Merely a decade after the first Spider-Man movie was released; it almost seems too soon to tell his origin again. “It’s too soon!” they yelled across the internet. But as the film started to come together, Emma Stone announced as Peter Parker’s first love Gwen Stacy (even though everyone, including myself, had her pegged for Mary Jane); Denis Leary as her father, hardass extraordinaire Captain Gwent Stacy, Rhys Ifans as Dr. Connors, and most importantly, Andrew Garfield as the titular character, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man; the movie coalesced into something that made me genuinely excited for the film.
And by the grace of the comic book movie gods out there, I was not disappointed.
It all starts with the foundation, Peter and his family. Andrew Garfield’s performance is subtly nuanced, filled with mutters and nervous ticks that you might expect from someone as nerdy as our hero was, while still maintaining that charm and sense of humor that helped vault Spider-Man into the stratosphere. He being a Spider-Man fan himself, he understood the complexity of a character that, in the previous incarnation was far too wooden and stale. It also takes a strong talent to be able to play off of screen legends like Sally Field and Martin Sheen, who play his Aunt May and Uncle Ben respectively. Even though he’s sharing scenes with those two, his charisma makes sure he shines as brightly as those two.
There happens to be one presence in the film that burns as brightly as Peter, and that’s Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy. There is an undeniable chemistry between the two, as even in photos and promo images, their attraction to each other is palpable. Every scene they share is positively electric. That’s in no small part thanks to Emma’s talent as well. She plays the girl next door with an amazing amount of skill, pun not intended. While she shared nearly all of her scenes with Peter in some way, her relationship with her father, played by one of the scariest men possible in Denis Leary (seriously, you try to stand up to him) is as tender between them as it is combative between Leary and Garfield. What’s even more welcome about her performance is that she was able to play up the importance of their love for one another while never having to resort to being the damsel in distress. That is probably due to the talents of the director Marc Webb. But we’ll get to him in a minute.
A movie about superheroes is only as good as the villain who is opposite him. Rhys Ifan’s Dr. Connors/The Lizard is as scary as he is believable in this world. His desperation to reach that breakthrough we all know will end in tragedy for him, works on so many levels. From trying to replace that arm he lost to trying to appease the higher-ups in Oscorp (for the sake of spoilers I will not tell you exactly what it is they want), his ability to make such a terrible creature ultimately redeemable shows admirable talent. It would have been easy to simply make him THE BAD GUY as so many villains turn out to be, but not here. Once again, that’s due in no small part to Marc Webb’s spectacular vision. That pun WAS intended.
I admit that before this, I was not terribly familiar with Marc Webb’s work. I have still not seen (500) Days of Summer so I didn’t really know what to expect. What I got was a treat for the eyes that never quite let up. Spider-Man’s movement had never been quite so kinetic up until now. He glided with ease and we even got some shots that depicted exactly what was going on from Peter’s point of view. A companion commented that it reminded her of the video game Mirror’s Edge, and she’s not wrong. But those shots were some of the best; because it’s not often you literally see the world from the hero’s perspective. Even when it’s not from his perspective, the action fits the tone it’s trying to tell. The first action scene is told for comedic purposes, and it’s one of the many bright spots in the film. My compatriots and I were laughing pretty hard during that scene, but as time marched on, the scenes got more and more balanced and dynamic as Peter learned just how to fight. He even directs the Big Apple in the most engaging cinematography I’ve seen since the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film. Scoff if you wish, but while I have still never gone to New York, no other movies ever made me feel like I was actually there quite like TMNT or Amazing Spider-Man. It was absolutely gorgeous throughout.
Continued belowPerhaps even more importantly, he knew how to play up the small moments. The scenes between Andrew Garfield and his father figure Uncle Ben are as important as his relationship with his Aunt May, and both relationships help define Peter’s family life and his personality. Sheen’s Uncle Ben for instance, is given a real chance to develop and give weight, and perhaps surprisingly, he gives the “great power/great responsibility” speech without using those now cliché words. The lack of those EXACT words gives the speech more depth, as it’s told in a new way. After the tragic death we all know is coming but you ALWAYS want to end up differently, Sally Field’s relationship with Peter is given the spotlight. Her May is closer in tone to the Aunt May from Ultimate Spider-Man than the mainstream universe or the previous trilogy, as she’s younger and less helpless. She’s not relegated to damsel in distress either, and that’s for the better.
And then there’s the relationship between Peter and Gwen. Since they’re teenagers still at the somewhat cumbersomely named “Midtown Science High School,” they relationship burns brightly, if immaturely. Webb’s deft handling of his two romantic leads amplifies their chemistry to near white-hot levels, certifying the pairing as one of the best in comic movies to date.
Somewhat sadly, the relationship that isn’t as developed as it could have been was Peter and Dr. Connors. They have some interaction, but it’s not nearly as defined as the other three could have been. It’s really a shame, because of the rich history between the two and Peter’s somewhat tragic search for a father figure Post-Uncle Ben.
The plot, as importantly as the relationships I’ve just gone on about, was told as swiftly and to an incredible degree of success. Webb ditches some of the hokier bits of his origin for something similar, albeit based more in reality. Peter’s dabbling in pro-wrestling was dropped, but was cleverly called upon in another way that you might not expect. Even The Lizard’s ultimate plan, while fantastical fits in tone with the story itself. I do have a few complaints about the plotting of the film, as some threads seem to have been dropped somewhat clumsily. Again, without trying to use any spoilers, during The Lizard’s first rampage, something feels unfinished, and it’s never quite revisited. It’s a plot thread literally left dangling for everyone to see. Another complaint is that his “untold story” is still quite untold. But that’s probably leaving the threads open for the inevitable sequels, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially since the ending raises the intrigue for the second movie.
In a summer that’s crammed with some of the biggest superhero flicks coming out to date, you’ll really do yourself a favor if you check this one out as well. It’s just as satisfying as Marvel’s other film this year, a little known indie film called The Avengers, just in different areas. Where Avengers was grandiose, Amazing Spider-Man feels a little more like something friendly you might find in your neighborhood.
Final Score: 9.0/10 — Must See!
