It might have been a week late but I finally managed to watch The Amazing Spiderman, only to walk out slightly befuddled. Ever since it’s big release, television channels, newspapers and websites have been critiquing the movie to its last web, and I can’t deny that the reviews almost convinced me to never watch the “other Spiderman”. But I did anyway and now I can’t quite understand why the movie didn’t go down so well with other film critics. Did they miss the point?
For those of you who don’t know and are now confused with what the original plot was, this is what happens in the comic series. The Amazing Spiderman is where it all begins. Peter Parker, an orphan, lives with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May and is a high school student, a science geek to be specific. Then, as is shown in the movie, he gets bitten by a radioactive spider and starts showing abilities like super strength and being able to cling to walls and ceilings. Now, unlike the previous Spiderman trilogy where Parker is able to shoot webs from his body, the comic book Parker doesn’t possess that natural ability and builds a device that can shoot webs (as in the movie, The Amazing Spiderman).
Now, if any of you are comic buffs and know the original story then you know that the directors of the movies (the trilogy and The Amazing Spiderman) have made significant changes in the plot to make it more interesting. The back and forth comparisons between the trilogy and The Amazing Spiderman does nothing but raise baseless questions and remarks about the later.
The “other Spiderman” definitely has its share of disappointments but on the whole, it’s a great watch. The greatest disappointment is the fact that the real action only begins after the interval and even then it ends almost too soon, leaving you unsatisfied and wanting more.
On the plus side, the movie follows the original plot and focuses not so much on Spiderman but the man behind the mask, Peter Parker. Unlike a lot of people who were disappointed and miffed with the fact that the movie made Peter’s personal life the prime focus and not the stunts of his masked alter ego, I found the back story more intriguing.
The biggest mystery of the trilogy, the history about his parents’ disappearance, is solved in this one. The back story adds another dimension of emotional quotient and seems to fit in just perfectly with the plot. It gives Peter Parker all the reasons to be vengeful, complicated, insecure and awkward. In other words, it gives his character the purpose, the depth and the justification it needs to be real.
To everyone’s surprise, Andrew Garfield slips into the Spiderman suit almost too simply. His boyish and charming looks coupled with his subtle and geeky misdemeanor make him a very believable Spiderman. Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy), Spiderman’s first lady love, is nothing like the infamous Mary Jane Watson. Unlike MJ, Stone’s character is strong, in control and definitely not a damsel in distress. And last but not the least, Irrfan Khan’s character is almost too important to miss and too busy to give more than ten minutes to the whole film.
Regardless, The Amazing Spiderman manages to take you on one hell of a ride. Andrew Garcia may not have managed to replace the “First Spiderman” all together but the young superhero surely has a tight grip around those webs.
Aishwarya Dravid
Image Source [http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/31000000/The-Amazing-Spider-Man-2012-upcoming-movies-31017802-1280-1024.jpg]
