THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN Re-Tingles the Franchise

For the past decade, Marvel Comics has been churning out film versions of its iconic super heroes, but in this case, Spiderman, only a decade before, had been rendered successfully by director Sam Raimi. Well, a poor third film meant a reimagining of the franchise, and as The Hulk and Batman series have shown, studios are willing to try to reclaim a tentpole blockbuster. The risk can be a marginal failure as in Superman Returns. Not so here. With well cast leads and strong supporting roles, The Amazing Spider-Man is quite entertaining especially toward the end, and it displays emotional resonance that enhances its storyline.

Young Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) lives with his Aunt May (Sally Field) and Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) after his parents abandoned him as a child. Now an awkward, bullied high school student, he has a crush on cute blonde, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), who has an authoritarian father (Denis Leary). Upon discovering his dad’s old files, Peter seeks out his father’s former colleague, Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), who is researching the regenerative, healing capabilities of reptiles in his lab at Oscorp. Parker snoops around the lab and gets bitten by a genetically enhanced spider, and soon he begins to develop superhuman strength, agility, reflexes, and the ability to crawl on walls as well as shoot a powerful web. His self absorption sets in motion events that will exact personal loss. Guilt stricken, he becomes a masked avenger, catching criminals much to the chagrin of the police who think he is a vigilante. Meanwhile, a desperate Connors is forced to test a serum on himself which transforms him into the Lizard who menaces the city streets and threatens to infect the entire population with the chemical. As Spiderman confronts The Lizard in a grand battle, the fate of the city including Gwen hangs in the balance.

How does this compare to the previous Spiderman? It’s nearly as good but with a different take and still retains the essential ingredients that made the former film a standout. The film always keeps the focus on the relationships between Peter and Gwen and Peter and his family. Those grounded bonds form the soul of the film and make the film a more enriching experience. There is no Mary Jane Watson or J. Jonah Jameson yet.

The filmmakers, director Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) and screenwriters James Vanderbilt (Zodiac), Alvin Sargent (Ordinary People), and Steve Kloves (Harry Potter series) made the smart choice of starting with a younger version of Peter Parker, perfectly embodied by Garfield, whose adolescence and psychology are part of a fully realized character. Garfield and Stone make an adorable couple and display good chemistry that is endearing. Fields and Sheen are quite effective as Peter’s guardians and the screen lights up whenever they appear. Leary, proving he can do drama as well as comedy, makes the most of his role as Stacy’s dad who is a police captain in conflict over the rogue Spiderman. Marvel legend Stan “the Man” Lee has another amusing cameo.

Although bereft with open ended plot points by film’s end (likely to be resolved in future sequels), there are a couple of nice touches that lift this film above most standard comic book adaptations. In one particularly affecting scene, a construction worker rallies a team of crane operators to assist Spiderman, whose earlier courageous act now pays timely dividends. During the rousing climax, Spiderman is rescued when an unlikely savior intercedes. Even Connors’ Lizard is not your stereotypic villain and figures in a surprising and unexpected act at film’s end.

Special effects were pretty good in the older Spiderman, but they are even better here especially in the trademark web swinging between skyscrapers. If the musical score sounds like a cross between A Beautiful Mind and Aliens, it’s because James Horner does the honors on each film.

Despite the odds, what is ‘amazing’ is that lightning has struck twice for the franchise. The Amazing Spider-Man is a familiar yet refreshing take on a formula that works quite well here. And yes, stay for the end credits which reveal a teaser for the next film.

*** of **** stars (add ½ for comic hero fans)