Prepare To Be Amazed

Who never thought a reboot can be this amazing?

The Amazing Spider-Man is a reboot of the Spider-Man films that were directed by Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead, Drag Me to Hell). The latest film is directed by Marc Webb ((500) Days of Summer) and stars Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) and Emma Stone (Easy A, Zombieland). The film goes back to Peter Parker's (Garfield) high school where he acquires his power and adjusts to it while dealing with high school, his past, his crush Gwen Stacy (Stone), and the Lizard (Rhys Ifans).

First of all, I'd like to say that I love this reboot than the previous films. I also loved and enjoyed the previous three but this one really nails it. Director Marc Webb managed to balance comedy, drama, and action here and the drama here is not melodramatic but it's actually human drama. I'd also like to give credit to Webb for his first 3D action film. This is his second film right after his directorial debut in (500) Days of Summer starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. Webb has no troubles shifting from romantic comedy-drama to superhero action and he did so well with the action sequences especially in the third act.

What makes The Amazing Spider-Man different from Raimi's Spider-man films is the realism. Like I said, there's human drama inside and the other is before Spidey can shoot web directly from his wrists, Peter created a device for shooting webs which is also closer to Spidey's comic incarnation. There's also the realism in Peter Parker's character. He's an outcast. He's also nice but there's this certain darkness in him that makes him a bit more realistic like when he finally gets his powers and adjusts to them pretty well, he used them to get even with a school bully. I mean, who wouldn't want to get even when you have powers like that, right?

This particular adaptation is getting closer to its comic source because in this film, Spidey is a smart-ass crime fighter unlike in Raimi's films.

On with the actors, I love Garfield's portrayal of the superhero with his comic timing and he makes a likeable incarnation of one of Marvel Comics' most beloved superheroes. He also gives Peter Parker a certain edge for being a little darker that Tobey Maguire's incarnation. Sorry Tobey. You did good but Andrew's awesome. Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy, on the other hand, is contrasting to Garfield's Peter Parker because of her bubbly personality and expressive eyes. Stone makes a memorable portrayal of Spidey's first and original girlfriend and every time she's on screen, she radiates. I also love Gwen Stacy here because she's a good combination of wit and spunk. She's not the typical damsel-in-distress here. She's smart, she's tough, and she can take care of herself.

One flaw of the film is the character development between Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy which I find a little rushed but I just did not mind because of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone's on-screen chemistry.

In the end, Spider-Man fans will raise their fists in the air and think that Spidey has reclaimed his glory and won the people's hearts with this reboot. It's a nice and fresh restart of the franchise and I hope the future sequels will maintain or outmatch this film's level of energy, action, comedy, and drama.

RATING: 4.5/5

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