The Amazing Spider-Man Reviews

I'm not sure we really needed this re-boot so soon after the other films! It seems to stay faithful to a lot of the ideas behind Spiderman and therefore some scenes are just like the first film, which makes me think why not try something totally different?! It's a good film though and the action and SFX are very good, overall I think it missed some of the charm of the recent first film.

Andrew Garfield is my hero. In fact, he's my super-hero.

The Amazing Spider-Man, an apparently pointless reboot, is surprisingly engaging, due to a intelligent script and a crackerjack cast. Better acted than the previous three films, and with deeper, more three dimensional characters, it is more satisfying in its 'quieter' moments (that is, non-CG action scenes) than any of the Toby Maguire films. Where it falls down is in the action and CG scenes in the climax, which look fake and cartoon-ish, and worse, are cliched and perfunctory from a story point of view.

Andrew Garfield is perfectly cast as the webbed wonder and brings more humor and vulnerability to the role than Toby, who let it be said, was a perfectly good fit for the role as well. Wonderful Emma Stone is a stellar comedy actress, and always sexy, has great chemistry with Garfield, and makes consistently interesting choices as love interest Gwen. Sally Field and Martin Sheen as Peter Parker's uncle and aunt bring gravitas and heart to these normally thankless roles and give better and more interesting performances here than they have in years. (Yes, I think Sally is better here as Aunt May than she was as Mrs. Lincoln). Edgy, dangerous comedian Dennis Leary as Gwen's hard ass New York cop dad Captain Stacy was a wonderful stroke of casting.

The film is weaker in the realms of bad guy portrayal and action scenes. Welsh character actor Rhys Ifans, usually interesting in whatever he does, brings very little to the part of Dr. Connors /The Lizard. I understand he was responsible for the downfall of Peter's dad, but I couldn't quite get a handle on what was his deal exactly. The morphing effects turning Connors into a giant lizard look absurdly CG and silly, and Ifan's voice and demeanor during his time as Lizard is unconvincing. This is not helped by the script, which blames Lizard's evil ways on his inability to adjust to having a severed arm. He becomes a genetic lizard/human hybrid so he can grow back his limb? Then for no reason that I really understood he infects all of New York with the lizard DNA for which Spiderman must find an antidote.

There is a fairly thrilling CG sequence with cars dangling off the bridge by Spidey's webs, and Spidey's rescue of a kid from one of the dangling cars. But that scene is so preposterous, it doesn't really get my heart beating fast,though is nonetheless fun. All the CG stuff has the kind of fake glossiness and sheen that takes me out of feeling that any of this is real. Still director Marc Webb seems to have a way with actors, and the move works when the actors get to show their stuff. When the computer and special effects take over, then the film is like a bad video game.

If you want to blown away by realism or gripped by an evil sinister master plot, look elsewhere. The Amazing Spider-Man is worth a look to see some charismatic and talented actors at the top of their games and truly feeling the angst of Peter Parker himself, losing parents in school, being bullied and struggling with finding his place in the world, equipped with super-strength and the ability to shoot webs out of his wrists. Still the movie's way too long. Still though,it has lots of good stuff. Now I won't be reluctant to pick up the sequel to the prequel, or whatever the next film might be.

I thought Marc Webb's version of Spiderman brought a lot to the story that was lacking in Raimi's version but I also think Raimi's version better represented the character of Peter Parker. They are pretty much equal because they are pretty much the same film. Thus, Raimi's version is better because it was the original, Webb's version is already a bit tired and feels like a bit of a cash in, neither have got it spot on in my opinion. It also slumps in the middle massively, and the beginning of the film takes ages to get going but the transformation sequence happens within minutes. Overall I was disappointed, Killer Croc was a bit of a disappointment too, everyone has their favourite Spiderman baddie (mine is Mysterio) but I thought he looked a bit rubbish. He also didn't wear his lab coat long enough. Andrew Garfield has yet to convince me either. More action in the 2nd film please, I guess it can only get better.

