The Amazing Spider-Man

      Back in 2002 Sam Raimi brought to life Spider-Man in a way that fans could only dream of. With Tobey Maguire playing Peter Parker Raimi took and made that world a reality and ushered in what comic book movies have become today, an event. Raimi was at the helm for a total of three films and when in 2010 it was announced that Raimi and Maguire would no longer be a part of Spider-Man there was some questions on where the character was heading. Sony decided to reboot the series and renamed the film The Amazing Spider-Man, and it was just what the series needed.

This is once again an origin story, but told in a different way, but of course keeping the important elements to the story. Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is still an awkward teenager who is being raised by his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field). Peter has always wondered what happened to his parents and when he finds a piece of the puzzle he seeks out more. The piece he finds takes him to Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), who worked with Peter’s father before he disappeared. While visiting Dr. Connors Peter is bitten by a spider and you know what happens next. Unlike the first Spider-Man, Peter discovers his powers pretty quickly on a ride back home on the subway. While some of the ways he becomes Spider-Man are the same, you can tell there is a different road being taken all together. Peter Parker and Spider-Man just feel like this is who they were supposed to be all along, like the first films were the warm up. Once Dr Connors discovers a way to regenerate his missing arm by combing Lizard D.N.A with his own the action really gets going. Now Peter must stop Dr Connors from trying to improve the human race in the way he believes it should be.

It is real easy to prejudge something before you have had a chance to see it. I remember when I first heard about this reboot my only question was “why?” I mean wasn’t it too soon to do this already. I got a little excited when I heard Marc Webb (500 Days of summer) would be directing. You can really see his contribution in all the Peter and Gwen (Emma Stone) scenes. And after watching this film that evenly matches an origin, with a love story, and a superhero action epic, I have come to one conclusion that this was a great idea. The Spider-Man of 2002 wouldn’t work today, he is too polished, that Spider-Man was made for the movies. In The Amazing Spider-Man the story and the characters fit with the present, in tone and style. It’s a big summer movie with a human feel to it, thanks to the wonderful casting. It’s hard not to see Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker to the point where you almost forget someone else played him no less than five years ago.

Maybe Warner Brothers was on to something when they let Batman get retold by a new group of filmmakers. I think it is a great thing to have a new take on a story we all know. After watching The Amazing Spider-Man I am really looking forward to see what they will do next with this series. I do know that this is an impressive first step in the right direction for the telling of a new story of a classic character.

 Brian Taylor