There’s a great part where Spidey’s swinging in front of an American Flag.
Impossible to find. Oh well. This’ll do.
by Karissa Barrows, Editor
Happy Independence Day, ComicsOnline readers! What better way to celebrate than to put up my (only slightly overdue – thanks, life) review of the explosively awesome The Amazing Spider-Man? I can’t think of anything. Maybe crack open a beer (if you’re of legal drinking age) and enjoy a freshly grilled hamburger or hot dog whilst you peruse my at-times scattered thoughts? Your choice. If you’re a big Spider-Man fan like I am, then the third installment of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movie series left you feeling dirty and cheated. I wasn’t a big fan of Kirsten Dunst or Tobey Macguire in the first place, but Spider-Man 3 solidified their existence on my “Do Not See Unless Mass Effect Movie” list. The villains were that movie’s sole saving grace, and only just. And I’m really not one to dislike movies, even when they suck, but that one? UGH. But I digress. Once I heard the story angle and the fact that my beloved Andrew Garfield (Doctor Who, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, The Social Network) was playing Spidey himself in this much-needed reboot, I was immediately hopeful. Thanks to a great writing team lead by James Vanderbilt and refreshing direction by the relatively obscure, but brilliant Marc Webb, The Amazing Spider-Man did not disappoint.
“He took the frozen mac and cheese…!”
Having grown up with the Spider-Man comics and ’90s animated series (this one – YEAH BUDDY), I was extremely pleased to see that this movie was sticking closer to what I knew of the greatest webslinger of all time. I was also excited that they were focusing on the Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone – Superbad, Zombieland, The Help) storyline with Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard (Rhys Ifans – The Replacements, Hannibal Rising, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1), which is the first thing you see on that old animated series intro. It’s also the focus of one of my most memorable Spider-Man trading cards… though I won’t tell you which one, because it’s likely the ending of the nextSpider-Man movie. Oops.
May: “He took the leftover meatloaf too!” Ben: “No he didn’t, nobody likes your meatloaf.”
The movie opens with a young Peter Parker playing hide-and-seek with his father, Richard Parker (Campbell Scott – The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Music and Lyrics, Damages ), only to find Dr. Parker’s office had been ransacked. After hastily packing up important belongings, including the research on the likely target of the break-in – the decay rate algorithm, the Parkers say their goodbyes to young Peter as they leave him with his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen – Wall Street (1987), Catch Me If You Can, The West Wing) and Aunt May (Sally Field – Mrs. Doubtfire, Forrest Gump, Brothers and Sisters). Enter high school-aged Peter Parker, smart and responsible, and just a little bit brave as he stands up for a weaker kid being bullied by the infamous Flash Thompson (Chris Zylka – Everybody Hates Chris, 10 Things I Hate About You (TV), The Secret Circle) and takes one to the face.
After finding his father’s old briefcase in the basement, Peter embarks on a mission to find out what happened to his parents, which leads him to none other than OsCorp, posing as a student intern and impressing Dr. Connors with his knowledge of the decay rate algorithm – the very thing his father was killed for. It is during this visit that Peter finds himself in a room full of genetically modified spiders and is subsequently bitten by one, beginning the manifestation of his powers. Peter’s discovery of his new-found abilities is hilarious, and his exploration thereof makes for some engaging and equally funny situations. However, as we all know, this exploration starts getting him into trouble – staying out too late, fighting with his aunt and uncle. The scenes leading to the death of Peter’s Uncle Ben are far closer to Stan Lee canon than has previously been portrayed in the films, and Peter’s spiral into grief and depression is incredibly moving.
Gives ‘startled awake’ a new meaning.
Digressing a bit, the decay rate algorithm is exactly what Dr. Connors needs to stabilize the use of cross-species genetics to promote healing and regrowth of both his missing arm and OsCorp’s founder’s failing health. Under pressure from the same man who killed the Parkers to get results, Doc Connors, after working with Peter to successfully test the process on lab mice, starts to test on himself. Meanwhile, Peter, working his way out of depression, works more and more on his persona and seeing just how far he can go with the gifts given to him by the spider bite.
Perfecting his ‘webbing’ and its delivery devices
As testing continues for both men, Doc Connors spirals further into insanity as the reptilian genetics begin to overtake his own, resulting in The Lizard, and Peter grows more and more confident in his abilities and is drawn deeply into his need for revenge, hunting down every criminal that at all matches the description of the one who killed his uncle. He also grows closer to Gwen, and their relationship truly begins when he admits to her who he is (her reaction is priceless). Big problem for her, though, as her father is none other than Captain Stacy (Denis Leary – Demolition Man, Ice Age, Rescue Me), the police captain hunting Spider-Man for his vigilantism.
New York’s finest.
Anyway, since I’m starting to recount the entire movie, it boils down to the struggle for Spider-Man to find The Lizard and stop his reign of terror on New York, especially when he realizes exactly who The Lizard really is – and that Peter essentially created him by helping with the decay rate algorithm. The entire movie is extremely well done – not overly sweet, not overly dramatic, humor interjected at all the right places, and exciting action sequences. There are incredibly moving parts as well, and seeing the humanity in everyone involved, from Peter, to Doc Connors, all the way to Captain Stacy, makes it far easier to relate to than the previous Spider-Man movies. And, as in every Marvel film, Stan Lee himself makes an appearance, and this one might be my favorite to date.
Behold, the genius! And yeah, that’s the old movie poster I think, but it’s fine.
All in all, The Amazing Spider-Man is a wonderful film, and I left feeling like one of my favorite comic book characters had been redeemed by people that could actually tell the story right. A couple of other critics I spoke with after the movie was over felt likewise, and I’m sure that most, if not all, of you that were left with a bitter taste in your mouth thanks to Raimi will feel similarly. There are some that may not like that the movie is from the Peter Parker-Gwen Stacy era (all you hardcore Mary Jane Watson fans – MJ appears nowhere in this movie), but the fact is, Peter and Gwen had a thing back in the day. It’s only right her tragic story gets some screen time, and for those of us that know what ultimately happens to her, Mary Jane isn’t out of the picture. As a random aside, even though Peter was in high school in the first Raimi Spider-Man movie, it felt real this time with Andrew Garfield playing the part. Couldn’t tell you why… it’s just the impression I got.
Holy crap, new arm!
As far as I’m concerned, Marc Webb, James Vanderbilt, and the entire team – bless them – got it right. The story is closer to the original. The science is far more believable, as are all the characters. The fact that the entire time Uncle Ben was speaking, I was imagining The Illusive Man (voiced by Martin Sheen) was chastising Commander Shepard (yeah, I know, Mass Effect has taken over my life… sorry I’m not sorry), was especially fun for me. I hadn’t remembered that Martin Sheen was even in the movie until he appeared on screen, so it was a nice surprise. Emma Stone nailed Gwen Stacy, Denis Leary nailed Captain Stacy, and Sally Field and Martin Sheen were perfect as Ben and May Parker. I don’t care if you loved or hated (like me) Sam Raimi’s rendition of Spider-Man. This movie is definitely one you should see if you have any amount of enthusiasm for the genre, and especially if you felt cheated by Spider-Man 3 (*coughEvancough*). So go! I mean, after you finish your beer and see (or set off) fireworks and stuff. Or before fireworks, since it’s early. Whatever. Whether 2-D or 3-D (which was amazing, by the way) – just see the movie!
ComicsOnline gives The Amazing Spider-Man
4.5 out of 5 reptilian antidotes.
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