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Wednesday, July 4, 2012

MOVIE REVIEW: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

IN THEATERS ON DVD

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN



Typical teenager Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) embraces his incredible destiny after uncovering one of his father's most carefully guarded secrets as Columbia Pictures reboots the Spider-Man franchise with the help of director Mark Webb ((500) Days of Summer) and screenwriter James Vanderbilt (Zodiac). Sally Field, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, and Emma Stone co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Marc Webb

Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott

Release Date: Jul 03, 2012

Rated PG-13 for Sequences of Action & Violence

Runtime: 2 hr. 16 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

The main question most everybody has asked and will continue to ask is why? Why reboot this so quickly after the Raimi trilogy? There’s no good answer other than Sony didn’t want to lose the rights to the franchise, it’s that simple. So taking that question out of the equation and taking this film on its own merits it’s an enjoyable if imperfect redux. Marc Webb’s take is more focused on character interactions and relationships, so it feels more weighty and grounded. The spectacle is there but it feels like it’s more of an afterthought. Webb is more interested in how these character think interact and deal with things. He does a solid job of capturing the turmoil and angst in Parker’s head. Helping him along the way is a perfectly cast Andrew Garfield. Garfield feels like a much better fit than Maguire right from the start. He embodies the smarts and awkwardness of the character and is a lot of fun to watch both in and out of the costume. Emma Stone brings her own charms to the character, bring more depth and texture than you’d expect when you consider her limited screen time. Rhys Ifans make a passable villain but hardly memorable. Martin Sheen and Sally Field come off stiff throughout barely registering occasionally. Denis Leary is underused throughout leaving his character feel kind of pointless. While there are obvious strengths in this iteration it’s not perfect. The plot offers a few new points but for the most part it’s a standard issue origin story and there’s really no reason for it to be as long as it is. At 2 hours plus there are plenty of bits that could have been trimmed to streamline the film. Some of action pieces, a certain part in the school gym is just idiotic, feel out of sync and occasionally awkward. Webb’s inexperience in filming these sequences is fairly evident, it’s hit or miss for the most part with some working very well and others just missing the mark. The 3D version has some strong sequences but outside of these rare instants it’s hardly worth the higher price tag.

B-

7 comments:

  1. yeah, i hear ya. i was really underwhelmed with thsi too. the talent was there, but the story was not. it sorely lacked depth.

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    Replies
    1. I was rather underwhelmed by the whole thing as well, personally I just enjoyed the performances from the main leads.

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    2. I wasn't a fan of the original trilogy and it did take a while to become interested in this film.

      A B- seems decent enough but Emma Stone's limited screen time does disappoint!

      Seeing it today in 2D as I have been given the option this time!

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    3. Glad to hear I wasn't the only one, first 2 films were watchable and I liked them but never loved them. I have to be honest, I was on the fence between a C+ and B-

      Will be waiting to read your thought.

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. Totally unnecessary re-boot, but it was still very fun and entertaining. Also, Garfield was a nice choice for Peter Parker even if I do miss Tobey Maguire just a tad bit. Just a tad, though. Good review Daniel.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Dan, agreed unnecessary but still watchable fun. Garfield I just felt a better connection with than Maguire.

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