The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) Review

---

Synopsis:

His past was kept from him. His search for answers has just begun.

Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father’s former partner. So begins the tale of the Amazing Spiderman.

Review

Reboots. Sometimes a film comes along that is either amazingly good or so bad that a reboot takes place (or they have complications with the Director and get a new one). I had no problems with the original Spiderman; it was a decent comic book adaptation, to a certain degree. So when hearing about the “Reboot” coming out, I did ponder, “Do we need another?” I had viewed the trailer many a time and I highly recommend looking away from it, as it does expose quite a few key elements in the movie, which really didn’t need to be shown. So when I swung into the theatre last night, I wondered if this film would make it up the spout or get washed out by the rain…

The film begins with a small reminiscence to the original, albeit with a whole new cast this time around. Once the introductions are over, the film takes it’s time and tries to develop the characters. I enjoy everyone who stars in the film and thought they were most fitting for the parts they played, especially Peter. I worried slightly if he would portray the character adequately or not. He does a sterling job at playing the nerdy teenager, with the rest of the cast supporting him nicely. The film does surround him for the most part, but that should be a given. I also felt they brought a more humane side to the movie and made it have more emotion, which I am delighted with.

The story is nothing original (what did you expect), as it’s based on a comic book. Certain aspects are mixed up somewhat, but I couldn’t help feeling that I was watching something I had already seen before, just with a new paint job.

With the film set in and around NYC, you can expect your usual forte of different scenes that contribute to the story. We swing around to a few varied locations as to not bore us with the surrounding areas. There are some really stylish shots of the web-slinger that make him look like the “capital of cool!” It causes the character to stand out and seem more memorable.

The special effects and CGI are what make this flick shine. With a new look, this Spiderman does feel a whole lot slicker than the previous venture. I, for one, preferred his suit this time around, with some great visual shots from the eyes of our masked hero. The villain was fun too, however I had hoped he would have looked meaner in the face…you will see what I mean.

My main problem with the film is that it’s nothing “new” per se. It’s the same old story being told again, albeit with some changes, but it’s not enough and doesn’t help the picture. The cast and effects were better, but the story and pace had me at cross roads. The pacing was a little off towards the end of the film, it’s as if the production was running out of time and had to quickly hurry to finish. I can’t help but feel it was missing something to make it…wow worthy. Finally- There are a few plot holes that will make you scratch your head and wonder “huh?”

At the end of the day, “TAS” is a fun journey, more fun I would say if you haven’t seen the first additions of the titled film; otherwise it’s a rehash of the same story that brings nothing extra to the table. To be honest, if this was the first Spiderman film to come out, I think I may have praised it more than the original movies, however that isn’t how things worked out. It is doing incredibly well at the cinema (Naturally), marking a profit of $521million on a budget of $230million.

Worth the watch if, you are a big comic book fan, enjoyed the original films and want to see how they match up or if you are looking for popcorn fun adventure.

Trailer

---