I rewatched this on Blu-Ray the other day, and it plays much better the second time around, and holds up good. This is my original review, and I feel the same, but found myself liking it more. Probably because I saw it the first time in the Paris Theater, which is awesome cause of the price, but the quality is not that great. Blu Ray really allows this movie to shine, and look forward to eventually checking it out in 3D. "Amazing Spider-Man" is a complete reboot to the "Spider-Man"series. New actors, new director, and a new take on the story. This is actually much closer to the original source material as opposed to the Raimi trilogy. Here Peter Parker is played by Andrew Garfield("Social Network") and I gotta say, he does a pretty good job. I was worried that I would be thinking of Maguire's Parker the whole time, but Garfield did great at helping me forget. Parker isn't exactly a nerd, as he is a skateboarding smart ass here. It's a lot like when a new James Bond comes along, and they put a new spin on the same character. This is an origin story, and it takes a good while before he becomes Spider-Man. I joked the movie should have been called "The Curious Case of Peter Parker". He gets bitten, stuff happens with uncle Ben, he has relationship woes with Gwen Stacy(Emma Stone) this time, and battles a new foe in The Lizard(Rhys Ifans). Familiar stuff, but told in a new fresh way. What this movie did best was set up for future movies. This is good, not great, but honestly, I'm very excited to see where the go with the story. I understand with rebooting, you have to retell the origin, and that's fine(they did a decent job). But they accomplished the main goal by getting people engaged, and curious to see whats next. I liked the story, could have used more action, but I know in the sequels to come so will the action. Good start to what I hope to be a great new series of Spidey films.

The Amazing Spider-Man is a fantastic reboot of an already great film. It borrows heavily from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man but proves to be the better film with more in-depth character development and action. However, the flim does suffer from an underdeveloped villain with motives that are not fleshed out enough. The film also has odd cuts and pacing, but despite these issues, The Amazing Spider-Man lives up to the hype and promises an exciting new franchise.

It follows the comic much closer unlike the Tobey Maguire film which did take quite a few creative liberties here and there. I think all of the actors all did great serious performances unlike the other films where they did okay but a lot of the delivery was very cheesy and felt kind of forced at points. Andrew Garfield is just perfect as Peter Parker and Rhys Ifans is fantastic as Dr. Curt Connors which was a throwaway in the original 3 films and never really became the Lizard which really pissed me off. I think Martin sheen did a phenomenal job as he usually does, and Emma Stone is very good as Gwen Stacy and makes her more independent and an actual smart woman unlike almost any other superhero film where the girl is just mainly the Damsal in distress. Also the film I think gets down Spiderman much better than the Maguire films did, they made this Spiderman serious but very funny while the Tobey one was mainly kind of comedic and didn't really play it all that serious until the 3rd film. My only real nitpick with this film is the design of the Lizard. Me and my sister agree that we both think that the Lizard looks more like a big slimy wrestler with a tail and too human looking and not enough like an actual reptile like he did in the comics.

The newest adaptation from Marvel of the Spiderman franchise, this film doesn't live up to the hype of being "amazing". We all know and discuss readily the fact that this film was made too soon after the end of the original Raimi series. The first of this new series of films does not deviate much from the original storyline. Unlike the first film, it's less about Spiderman's transformation and Green Goblin's ascension to serious baddie and self-involved psycho, and more about the everyday life of Peter Parker as a high school student. The original series of comics was about a high school student balancing the different parts of his life while being a superhero. This film feels much less dramatic than the original first film of the Spiderman saga. There was a definite lean towards humor, camp, and showing the main character to be fresh faced and witty. Garfield was perfect for the newfound role of Peter Parker/Spiderman, because he certainly can pull off being a smart ass while also being charismatic and sweet tempered. Emma Stone was quietly effectual as Gwen Stacy, and Rhys Ifans was just right as an insane villain, but picking big name stars Martin Sheen and Sally Field as old folks who are simple and loving makes no sense and is distracting. What I also found to be off putting was Spiderman's transformation itself. Parker doesn't seem to be surprised about his newfound powers, and the actual transformation doesn't seem any more painful or strange as a pinprick to the finger. The original had a long scene with a scientific looking diagram of the new DNA strand. Instead we get sidesplitting slapstick humor, which resurfaces time and again. The rest of the film suffers from this decision, because there isn't a lot of action, there's no dramatic tension, and when there is any big moments it's a variation of the original films. The action is not nail biting, but does include The Lizard, a villain who hasn't been seen in the Raimi series, and who comes off as being sincere and over the top. He is the best villain possible for this new series because both he and Parker are going through transformations into animal hybrids, and that issue also links to Parker's past and an intricate plot which will be further explained in the next film.

