Intriguing web

Spoilers are the nature of some film commentary and this shall be no exception, delivered in a semi-flow of consciousness as it is.  The trend for superheroes continues with a certain webslinger back in action.  Although Sam Raimi’s Spiderman was satisfying, especially in the pay-off at the very end, The Amazing Spiderman, directed by the aptly named Marc Webb, felt more of a grown-up package, making its indirect predecessor shallow by comparison (it will also appear first in film anthologies – alphabetically).  Here we care more for all the significant characters involved.

Andrew Garfield’s age (28) has been an issue of some controversy but in a generation weaned on watching over-age teens in series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, etc, to my mind it’s not a big deal.  Occasionally, the camera catches his more advanced features, yet let’s not forget the good job Toby Maguire did and he was pushing 40 when he starred in Spiderman 3.

I liked the re-engagement with the original source material, the creators being more faithful to the comics.  Unlike Maguire’s goo, Garfield builds the web-shooting devices and we are still no closer to such things being a reality when Raimi said he wasn’t using these as they had not been invented (there are no ‘invisible girders’ here either for Spidey to latch onto; every strand is shown to reach its target).  Also, the idea of the supervillain ending their reign of terror behind bars rather than dead is welcome.  It will be interesting to see how this goes.  A mid-end credits scene has an unnamed Moriarty-esque figure grilling Dr Curt Connors, though it is obvious it is Norman Osborn AKA The Green Goblin, thus setting the stage for the sequel.  Will the producers be bold (and cruel) enough to allow the Green Goblin to kill of Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) as in the comics, thus making Peter Parker’s broken promise to her dying dad (Denis Leary) all the more sorrowful, not to mention providing an entry cue for Mary-Jane Watson?

Though it will please the geeks (“I love science,” gushes Parker), the plot depth is superficial, with a standard countdown to catastrophe unbolstered by anything else storywise.  Where it scores above, say, Avengers Assemble is the adorning of an emotional connection.  Again, in contrast to Raimi’s Spiderman, Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) gets quite a section of staying alive and so death is more powerful, as it is for others as well (there is no gratuitous death present).  Even Stan Lee gets one of his best cameos.  Moreover, Stacy is not tacked on as the love interest but is an integral part of the tale.  That the vilification of Spiderman, who so happens to be her boyfriend, is by her father, adds an ironic twist and a whiff of teenage rebellion.

I always enjoy the introduction of a new supervillain, to complement earlier franchises.  It was interesting seeing a mature Rhys Ifans playing Connors/The Lizard when one thinks of his raucous debut in Twin Town.  Has he become - like whores and buildings – respectable with age?

I hope Webb keeps the director’s gig with this Spiderman excursion, as Christopher Nolan did with the latest Batmans.  The tension at times was as taut as one of Spidey’s webs, there was a liberal sprinkling of humour and having meaningful  characters other than the protagonist is definitely the right direction for the franchise to pursue.  Four of out of five.