One Minute Movie Review: The Amazing Spiderman

First of all, the director of this latest Spidey reboot is aptly named, Marc Webb, coincidence, who knows, however, rather than choosing a veteran like Raimi to retool Peter Parker's tale, they choose the guy with the "webbiest name," who is best known for the romantic debacle, 500 Days of Summer. With that said, I went into the theater with lowered expectations and little hope that my Spidey Sense would twitch let alone tingle (geeky enough for ya). I mean, why in the world did we need yet another refresh of the done to death tale of Parker, his uncle (how many times are we going to kill this guy), and the fellowship of freaks that pursue the wall crawler with venom (pardon the pun) and verve. Well Webb does the unthinkable, and creates a comic book feature with authenticity, edge, and humanity. Andrew Garfield, has single handily, established himself as the most realistic (is that even possible) and identifiable bug boy, bringing Parker from page to flesh. He has the natural talent and remarkable quirkiness to create the persona of the teen hero that Stan Lee must have originally envisioned. Add in Emma Stone's extraordinary portrayal of Gwen Stacy, real and utterly engaging and you have what Raimi missed in his blockbuster trilogy, making the story human and believable. For the first half of the film, you forget you are watching comic goo, and became engrossed by the chemistry and depth of both characters, something nearly inconceivable in other films of the same ilk. Parker's transformation and training are almost eclipsed by his tormented performance of a boy who mourns his parents and search for his own identity. It is only after he connects with Dr. Connors, aka the Lizard, that the plot reverts from near, well crafted drama back to a mad scientist's plot to scale down the city (you'll get it when you see the movie). The Lizard story is goofy, predictable, and chaotic. The action sequences although sleek and sophisticated, never exceed a two dimensional quality (even with the glasses). They play out like a true Spidey Comic, so if you love the painted pages, you will be asking the fantastic, and ridiculous, conclusion to be your blushing bride and scoot down to Vegas for a quickie ceremony. Sheen and Fields are great as Uncle Ben and Aunt Mae, respectively, and, Leary, is entirely in his element as Stacy's Police Captain Father. I wanted so much to give this film a four, but a giant Lizard and some truly corny plot devices, just would not let me. 3 out of 5 Kernels; Despite its few short comings, it is, undoubtably the best of the franchise.