Review of Spider-Man (1977) by Jazzmin M — 01 Aug 2016

I'll admit, I was very hesitant to see this movie. A reboot of Spider-Man just a few years after Raimi's series concluded probably wasn't the best move. We were all nervous because we all grew up and were used to the original, and like most when this film came out, I was very split on which film was better.

But honestly, I prefer this one over the original. I find it better written, better looking, and better acted. What I like more about this one is that not only does it have a grittier tone, but it treats it's premise more like a film and not a comic.

It's also a bit more faithful to the source material. The actions scenes have a lot of technique, and the scenes in which Spidey is swinging around the city were done much better, too. The acting is wonderful.

Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone work beautifully off each other. Spider-Man himself is great. I enjoy Tobey Maguire's performance, but he had too many crying scenes throughout the series and moments of him being a doofus.

He played the sympathetic loser Spider-Man, while Garfield plays the triumphant badass Spider-Man, which I prefer. Peter in this movie seemed to be evolving more into a man, and learns more about the responsibly of heroism.

Gwen Stacy is way better than Mary Jane Watson. She's intelligent, funny, and actually helps Peter defeat the villains. Speaking of villains, the Lizard is a good antagonist. His design is kind of off, though.

The film certainly has it's funny moments, such as Peter's subway ride home. The only few problems I have with the film is one: while the story is well written, it gets a bit confusing, though I follow it better with each viewing.

The original has a more flowing narrative. Two: the Lizard isn't as memorable as the Green Goblin. Three: While Andrew Garfield played a great Spider-Man, I felt that he was too cool as Peter Parker.

He wasn't geeky enough. But I love The Amazing Spider-Man. It's fun, engaging, nicely emotionally driven, and does America's favorite webslinger great justice.