The Amazing Spiderman

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans

Summary: It has only been five years since we last saw Peter Parker (played by Tobey Maguire) flying through New York City, but the last installment in Sam Raimi’s trilogy left such a bad taste in our mouths that something new needed to be done. Enter Andrew Garfield and director Marc Webb.  In a move similar to what Christopher Nolan has done for Batman, the studio has decided to go darker, grittier, and more realistic.

In this new version, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is still an outcast but with a bit more attitude. He’s sarcastic and a bit arrogant but still vulnerable and dealing with abandonment issues. We briefly get to see how Peter came to live with Aunt May (Sallie Field) and Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen), a subject that was never really addressed in the Raimi films. Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) provides a formidable villain as the Lizard. Ifans plays the character quite well, effectively showing his internal struggle with good and evil. Dr. Connors’ relationship with Peter Parker is similar to the relationship between Peter and Dr. Octavius in the second Raimi film (the best of the trilogy in my opinion), which is probably why it worked so well.

The best thing about the movie however, is the chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. Keeping true to the original comics, Peter’s love interest in this film is the beautiful and smart Gwen Stacy, perfectly cast by Emma Stone. Every single scene they shared was enjoyable to watch.  With chemistry like that it’s no wonder that they are a couple in real life as well.

Trivia: Rhys Ifans rejected his stunt doubles, and insisted on performing all his own stunts as the Lizard.

Rated: PG-13 – For sequences of action and violence.

Grade: B


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