A fresh face cast, sleek special effects and a slightly different, more realistic plot, save this from becoming mere fodder for the masses.

Emma Stone
Solid Acting
Charming
Emma Stone
Witty
Emma Stone
Emma Stone

A well-chosen cast and sure-handed direction allow The Amazing Spider-Man to thrill.

(+) I like when the female character isn't weak.
(+) this movie shows lil' bit about marvel world

(-) I hate when he shows identity to everyone. even tony stark can keep his identity until the end of the movie.

When I first heard about this movie, I was intrigued, but hesitant. I mean, it came out only a decade after the first in the Raimi trilogy, and 5 years after that trilogy ended. Plus, I had reservations about the aptly named director Marc Webb, mostly due to his previous film being the delightful rom-dramedy (500) Days of Summer.

Still, I decided to give this one a chance, because it's better to reboot things and try to start fresh as opposed to trying to rebuild on where the other films left off. As such, this is a conflicted movie, and it's obvious how much they try to distance themselves from the others, and, while they succeed here and there, the film doesn't live up to it's title, nor does it quite forge it's own unique territory.

That said, I found it to be really good, and quite enjoyable. This film can't totally deviate from what the others did, but it does put its own spin on things, suchas having a nice back story involving Peter's parents, which I liked in general, but really liked more because of how they tie it into the rest of the story. Also, as neat as the organic web shooters were, I really liked this take on the character, as he's both edgy and modern, yet still a socially outcast nerd, whose brainy side is actually on display a lot, like, they really do something with it, like having him make his web shooters a la the comics.

Plus, the film does something we've yet to see with a cinematic Spider-man, which is give us the Lizard. It was teased about in the Raimi films, but now we get Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard in all his scaly glory. It's a pretty well done take on the character, too. Maybe not excellent, but definitely satisfactory.

The film does do a lot of things right, like having great cinematography, terrific music, passable stunts and action, good casting and solid performances, and a nice balance with the tone. It's dark, gritty, yet still playful, fantastical, and pretty funny. Andrew Garfield is a great choice for Peter/Spidey. I liked Tobey, but Andrew seems a bit more believable. He's got some great chemistry with Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, and I liked how they use Gwen, and not MJ, which is more in line with the source material. Stone is good, but it took me a while to get used to seeing her as a blonde, even though that sadly is her natural hair color, despite how awesome she is as a redhead. Sally Field and Martin Sheen prove an enjoyable duo as Peter's aunt and uncle, Denis Leary makes a nice cinematic return as Capt. George Stacy, and Rhys Ifans is quite good as Connors.

The action isn't quite as stunning as it was with the Raimi films, but since there's a sequel, perhaps that will change. I thought they were done decently though. And, unless you want me to just nitpick this to death, about the only real complaint I have is that the pacing felt quite uneven after the first hour.

All in all, a surprisingly decent and passable film, despite its shortcomings. I give it a solid B to a light B+.

