REVIEW: 'The Amazing Spider-Man'

An alternate tale to the origin of Spider-Man, marked as ‘the untold story’. Stars Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) as Peter Parker, Emma Stone (Crazy, Stupid, Love), and Rhys Ifans (Anonymous). Ironically, directed by Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer). Now playing nationwide in 2D, 3D and IMAX 3D.

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In the decade since Tobey Maguire got all emo in Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man pic there have now been four Spidey films. Too many, too soon? I think so, especially given not that much is really that different here, just a bit better.

Partly that improvement’s because The Amazing Spider-Man benefits hugely from technology, the CGI character swinging around Manhattan looking a million times better than in previous films. Credit is also due to Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) as the new Peter Parker and director Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer). Garfield and Webb have created a cinematic Spider-Man truer to the source material in action, appearance and attitude - a bit more wisecracking, for instance, less brooding, and striking some poses that bring to mind some of the iconic Spider-Man comic artists of yore.

But the film’s also hampered by being yet another origin story, strange since the back-story of Peter Parker must be one of the best-known in popular culture - duh, he got bitten by a spider and got some powers. These grumbles aside, this functions as a much better-than-average blockbuster, and features some great uses of 3D in its exhilarating webslinging action, particularly the shots from Spidey's point of view as he swings across the Manhattan skyline.

Garfield and real-life flame Emma Stone (playing love interest Gwen Stacy) share an unsurprisingly strong chemistry, even if all the zits in the world can’t make it seem anything other than ridiculous that they are playing teens, and when Stone protests to dad Denis Leary that she’s 17 it is one of the few missteps in the film.

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