Webb Spins a Tale that Energizes a Franchise.

Amazing Spider-Man Review by Eric Schaen
Director: Marc Webb.
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans.
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of action and violence.

Ah, the Hollywood re-boot, so needless, or are they? Re-boots of popular franchises seem to be met with masses of hostility at their mere mention. Yet, Batman Begins did wonders for the Batman franchise, 2008’s the Incredible Hulk was a much more enjoyable movie than its 2003 predecessor and Casino Royale was just the shot in the arm the Bond franchise needed. Now it’s Spidey’s turn.

The Amazing Spider-Man isn’t really a reinvention of the character, but more of an altered take on the origin with more focus on Peter’s early days and his journey becoming the hero known as Spider-Man. The film’s director Marc Webb, previously known for directing the quirky comedy “500 Days of Summer,” establishes that he is very capable handling a much more ambitious project. Webb creates a world that feels very real or at least as real as it could be given the subject matter.

The film opens with a preadolescent Peter Parker living with his parents. When Peter discovers that his father’s office has been ransacked, his parents bring Peter to the home of his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field). His parents explain to Peter that he will be staying here for a while before leaving that night and are never heard from again. Now attending high school Peter (Andrew Garfield) struggles to fit in and seeks to discover the mystery of his parent’s disappearance.