"Amazing? I wouldn't go that far. Good? I can agree to that. I ended up watching it a couple times. The second time was full of my Dad ranting on how stupid it was that they remade Spiderman so soon after the other films especially since it's the same F****** story. It's safe to say he didn't like it. He also mentioned that the villain was ridiculously stupid. I have to agree with him there. I didn't like the villain. I liked Rhys, but not so much as what he became. It was cheesy. There are things I liked in this movie that I didn't like in the previous ones. 1. Sally Fields as Aunt May 2. Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben 3. Emma Stone. I guess that's it. I think they would have made the previous films much better than what they were. The story itself wasn't mind blowing and I wasn't as interested in it as I had hoped I would be. I guess I missed Maguire. Garfield just didn't do it for me. I found him to be bland and unimpressing. Don't get me wrong, I like him, I like his acting. I loved him in other films. Spiderman just didn't suit him. No fun intended. Well, maybe a little... So I didn't love it, but it wasn't bad either."

Call me old fashioned, but I found this film to be kind of a dud. Garfield is decent. But I had a hard time, unlike the studios, rebooting this franchise in my own mind. I found the supporting characters vaguely interesting and the villian rather uninteresting. Maybe I was just in a crabby mood when I saw this, but it didn't really work at all for me.

Clap! Clap! Clap! Well done!!! This most definitely exceeded MY expectations by a mile. I was (am) a big fan of the last series, so I had my doubts about this "reboot" thing. Well, my doubts have been tossed aside, and replaced by amazement. Really good acting, excellent storyline (with some really witty dialog), and some spectacular action. Great job!

three stars!

It's a sign of age when films you remember attending the midnight screenings to become rebooted. Just 10 years on and it's time for the Spider-Man franchise to become rebooted. Fair enough, I'm not going to hold that against Sony. Unfortunately they went a very long winded way about doing it, and also were too desperate to make their version stand out. The script seems as though it was written on Word and then the writer used the Synonyms function to make minor changes. So we still have your scientist doing the wrong things for the right reasons, who is never truly evil. There's a similar love interest, and lines that wreak of desperation. No longer is it the simple and memorable "With great power comes great responsibility." Now we get the (paraphrasing here) long version of "If you have a gift then you have a moral obligation to use that skill to help others. It's not a choice, it's a responsibility". Doesn't flow as well. The film does have very strong performances, fantastic action sequences, and a pretty stirring score. But if you've seen the previous films, this just seems repetitive. Underground science lab, mentors dying, complicated love affairs, and so on. Never boring, but not exactly interesting either.

Effective and very entertaining reboot of Spiderman, this film is a better version of Sam Raimi's film. I thought that this film had a more serious tone to the original, and it has a better cast. This is the film that the original should have been. Although not perfect, this is a terrific action film worth seeing if you were disappointed with the original. With this reboot there is more emphasis on the characters emotion, and it gives the film added depth, which is where the first film failed. Also with a much more serious tone, director Marc Webb has created a movie that definitely is worth seeing and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this version. The only thing that made me lose interest in the original was the fact that it seemed too silly for my taste, it was a decent outing, but lacked a truly compelling plot. The Amazing Spiderman offers that. Also the action here is much more thrilling and this one is much more fun. With a sharp script that has some humorous moments, this is one of the best superhero films in quite some time. I really enjoyed that this version was more about the characters this time around, instead of focusing just on the special effects. With an effective cast that deliver on-screen, The Amazing Spiderman may be a premature reboot, but when all is said and done, this is an accomplished superhero film and one that should appeal to fans of the genre. If you're looking for a more serious, yet still funny action superhero film, you may get what you're looking for with this film. The film has its flaws, but manages to accomplish something that the original didn't. This one is funny, serious, action packed and well paced. While tended to be a bit more family friendly, which turned me off the film slightly. Although this film is nowhere near the greatness of The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers, it still is among the best superhero films that have been released this year. A fun, entertaining and dramatic ride from start to finish, The Amazing Spiderman is terrific entertainment.

Whilst I was in complete objection of rebooting a franchise that only started 10 years before, it is a great enjoyable film in which Garfield and Stone's intense chemistry involve you in this world. I'm not entirely happy with The Lizard and the fact that Parker uses Bing but it's a good start and I hope Webb will have more freedom now that the origin story is out of the way.

Very disappointing. Enjoyed the rebooted cast but didn't enjoy its teenage feel and cheap copies of the original spider-man.