It’s hard to watch The Amazing Spider-Man without getting nostalgic for the days of William Dafoe, Alfred Molina and, of course, Tobey Maguire, who collectively rebooted the Spiderman franchise – and, arguably, the comic book movie industry – in the last decade. Before Christopher Nolan’s reimagining of Bruce Wayne, we had a great (and adorable) hero in the form of Peter Parker and none one, but two, great villains, proving Marvel could actually inspire impressive moviemaking.
In other words, Marc Webb’s reboot had a lot to live up to. Although it doesn’t necessarily live up to the standards to which it must be held, The Amazing Spider-Man still boasts the qualities of a thoroughly enjoyable comic book film. Like The Avengers, it doesn’t seek to change the game – rather, it plays by the formula. And who can say the formula still doesn’t work?
Like Tim Burton’s original Batman, The Amazing Spider-Man is hokey. There are no broad or miniscule political statements to be made, perhaps other than that of Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), who transforms into the Lizard out of an unrelenting desire to grow back a missing arm, but is also somewhat redeemed by his refusal to test experimental serum on patients of a veteran hospital. Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) grasps with the idea of moral responsibility, as every comic book hero ever has; and of course, how to overcome bullies and typical teenage awkwardness, not to mention the memory of his father.
And there you have it. Spiderman defeats the Lizard, and all is well in New York City. But there’s still something nice about being fed an old story. And luckily, Garfield and Emma Stone – as the often-forgotten first girlfriend of Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy – are actually charming. (We learned from Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter that a new play on an ancient legend can begin and end in flames.) No, Garfield isn’t quite capable of the heartbreakingly longing stares Tobey Maguire gave Kirsten Dunst, but he’s still a pretty gratifying Spidey.
And, no, the Lizard is not the Green Goblin, or even a Doc Ock. But like the Hulk, it’s still fun to watch him throw things.
The truth is, we can’t expect every comic book movie to resemble The Dark Knight. But that’s okay. I still love watching the 1989 Batman because it’s outrageously cheesy and fun as hell. Jack Nicholson as the Joker is schizophrenic, hilarious, and playfully murderous, a spectacle rather than an evocation of the darker side of human nature (Heath Ledger). And in truth, Peter Parker’s story never really hints at these themes – he is inextricably linked to the themes of young love and responsibility, and more often than not, to battling science experiments gone wrong. Because, hey, he’s just a kid.
The Amazing Spider-Man is almost refreshing in its unpretentious assertion that Spiderman is an old-fashioned kid superhero, whose everyday struggles – forgetting to bring Aunt May’s eggs home, fighting a school bully – are just as important as ensuring that the whole of New York City doesn’t get exposed to reptilian serum. This is Peter Parker’s world. And we can’t fault him for that.
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