The Amazing Spider-Man (Review)

WILL the Amazing Spider-Man impress audiences once more? Or will it be more of the same old story? Jamie-maree Shipton finds outs. 

The Amazing Spider-Man boasts a new origin story, a new love interest, and new talent.

But I couldn’t help but feel like I was hit by a nasty case of deja-vu.

There isn’t a whole lot of ‘amazing-ness’ associated with watching the same movie twice. But that’s what it felt like watching the new Spider-Man movie.

I left with no greater or more in-depth understanding of the origin of Spider-man than what the previous film had already given me.

At every twist and turn I knew where the plot was going. I knew the beginning, middle and end, or at least I could make an educated guess at what would ensue.

For instance the climatic scene of Uncle Ben’s death was almost exactly the same as the Toby Maguire tear jerker: the malevolent actions of Peter Parker ignoring a crime results in Uncle Bill’s murder and the spiral into finding the murderer and discovering his role as a superhero crime fighter.

And the déjà-vu didn’t stop there.

Emma Stone plays Spider-Man's first love interest, Gwen.

The characters in this new Spider-man movie fit the same mould as every other from the previous releases – apart than the obvious difference in heroine Gwen, played by Emma Stone.

Even then, Stone carries the same jilted love for Parker as Mary-Jane, and wears the same cutesy get-up.

Then there is the villain, and again he is green and a monster. He is also a colleague of Parker’s father and becomes his role model who then betrays him.

Surprised? I wasn’t either.

So much more could have also come out of a movie shot in 3D. I was more conscious of the glasses’ frames sitting on the bridge of my nose than the big 3D action scenes.

Having said all that, I did find Andrew Garfield to be the better Spider-man. The jump between loner to charismatic hero was not so farfetched as it felt with the excessively introverted spider-man of Toby Maguire.

The humorous quirks of this film’s Spider-man is also more true to the quick-wit and sarcasm of the ‘original’ Spider-man stories. Garfield’s wit didn’t feel so manufactured and I assume that’s why I found him more believable.

Andrew Garfield, the better Spider-Man? Photo: Jaimie Trueblood

I’d go so far as to state the film could simply be labelled as a remake.

But one I did enjoy more than the predecessor, don’t get me wrong.

The younger talent and effects revitalises the story, but in the end I’m afraid it is a case of ‘old dog, new tricks’.

There is one comment

  1. FerMan

    What a stupid review… What was you waiting for ?? That´s is the comics story… You wanted a different beginning or different Uncle’s Ben dead ?? It´s obvious that every producer makes it´s own version and nobody cares the True comic book story. This movie won’t win an Oscar but it´s a lot better than the previous Spideman.

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