Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is a sharp kid. There's little doubt of that. He's a science whiz from a genius gene pool. After all, Pa Parker was a bio-chemical brighty with Oscorp before his unfortunate, but mysterious plane accident. That tragedy left little Peter in the care of Uncle Ben (who makes a mean rice, btw) and Aunt May (Martin Sheen and Sallie Field). Peter is a bit aloof...okay, he's whack, but Peter is also ballsy. He's not afraid to stand up to high school bullies and, after being bitten by a bio-engineered spider, Peter is not hesitant to form an alter ego that simultaneously stands up to New York's worst and finest. That alter ego is: Spider-Man. The ole spider bite has left Peter with a special condition that sees him scaling walls, while possessing amazing reflexes and strength. Spider-Man quickly emerges with a mission. He seeks to avenge the death of his beloved uncle. Meanwhile, he's growing close to his father's old science partner, who are both trying to figure out their conditions. Dr. Connor (Rhys Ifans) lost a limb and he's trying to breakdown reptilian DNA to grow his arm back. The experiment goes awry and turns him into a very large and angry lizard that Spidey must stop. Meanwhile, the father of Peter's love, Gwenn (Emma Stone) is the police chief who is trying to stop Spider-Man. Yadayadayada Spider-Man battles himself, Dr. Connor and the NYPD in a near epic ride of fun, action, romance and humor.
It's very good. I'll go with 4.0 Stars. The bungling Batman series from late 80's and 90's that suffered from a lack of realism, rebounded with Nolan's humanistic storytelling ability. After all, we've bought into Nolan's vigilante dressed like a bat, right? Marc Webb surely took note. Yes, we are dealing with a man wearing red and blue rubbery latex with the ability to crawl walls, yet the tale is presented in a way that the audience can truly buy into as a reality. That means we can better connect with the characters and enjoy the ride. It is, after all, quite the ride. Special effects are not subtly stamped in the ole mind as CG and come across as believable. Plus, everything is updated and that certainly adds to the enjoyment. The story flows well, with a lull here and there, but nothing that will bore you.
The acting only adds to that enjoyment. Garfield's recipe for Peter Parker/Spider-Man one a heaping helping of aloofness...and equal amount of ballsy guts and a smidgeon of flakiness. It was a portrayal that was tad over-the-top at brief intervals, but was overall, outstanding. Emma Stone? She was just as amazing as Spider-Man. Of course, she would be, she's my Emma! Martin Sheen was also outstanding. It's certainly good to see him on the scene. He also had a good role in Seeking Friends for the End of the World. Finally, was Rhys Ifan and Denis Leary. Both actors were outstanding, adding credibility to the bad guy and authority roles respectively.
The Amazing Spider-Man does much to balance a full plate, while presenting a detailed story that unfolds excellently from start to finish. All in all, it's a fun two-hour plus ride that ended with applause from a packed theater. That is exactly where you need to see this one. Go BIG screen all the way and enjoy another superhero success story from the summer of 2012.
True...OUT!
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