great as the film is, it's not
perfect and one of the problems is with the pacing. The first hour is slow as
the origin story plays out but the second hour is where the bulk of the action
takes place as it quickly segues from one set-piece to another, creating a film
that is not as cohesive as it hopes to be pacing-wise. Another issue is that
many of the plot lines introduced, such as the disappearance of Peter's
parents, what his father was really working on, and Norman Osborn's connection
to all this, are left deliberately unresolved so there's a lack of closure but
I understand that Webb wants to create a series with an overarching story-line.
It's just frustrating because we will have to potentially wait two to three
years before a sequel is released, and one will
be made. Finally, there's the choice of villain. I was excited to see the
Lizard make his appearance on the big-screen but Curt Connors never comes across
as particularly sympathetic, something that the Raimi films handled extremely
well. Yes, Connors is first shown to be an optimistic scientist who wants to
genuinely make the world a better place but once he becomes the Lizard, he
devolves into another 'mad scientist' villain bent on executing a rather
cartoonish plan—which is to turn everyone in New York City like him. In the
comics, there was a tragic quality to Connors as he had a wife and son.
Including them would've not only created a stronger sense of urgency in
stopping him but also much better drama between him and Peter as one who has
faced the death of a loved one now seeks to prevent that for another family.
One of my biggest worries is how Webb would handle the action scenes due to his
novice status but to my surprise, "The Amazing Spider-Man" has some
of the best fight sequences in the franchise. Spider-Man has a greater sense of
speed and agility as he pummels on the Lizard but with the exception of the
climax, the battles are certainly smaller in scope. Many of them take place in
enclosed locations such as an underground sewer or Peter's high school. I also
appreciated Peter taking his superhero namesake to heart by creating a large
web and waiting for his prey to approach. Humorously, he passes the time by
playing a game on his cell phone, one of the ways in which technology and
social media are incorporated into the film's tone. The CG is definitely an
improvement but that's almost a given. There's a great sense of exhilaration as
Spider-Man swings around New York City. However, as hyped up as the 3D was, I
admit coming away disappointed. While it was filmed natively in 3D using the
RED Epic Camera, Webb does not utilize the effect to his advantage. Many scenes
come off as flat and when taking off the glasses, there's barely any blur,
which means the image has no depth. The only instance where the 3D really comes
alive is when Spider-Man is swinging through the city and shooting his web but
beyond that, there's little here to justify the extra surcharge. Thankfully,
the image remains bright despite the many nighttime scenes. All of the Marvel
films have lacked a memorable music theme compared to Superman and Batman but
while this isn't James Horner's best work, his score is more cinematic and
rousing compared to Danny Elfman's.
The performances in "The Amazing
Spider-Man" are excellent and it is clear that Webb chose his actors and
actresses well. I'm not going to debate whether Tobey Maguire or Andrew
Garfield is better but Garfield really captures every nuance of Peter Parker
from his feelings of abandonment to his snarky sense of humor while catching
common crooks. His chemistry with his co-stars such as Denis Leary and Martin
Sheen makes the film more engaging, whether it'd be a tense argument about
Spider-Man's vigilante status or when Peter angrily blasts Uncle Ben for
speaking of responsibility when his father abandoned his. The beautiful Emma
Stone is great as Gwen Stacy, creating a much more rounded individual who is
feisty, intelligent and not always in need to be rescued. Martin Sheen and
Sally Field embody Uncle Ben and Aunt May very well but the latter is sadly
pushed to the sidelines in the second hour. Rhys Ifans is fine as Curt Connors even
if he comes across as a little cold and finally there's Denis Leary as NYPD
Captain George Stacy, who makes the most of his role even if his screen-time is
somewhat limited.
"The Amazing Spider-Man" was released on July 3,
2012 and has received positive reviews with 72% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics
praised the film for its 'well-chosen cast and sure-handed direction [that] allows
The Amazing Spider-Man to thrill
despite revisiting many of the same plot points from 2002's Spider-Man.' I saw it at an advanced
screening on Monday night and while the majority seemed to enjoy it, I
overheard some people complain that it was a 'chick flick.' First off, there is
nothing wrong with chick flicks and second, romance has always been a central
ingredient in the soap opera of Spider-Man. If this person was turned off by
the drama, perhaps he should've saw "Battleship." The film should do
well at the box office given the enormous popularity of Spider-Man and has
earned a record-breaking $35 million, surpassing Michael Bay's
"Transformers" five years ago but the higher ticket prices for 3D and
IMAX surely played a role. Columbia Pictures/Sony is estimating a conservative
$110 to $120 million debut across its first six days but $150 million is
reachable. However, given that "The Dark Knight Rises" is opening two
weeks from now, Webb's film will likely tail off at $250 million domestically,
which isn't bad for a reboot that many were skeptical about but international
grosses should make up for marketing costs. The idea for a Spider-Man reboot
may have been born from the mind of a greedy studio executive but "The
Amazing Spider-Man" is anything but half-assed as it is obvious the film was
made with a clear vision in mind. It is by no means perfect but I think even
the most jaded comic book fan will come away impressed with what Webb
accomplished.
Final
Rating: 4 out of 5
"Your
father lived by a simple philosophy. If you have the ability to do good things
then you have a moral obligation to do those things. Not a choice—a
responsibility.
Note: There is an extra scene during the end credits so do not leave the theater!
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