The Amazing Spider-Man: Spidey's Back!

When The Amazing Spider-Man came out this summer, everyone had something to say about how unnecessary it was. Rebooting the franchise when the last Spider-Man movie (Spider-Man 3) came out a mere 5 years ago in 2007 certainly seemed silly. But people forget that Batman Begins came out just 8 years after the last Batman & Robin movie, and that worked out just fine for Christopher Nolan and Christan Bale. The Amazing Spider-Man is no Batman Begins, but it's a serviceable reboot nonetheless.

The best thing about any reboot is getting a brand new cast that brings a fresh perspective to an aging franchise. By the time Spider-Man 3 came around, Tobey Maguire was no longer embodying the best of Peter Parker. So it is refreshing to have Andrew Garfield step in as Spidey. He brings a different energy to the character of Peter Parker - he's still a bullied nerd, but rather than silently putting up with it, this incarnation puts up more of a fight. Even before he's bitten by that infamous spider, Peter is standing up to bullies and trying to fight his own battles, albeit unsuccessfully. The old Spider-Man was a bit of a schlub who only became heroic once he had superpowers. This Spider-Man is already a hero - he just needs the superpowers to get stuff done.

Another difference from prior movies is the love interest. Instead of red-headed Mary Jane Watson, we get blonde Gwen Stacy, whose father happens to be a NYPD police captain. Gwen is played by the always-delightful Emma Stone, who gives us a 21st century version of a superhero's girlfriend. Gwen and Peter share a witty and delightful chemistry that makes it clear that they're a couple on an equal footing. Interestingly, Peter reveals his identity to Gwen pretty early on in their relationship, thereby lightening the traditional superhero burden of being the only one harboring a massive secret. For her part, Gwen is no hapless heroine just waiting to be rescued every five minutes. Instead, she works with Peter, trying to help him chase down the villainous Dr. Connors, and illustrates that she can be intelligent and resourceful even if she lacks a superpower.

The movie's plot is pretty standard, and the origin story isn't revamped in any particularly ingenious way. We get a little more of Peter's family history, and there's some mystery surrounding his father's experiments, but otherwise we all know the story about how Peter Parker became Spider-Man. Rhys Ifans plays a serviceable villain with some complexity to him since he isn't completely evil. And I imagine the movie looked pretty stunning on the big screen. Spider-Man's flights through the city are exhilarating and fun, and even though I saw it on a small screen, I could appreciate the grand scale of the action. Garfield's movements are expertly choreographed and there are many shots that feel like a page right out of the comic books.

The Amazing Spider-Man is a typical superhero movie, but it is elevated by the excellence of its cast. Andrew Garfield has successfully put a new spin on a classic character and turned him into a hero in the true sense of the word.