My close friend revealed she reads these so she probably already know what I am going to say as I saw the movie with her. She saw it twice but I'm the kind of guy that once is suffice. This movie is worth seeing, it is fun, tear-full, intimate, and dark. As the first Sam Raimi's movies were a bit cheerful and glossy. My friends call it campy but I don't consider it as campy as "Batman and Robin" with Arnold S. This Spider-Man is a bit grounded in reality even though there is gene-splicing, changing rats into lizards and other stuff that nature. Anyway, we get the origin story again but told in an unique way. This time Peter Parker's dad is involved and was developing experiments with animals to cure diseases along with Dr. Connors (Rhys Ifans). They worked for Oscorp (Norman Osbourne is mentioned only in name).
Peter is given to his aunt and uncle when his parents mysteriously go missing after their house is broken in to. Andrew Garfield is absolutely charming as Peter Parker, I love his stammer and he just exudes sex. He is so lanky but also cool-acting. Whereas Toby Maguire played Peter as a stereotypical nerd, Andrew's Peter is more of a loner, he gets beat up and plenty, but he withstands it. He is a skater-boy (so nimble!). Oh he has an ass that just doesn't quit. Even Jon Stewart commented on Andrew's butt on the Daily Show. In Sam Raimi's movie, as soon as Spider-Man became Spider-Man, it was a big news thing, everyone loved him. Not so here. It is treated more realistically. The chief of police (Dennis Leary) calls him for what he is--a boy out for revenge but not yet a hero. So Peter stays in school and not working for the newspaper so no Jameson. But he is still a photographer and we do have bully Flash (Chris Zylka). Emma Watson is also charming as Gwen Stacy, she is smart and sweet, her big doe-eyes communicate a lot and she has the comedic chops. At first I wasn't for having big names as Martin Sheen and Sally Field but I admit I like their experience, it makes any quick scenes feel longer and more organic.
SPOILERS
Spoiler Alert but many things of the first Sam Raimi movie happens here as well that are part of the origin story. Of course Uncle Ben dies but this time instead dropping Peter at a wrestling match, they are having a fight and Peter ran away. Ben looks for him and Peter goes to buy milk but doesn't have enough money. So Ben is killed by a criminal that robs the store where the employee refused Peter. Peter never quite gets the guy but he tries, he keeps chasing criminals to get to the guy. The chief of police is Gwen's dad which was already revealed in the trailers, one of my friends watching the movie actually seemed surprised. The movie is not without its obvious plot twists. Gwen works for Ozcorp and I wondered why because while in most of the movie, she seems to have no purpose other than just be a romantic interest and confidant. But eventually the purposes seem clear. My friends liked that Spider-Man was more 'spider' like and super strong. He wraps Lizard in a cocoon in one bit. For me, this is a mostly Peter Parker film, it is that personal.
I didn't like the abrupt change of Dr. Connors/Lizard, it was not so clear that he had changed to wanting everyone to be lizards. I also don't like the shadows of Green Goblin, where Dr. Connors seems to have a split-personality. He quickly wants to kill Spider-Man. But I understand why they had to do it. Also, I absolutely hated the bug-eyed Rajit Ratha (Irrfan Khan), who Lizard wants revenge on. I think we are meant to feel for him, but it is hard to. Poor Peter, he looses four people. He is bloody almost the whole movie. Which is just great entertainment. I dug it.
