The Amazing Spider-Man

It has been five years since Spider Man 3 last strutted onto the big screen and I would be lying if I said I had missed him or noticed his absence.

Despite usually loving films which originate from comics or graphic novels I’ve never warmed to Spider Man.

Due to my love for the cast I was hoping that The Amazing Spider-Man would change my mind.

PLOT: Peter Parker's (Andrew Garfield) father mysterious disappears and he is raised by his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Fields). After finding his father’s old satchel Peter discovers it contains scientific research which leads him to Dr Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) a genetic scientist at Oscorp. In the Dr’s lab Peter is bitten by a spider however just as Peter is getting to grips with his new found powers Dr Connor has created a genetic altering serum with dangerous consequences. END PLOT

The Amazing Spider-Man follows the traditional beats of a typical origins story and it was hampered by its familiarity as it is a reboot of a film which was released only ten years ago.

Despite having no prior knowledge of the Lizard, the villain of the piece there was no tension or real sense of danger to be found anywhere in the film.

The casting of Andrew Garfield was a clever choice as he has the cool/geek performance perfected. Garfield brought heart and enthusiasm by the bucket load but he also wasn’t afraid to though in a witty quip when the occasion called for it.

I have never seen Emma Stone give a bad performance or choose a dud role. Stone did find herself short changed during the action heavy final act but I know if she had been kidnapped by the Lizard that would have irked me more.

The chemistry between Garfield and Stone was electric and the film lagged whenever they were not onscreen together. The film clocked in at over two hours which made the dips in momentum all the more obvious.

Rhys Ifans was fine as Dr Connor.  I hadn’t heard of Dr Connor until now and I don’t know how his story arc plays out in the comics. His character started off very likeable then after one hint about his role in Peter’s father’s disappearance he very quickly became a crazed scientist. This felt very rushed and as a villain he was weak.

The Lizard was completely CGI and it just about worked. The fight scenes between the Lizard and the limber Spider Man were almost completely CGI and did look a bit rubbery. I like my action and effects much more grounded so I was never going to be completely satisfied.

The action didn’t make its appearance until the final act and unfortunately it was underwhelming. The strongest set piece, although ridiculously cheesy, was the aligning of the cranes – the score was also at its strongest in this moment too.

I knew I was never going to love The Amazing Spider-Man but I did enjoy it but this is because of the cast. It gets a 6.5/10.

There is just something about Spider Man that is not strong enough to carry a film on his own. If only Marvel had an established ensemble franchise that Spider-Man could easily be slotted into…….

Oh yes..... it already has......