The Amazing Spider-Man

It was supposed to be called Charming Spiderman. If, in connection with The Avengers, I developed the theory of a lack of conflict between comic books, then Webb raises the bar. It's a pubescent, developed, cheeky and sometimes pleasantly self-ironic ride, which does not completely fit (especially the combination of the almost sitcom stuttering scenes and superhero action), but it entertains from start to finish. If Spidey has any added value, it is straightforwardness, fresh self-irony and pure pleasure that gush from both Garfield's hormonally tumultuous performances (it's a pity that she is killed by Czech dubbing) and from an angry and joyfully eclectic directing solution. With all its playfulness, Amazing Spiderman doesn't pretend to be anything, doesn't wrinkle its forehead and breaks down even those lines where Raimi solved problems (puberty, responsibility, guilt, etc.). But this spider just jumps on roofs and doesn't reason much. Although it once again doesn't have a proper story and actually only reopens the familiar universe, the real spider's giddiness is there. More pure genre fun than a reevaluation of The Avengers. (06/27/2012)

The Amazing Spider-Man is fine (actually, I liked it more than the ones by Raimi – though I’m not entirely sure, I hardly remember them), but it’s a real shame that it doesn’t try go any further (an not only it doesn’t try, it even ignores what it has right under its nose, e.g. the guilt for the death of the uncle). Basically, it’s your typical bland super-hero origin story that it’s pulled up by the likeable guy in the main role. In contrast, the Lizard is the least charismatic villain since the evil cosmic cloud in Green Lantern. In short, a nice but in no way exceptional comic-book routine that’s also very painfully edited or re-written – the haphazard / jumpy / shallow way it delivers some of the twists and reveals (Peter’s discovery of the identity of the Lizard, his coming to terms with the death of his uncle, the change in the behaviour of Flash, etc., etc.) is almost amazing. 7/10 (07/15/2012)

In the end, the gulf between Webb and Raimi wasn't as wide as I first feared. Sam Raimi is of course a class above Marc Webb as a director, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Webb couldn't make a good and at times quite funny film about my favorite superhero. It's admittedly a bit more juvenile than Raimi's first, but Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker the 2nd doesn't have many flaws – indeed, I found myself at times perhaps even liking him more than the overly geeky Tobey. Two hours ago, I wouldn't have believed I'd be so hungry for more. Oh, and the greater involvement of the "new Mary Jane" as a "supporting superhero girl" wasn't bad at all. (01/11/2014)

This time, the climbing hero chose a battle that he could hardly win. Ten years after the universally popular film that first introduced us to the spider on the big screen, the restart is such a risky step that its more than solid box office revenues shocked me in advance. However, despite lukewarm critical reviews, for me, The Amazing Spider-Man is more comic book-like, playful, and I have to say, also slightly better than the original Raimi's vision, although I also like that one. Some complain about Peter/Spidey's clumsiness and the fact that Tobey Maguire was a smiling friend in adversity, while Andrew Garfield boldly cracks jokes and fights with puberty. However, that's exactly how the main comic book hero or my favorite animated series hero should be and that's how I want to see him. Outspoken and more unrestrained. The boy next door who sometimes has a big problem being Aunt May's nephew, whom she needs. And it must be said that Garfield was born exactly for this acting position. It is even more regrettable that I can't say the same about Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy. In her portrayal, Gwen is not Gwen, but just any one of Emma's witty roles like in Easy A. The chemistry of the main duo works and it works great, but she herself does not fit into this universe. Despite one of the more routine Spider-Man villains, for some reason, I can watch this movie anytime. It simply has a specific mood that is irresistible, even though it doesn't ultimately live up to being one of the best comic book attempts, as I thought after the second viewing. (10/29/2012)

I like this different approach to Spider-Man, I’m content too with Webb’s directing focused on the arachnid’s more human side. Unlike Rami’s Spidey, this picture is much closer to how I imagined an adaptation of Spider-Man. But in the end, we are left with a pretty miserable screenplay and a pretty soft villain. The reptilian has better potential and he isn’t as well-handled in terms of special effects. Garfield plays superbly and he and Emma Stone get on like a house on fire. In terms of story, it is obvious that this is just the first part of a trilogy, questions about his parents are just lightly touched upon. So let’s see where the next part takes us. By the way, Horner’s music is way off. It doesn’t suit this picture at all and reminds me too much of Avatar. (07/17/2012)