Wednesday, April 30, 2014

The Amazing Spider-Man 2012 review

Some see this as just a move by Sony to keep the rights to Spider-Man. I see it as a way to keep one of my favorite superheroes out of the Avengers… but I still liked this movie.





Spider-Man was the first superhero I really liked as a kid. I watched the Sam Raimi films when I was young. I might review them some time later, but as for now, I’ll just say that they were enjoyable. I liked the first one, the second one was fun, and, to be honest, I never saw the third at all. By the time it came out, I wasn’t really into Spider-Man anymore. A few years later, I heard how much it was disliked by critics, fans, and the general public, so I thought myself to be lucky I missed it. When trailers popped up for the Amazing Spider-Man, I was interested. I heard that other people were a little skeptical at first. Some were saying it was a ripoff, or something stupid like that. It’s not a ripoff, it’s called accuracy to the original source material. I know people who still haven’t gotten over the fact that it’s a reboot. Just live with it!

I wanted to see this in theaters, but I missed it. I eventually rented it off of Apple TV. I don’t get why a lot of people hate it! thought this was tons better than the Sam Raimi movies by far, and for good reasons.

First of all, the characters were vastly better. They are what sold it for me. They were all portrayed in a believable way. Peter Parker wasn’t some super geek, he was just a smart kid. Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man was a great casting choice compared to Toby Maguire. At first, I was unsure whether he would pull it off, but after seeing his performance.. wow. He plays the character so naturally, giving him a sense of humor that doesn’t come off as cheesy, but is still very fun. I honestly can’t think of anyone else who could be Spider-Man now.

The hero’s character is done much more realistically and is a lot more relatable. I feel like this is how one would go about being Spider-Man in real life. He’s not going to be the guy who ‘fights for truth, justice, and the American way’, instead, he’s going to be a sort of vigilante. He is a teenager, after all. He doesn’t get the whole power and responsibility thing immediately. He learns it over the course of being Spider-Man. At the end of the movie, he might have a better grasp at it, but he still has a lot to learn, making the character so much more real to me.

Of course, Gwen Stacy, played by Emma Stone, is fan-freaking-tastic. THIS is how the girlfriends in superhero movies should be done. With the Raimi movies, the girlfriend was so stupid and helpless! All she did was get saved, over and over and over again. Gwen Stacy is bounds beyond that! She is actually likeable, she does things that are relevant to the plot, and she is WAY more intelligent… and way more adorable. She is the girl that Spider-Man movies need. Even as a kid, I never liked Mary Jane. She always needed to be saved. I don’t care if she was a redhead, I didn’t care for her. I absolutely LOVE Gwen! But I swear, if the rumors of what I hear about the Amazing Spider-Man 2 are true, then I will be pi$$ed off beyond belief.

As for the rest of the characters, they were pretty darn good. The only thing that could be sort of lacking was the villain. The Lizard was cool, but he wasn’t as deep of a character as I would have liked, given how well the other characters were done. I didn’t know if the Lizard was a separate personality, or if he was just crazy, or what. Still, the final showdown was good.

Speaking of showdowns, the action in the movie was really fun! There’s not much more to say about it than that. It wasn’t awe-inspiring, but it didn’t disappoint either. The CG effects were good, but sometimes it came off as slightly cartoony. It wasn’t cartoony enough to be considered cheesy or lazy, though.

This is a prime example of a film that can have a more serious tone to it while still having fun with itself. I loved the action, I loved the actors, and I loved the characters they played more than anything. The Amazing Spider-Man did so many things right, with only one or two things they could have done differently, like having a better story about the Lizard, or having more than just one romantic swing around the city with Peter and Gwen. Just one shot of one swing. That was it. But other than that, I loved this movie.

I wouldn’t call this one ‘dark’, it just took itself more seriously. While the Raimi films were fun, that’s all they were. There wasn’t anything to them that really got me engaged other than the hero himself. I may have liked them as a kid, but it just won’t do it for me now. I definitely wasn’t expecting or asking for a Spider-Man film like this, but I’m glad it was made. One of my favorite superheroes ever, finally gets a movie with a little more depth to it. Thanks, Marc Webb.

I was very impressed with this one. It provides a great story with great characters, as well as some good action. It was funny, enjoyable, and all around ‘amazing’. I cannot express how good this one is. Please feel free to share your opinion on this movie in the comments.

FINAL RATING: 47 / 50
STORY: 5 / 5
ACTING: 5 / 5
CHARACTERS: 5 / 5
CG/EFFECTS: 4 / 5
ACTION: 5 / 5
SOUNDTRACK: 3 / 5
TONE: 5 / 5
ENJOYABILITY: 5 / 5
REWATCH VALUE: 5 / 5
OWNING VALUE: 5 / 5


Unfortunately, I can’t go see the Amazing Spider-Man 2 on opening day. I’m busy until Sunday, so I’ll make it my goal to see it by then and post a review of it, but by that point, nearly everyone else on the internet would have their reviews up.

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