The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

****

The three main cast members, Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Rhys Ifans, all performed well and Andrew Garfield was a particularly good choice for this role. Toby Magurie seemed a good fit for Peter Parker while Andrew Garfield was able to transition between Spider-Man and Peter Parker more convincingly.

Obviously there was some great action scenes though seemingly less destruction and explosions that is becoming archetypal of the superhero genre. The story's setting (New York) and Spider-Man's abilities (most prominently swinging via webs) allow for amazing cinematography as well as clever CGI. This film, although often painfully obviously made for 3D, is visually stimulating and therefore it does not lose anything by being viewed in 2D - except for maybe the last few seconds.

Unfortunately the plot was a predictable superhero film plot, and this was not helped by the fact that there were certain parts of the story which could not be changed from the original Toby Maguire version to this one. Rhys Ifans' villain, although well played, also seemed somewhat benign; a giant lizard does not really compare to the likes of Heath Ledger's Joker or Tom Higgleston's Loki (other major superhero villains).

The remake has improved on the original and rekindled many people's love for Spider-man, however with the promise of another two more films I hope the writers use better villains from the comic series and steer away from overkilling Apider-Man's tortured love life.