It’s been a mere five years since Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy came to a close, but
Columbia Pictures and Marvel have teamed up to reboot the franchise, this time
with Mark Webb (500 Days of Summer) at the helm. The Amazing Spider-Man is a darker take on the series that, while it’s
still very good, suffers from an inconsistent tone and a plot that lacks
proper focus.
This reboot begins with the same teenage high school
student, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), whom we all know and love. A visit to
Oscorp Labs causes Peter to be bitten by a genetically altered spider, leaving him with super powers and a new Spider-Man alter ego.
Yes, it’s the same origin story you’ve seen before, and the
changes to the formula really don’t switch things up all that much. Peter has
trouble with his newfound strength, and constantly finds himself breaking
doors, computers, and basketball hoops as he attempts to balance all the
aspects of his new life.
I guess these scenes are provided as comic relief, but none
of them work very well at all. The over-the-top comical moments don’t mesh with
the darker plot, which otherwise succeeds at bringing out a more human side to
the character.
