Spiderman is never going to be my favourite superhero, so I always find myself watching the films with a pinch of salt. After the previous spiderman, I was apprehensive to say the least about what The Amazing Spiderman would deliver. However, while it is by no means the best film out there, it wasn’t as bad I thought it would be.
Everyone knows the story of Peter Parker: raised by his aunt and uncle, then bitten by a radioactive spider that gives him powers of strength and speed. While learning the lesson about responsibility and power (a cliché if there ever was one), Peter’s uncle is killed and he most come to terms with the fact that he has the power in order to do something about it.
The same story follows true here. Andrew Garfield brings a surly teenager to the role of Peter Parker in a surprisingly effective manner. Although it has times of being an annoying characterisation for a much-loved hero, there is no denying that Peter is supposed to be a teenager and that is exactly how Garfield plays him. Even while examining just what his powers can do as he goes after the crime on the street, Peter has a quip for the men he stops and sheer incredulity at the way no one understands the concept of a mask. If the police had no leads on who Spiderman was, the attitude would be a good starting point; it portrays teenage boy through and through.
Unlike other adaptations, director Marc Webb makes some changes. Peter doesn’t have the ability to shoot web from his wrists, but instead adapts some stolen technology to suit his purpose. It is only his speed and strength that comes from the spider. It is nice to see something different, and it makes the character more relatable for the audience that he has to work in order to perfect his abilities, even if that means finding the correct technology to give him what he wants.
There can be no denying, however, that the film certainly isn’t the strongest out there. At times, the plot doesn’t seem to move forward or gets stuck on the awkward teenage flirting happening between Peter and his crush, Gwen. This loses the momentum on several occasions and leaves the audience nothing short of bored as they wait for some of the action to happen.
Even the bad guy seems to be spending half of his time explaining precisely why he is turning into a giant-evil-lizard that literally forgets all his humanity in order to go after teenagers who have done him no harm; who have even provided him with the answers he has been looking for this entire time.
However, while the film is not the best, it is certainly not the worst out there. There are moments that made me smile if not laugh alongside the ones that made me cringe. I wouldn’t necessarily pick it again, but if someone put it on, I wouldn’t leave the room either.
A Rambling Reviewer 