The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Film: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Stars: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Sally Field, Martin Sheen, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary
Director: Marc Webb (I'm sure I'm the 1000th person to point it out, but what an appropriate last name!)
Oscar History: None
Snap Judgment Ranking: 3/5 stars

I despise remakes.  There, I said it.  Maybe it's because I write for a blog that's primarily about having random conversations (or rantings!) about movies of every era, but I think all cinema, all art, is current.  You can easily discuss the works of Michelangelo, Beethoven, and Scorsese at any time, whether it's a movie from last week or a thousand year old tapestry.  That's the beauty of art-it can constantly be interpreted and appreciated and dissected.

That being said, I also love Oscar, and looking at the handsome production design and excellent Makeup work in this film, it seems destined to at least get one nomination come January, and despite what this blog may seem, I actually don't play catchup very often with the movies-usually I've seen 60-70% of the nominees come Oscar nomination morning, because I have carefully sought them out throughout the year.  And don't worry, if you're following the tags, I plan on having an extensive "go-back-and-update" party for all of the films I've reviewed and got nominated.

But enough about my OCD-ness when it comes to labels.  Let's get into the Amazing Spider-Bum...err man (though really, could the spandex have been any more snug on Andrew Garfield?  Not that I'm complaining, quite the contrary, but hot damn!).  The problem with the constant swinging door on comic book properties is that you always have to watch the same damn origin story, and they're nearly all identical.  At some point, Superman, Spider-Man, and Batman are all orphaned, and then they find some reason (usually related to the death of a loved one) to become anonymous superheroes.  And the first film always focuses on one love interest, followed by learning about your powers, and then finally saving the city (if not New York, always modeled on my beloved NYC) from certain doom.  It's hyper-cliche, and for those of you that are older than, say, 23, you saw this a decade ago with Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst.

But there's always some way to improve, and while I think Maguire is a serviceable actor (can't wait for Gatsby!) and love Dunst (rent Melancholia, immediately!), the improvement here is clearly the sexy and charming Garfield and Stone.  Seriously-Garfield has a wonderful knack for playing an awkward but incredibly handsome and witty nerd, and Stone is just pure bliss-seriously, when was the last time someone who could have such terrific chemistry with everyone she meets (Ryan Gosling, Andrew Garfield, Viola Davis, and Patricia Clarkson are all excellent actors, but very different approaches, and she works well with all of them) but also has talent and brains and beauty came to the screen?  Seriously, the young Diane Keaton comparisons seem a little premature, but you know she could get there.  You cheer every time they come onto screen, and sort of wish this were more of a romantic comedy than a superhero film, as I suspect that they would fit well in an Adam's Rib sort of situation if given the chance (though, for god's sake, we don't need a remake of that too!).  I also enjoyed the small roles played by Sally Field and Martin Sheen, who also have chemistry and are believable as a longtime married couple, and it made me even more excited that Field will be starring in Lincoln later in the year, as it's about time for a resurgence of the underrated actress.

The film's best technical aspects, aside from Garfield's suit and all that comes with it, have to be some superbly constructed makeup (done by Tricia Sawyer, who has worked on the Hunger Games and Pirates of the Caribbean films), and the absolutely wonderful crane sequence (you'll know it when you see it), which I found an incredibly beautiful camera shot.  All-in-all, a handsome if unnecessary film that will surely spark some intriguing sequels.  As long as Stone and Garfield stick around, I likely will as well.

What about you-do you think that constant reinventions are a good thing for comic books or that they should invest in the many other properties available to Marvel and DC?  Do you find Stone and Garfield as magnetic onscreen as I do?  And for those of you who (like me) are comic book nerds, whom do you hope will be the next villain in the series?