The Amazing Spider-Man (July3rd, 2012)
Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Rhys Ifans, Dennis Leary
I'll be the first to admit: when I heard that they were making another Spider-Man movie, I wasn't entirely convinced. It's only been five years since the last one came out (even though we don't talk about that one, and for good reason), so I had plenty of reason to be completely skeptical.
And then Andrew Garfield was cast as Peter Parker.
He was phenomenal in The Social Network and initially I thought he was a bit old for ASM.
But then I actually saw the movie.
Let me just say that for being in his late twenties, he can pull off a seventeen-year-old high school student very well. He plays the shy brainiac very well—that awkward part of high school where everyone's a little awkward was portrayed pretty well in the film. It's not awkward for the audience, though—sometimes I almost felt bad for laughing at Peter Parker's very obvious discomfort and awkwardness around Gwen, but his curiosity was something that got the audience interested in his life. As Spider-Man, there are some very touching, moments in the film (like the car off the bridge scene), lighthearted times as he is looking for a costume and testing out his own webbing, and then there are some other portions that are dark and intense as he's trying to conceal his identity from Captain Stacy. The movie is funny, intense, touching, and quickly draws its audience in with Peter's quick wit and awkward tendencies.
Obviously the movie has its problems, but overall, it was very enjoyable and very funny. There's a point where you can see who Spider-Man really is that comes about halfway through the film that just makes the movie absolutely wonderful. The CGI was okay--I think some things could have been done a little better but overall it was enjoyable. Emma Stone was cute and enjoyable and I'm not sure if I want her character, Gwen Stacy, to be killed off like she was in the comics, but I suppose we'll find that out in the future.
OH. There's a couple of great scenes between Peter and Flash that just kills me every time. Ironic tension that's supposed to be there is kind of there. It's pretty great.
Anyway. Go see it. It's good in 3D.