I can think of no reason to be angry at the existence of Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man, even if it does come a mere ten years after Sam Raimi's original. There is cause, however, to be mildly disappointed.
Webb’s directorial debut, 500 Days of Summer, was a delight, yet there’s no evidence of the filmmaker who made that here. Gone is Webb’s flair; in its place is the generic, “gritty” look of all the superhero flicks that have followed in Batman Begins’ wake. Garfield and Stone have a nice rapport, and a more sexual one than Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst ever had as Peter and Mary Jane; however, little of that credit can go to screenwriters James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, and Steve Kloves. Raimi’s first Spider-Man was far from perfect, but it at least delivered some iconic scenes, such as the upside down kiss and Uncle Ben’s ‘Great Power’ speech. I struggle to think of anything in this edition that will live on past the closing credits. Certainly not James Horner’s score, which is distracting, forgettable, and derivative (a triple threat!).
That being said, The Amazing Spider-Man is not without some wonderful, web-slinging moments. The action – if sparse – is mostly well executed, and death is a persistent threat that takes a real toll on our hero. Though Garfield doesn’t get to crack wise as much as Maguire before him, he’s given much to chew on when it comes to the guilt that bubbles under Parker’s surface.
Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 was, at the time (and maybe still), the best superhero feature ever made. Without the burden of the origin story, he could deliver a thrilling and very affecting instalment in the ongoing saga. The Amazing Spider-Man is no better or worse than the first film; or maybe it’s just better in different ways and worse in other ones. I hold out hope that the inevitable sequel will similarly be an improvement too, because this cast is too good to waste.