The biggest thrill of any Spider-Man movie remake will always be the nerd-to-superhero makeover and the resultant, highly satisfying bully smack-down. This version does not exactly disappoint.
Starting with the honing of spider superpowers in a warehouse that seems blatantly borrowed from the dance movie “Footloose,” it ends with a game of hoops that resoundingly puts Peter Parker on the map as a dude not to be messed with.
The big difference is that Maguire’s web-slinger was clearly and continuously taken by surprise at the potency of his abilities, whereas Garfield’s appears to take the proceedings slightly for granted.
The thing about supernormal powers is that you don’t get to have them and behave like a normal person. The moral compass of the movie is provided by the admonishing cuts that Uncle Ben gives to Peter, when he learns about the humiliation of the local bully at the hands of his nephew. With power comes the responsibility to forgo wallowing in revenge and a smarmy sense of entitlement.
While at times “The Amazing Spider-Man” is a thrilling visual rollercoaster ride, it fails to deliver any tangible substance and maintains a consistent level of immediately forgettable, mindless entertainment. Then again, should we expect more from movies made about comic books?
Spider-Man is one of the most popular comic book characters of all time. That fact alone should secure the top summer blockbuster spot with industrial-strength spider webs. It probably won’t. With a director named Webb—it should have.
“The Amazing Spider-Man” opened in theaters everywhere on July 3.
The Amazing Spiderman
Director: Marc Webb
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, Martin Sheen, Sally Field
Running time: 136 minutes
Rating: PG-13
[etRating value=“ 3”]
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