Wednesday 18 July 2012

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Rating:
 
12A
Director:
Marc Webb
Screenplay: James VanderbiltGenre: Action/Adventure/DramaStarring:
Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Martin Sheen, Rhys Ifans



How can one justify a remake – or retelling – of a blockbuster movie only ten years prior to the original? Surely that’s not leaving enough time for minds to be cleansed and bodies to be prepared?
Exiting the theatre, something dawned on me – no body is ever prepared enough for Andrew Garfield in spandex.
The Amazing Spider-Man has pinged us back to the beginning, with a tidier, smarter and cooler leading man to make his own spin on the newer, more epic storyline.  The plot remains faithful to the trusty comics – seeing bullied geek Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) adopt ass-kicking, stomach lurching and ball-busting superpowers following a nasty bite of a – you guessed it – spider. 2012’s Spider-Man is a science geek, and the lead up to his transformation is well explained and more developed than before. We are not supposed to just believe that a bite from a spider can turn us into a hero - a safer, cleverer plan, because now the kids won’t be pestering for pet tarantulas anytime soon – we now understand the science behind the transformation and can therefore grow to love fellow Science geek, Gwen Stacey (Emma Stone) even more.
Redhead Stone went blonde for her role as Gwen to mark the clear contrast between new damsel in distress Gwen and old news Mary-Jane. However, unlike the original Spider-Man film, this lady is less of a girl waiting to be saved and more of an accessory in Spider-Man’s adventures against creepy, lizard villain, Dr Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans).
The special effects are debatably “special” however Marc Webb’s direction is incredible, with slick and unique camera shots and angles that really put the audience inside the film - 3D or no 3D.
The Amazing Spider-Man is not just a film about a teenager-turned-superhero that can save the world in a spin of a finger – it is a movie that can bring out the superhero in all of us. Andrew Garfield is terrifically awkward and relatable – like most teenagers – and doesn’t lose sight of himself despite his new abilities. His endearing relationship with on-and-off-screen lover Emma Stone brings the element of romance and drama to the flick and, teamed with a dry, witty script from James Vanderbilt, creates a movie for everybody.

It is inevitable that The Amazing Spider-Man will be compared with the old movies. And that’s what they feel like after this – old. True, there are similarities, but the similarities have been improved. The death of Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen), the absence of Peter’s parents, the tricks, the quips, the falls and the soars… they’re all much better, therefore making The Amazing Spider-Man a fantastically modernised, Marvel-ous  cinematic experience.

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