The Amazing Spider-Man

****
Dir. Marc Webb

Let me start by saying that I've known about this project for about two years, and was adamantly opposed to it for quite some time. Even though Spider-Man 3 was an abomination, why reboot the franchise when it's barely been a decade since the original? However, having now seen the film I was rather impressed.

Director Marc Webb sheds a different light on the web-slinging superhero than the Sam Raimi version; and I might add one that is more accurate to the original comics. This story opens with the young Peter Parker being abandoned by his parents, and left with his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field). As a teenager, Peter (Andrew Garfield) suffers from the emotionally unresolved conflicts he carries with him. Seeking to discover the truth about his parents, he gathers every last item in his house he can find; which leads him to his father's former partner Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), who now works for Oscorp. As Connors works on a biogenetic formula designed to enhance human potential, Parker's curiosity leads him to a lab within Oscorp where he is bitten by the radioactive spider which changes his life.

When he first discovers his powers, he uses them for mischief and such, all the while his mind is occupied by the attractive and intelligent Gwen Stacey (Emma Stone), a student of Connors. Yet when Ben Parker is murdered (the sequence is reminiscent of that in the Sam Raimi film, but still different), Peter transforms into the Amazing Spider-Man. As he begins his crime-fighting career, he instantly makes enemies with Gwen's father Police Captain Stacey (Denis Leary), who will stop at nothing to bring the vigilante to justice. Not long after, Connors becomes The Lizard, wreaking havoc upon the streets of New York. Being the only one who can stop this monster, Spider-Man must use every bit of strength within him to prove that his city needs him.

With a very well composed script, and terrific visual effects, this film certainly exceeded my expectations. Webb made excellent use of the lighting and cinematography to produce this dark atmosphere, which reflected the internal conflicts of Peter's character. The pacing was just right, and it was formatted so as to follow the structure of a good epic. Watching the hero progress from a lost and conflicted adolescent to a fearless and noble man was very intriguing. I especially liked how the second to last scene takes place in an English class, where the teacher is lecturing on structuring fiction. Webb used many elements and motifs which broke away from the standard structure for a summer blockbuster. Hence, this was a fresh and compelling plot line with great characterization, and effects which are worthy of comparison to visionaries such as James Cameron and Christopher Nolan.