The Amazing Spiderman
{In-depth review by Johanna}
Rating :: PG-13
Rating :: PG-13
Directed By :: Marc Webb
Genre :: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi
In Theaters :: July 3, 2012
{The Storyline}
-- no spoilers included --
The Amazing Spiderman is the story of Peter Parker, a teenager who is both a high-school outcast and was, for mysterious and unknown reasons, abandoned by his parents when he was just a little boy. While living with his Aunt and Uncle, Peter does his best to not only fit in, but more importantly find out who he truly is and who is parents were.
Upon finding a seemingly forgotten brief-case containing old files from his missing dad he suddenly finds a key that just might help him unravel the mystery. Peter soon finds himself in the Oscorp science lab where he not only meets Dr. Curt Connors -- a former partner of his dad's -- but also encounters a strange science exhibit.
Upon sneaking into an off-limits room at the lab, Peter beholds many delicate webs being woven by hundreds of spiders. With one touch, his life changes in an instant, as a spider bites him. By the time he reaches home from the lab, he realizes that something has drastically changed -- but what is it? Within no time at all, he realizes that he has just done what Dr. Curt Connors has been trying to do for his entire life -- find a way to cross the genetics of both humans and animals, in order to embody humans with more abilities. Peter not only finds that he now is as flexible and quick as a spider, but also that he has the ability to weave webs.
And oh, what a tangled web the plot begins to weave.
The story takes off as Peter begins to realize what good he can do with his super-powers, and tries to help in catching common criminals. However, it would seem that Peter is destined to face far worse when he is suddenly thrust in the face of danger, and collides with a greater foe than any he had dealt with before. He finds himself forced into making life-changing choices as he seeks to save the world from the very thing which he helped create.
Emma Stone played Gwen Stacy; the bright, fun, and beautiful seven-teen year-old girl who attends the same high-school as Peter. As Gwen observes Peter time and time again do the right thing, she begins to find an admiration for the seemingly odd and at times nerdy boy. But before long, she finds that her feelings for him greatly exceeds those of mere admiration...
Dr. Curt Connors is played by Rhys Ifans. Dr. Connors is one of the leading scientific minds at work within the Oscorp science lab. With a missing limb giving him daily motivation, he has spent his entire life in the hopes of someday being able to discover the greatest scientific discovery of all time. Yet, as time ticks by, his hunger for this discovery drives him to make a radical, and dangerous move.
Played by Denis Leary, Captain Stacy is Gwen's father. Not only has he been an esteemed police officer for the past twenty years, but he also is as determined as ever, especially when it comes to finding out who this "masked spiderman" is. Although seemingly stern, Gwen's father wants nothing more than to ensure his families safety -- especially Gwen's, his only daughter -- no matter what.
Uncle Ben, played by Martin Sheen, and Aunt May, played by Sally Field, are Peter's kind and loving caretakers, who took him in when his parents mysteriously disappeared. Acting as substitute parents for him, Peter's Aunt and Uncle never stop in encouraging him to do the right thing, no matter how hard it can be sometimes, and are always there for him when he needs their love and support most.
Upon finding a seemingly forgotten brief-case containing old files from his missing dad he suddenly finds a key that just might help him unravel the mystery. Peter soon finds himself in the Oscorp science lab where he not only meets Dr. Curt Connors -- a former partner of his dad's -- but also encounters a strange science exhibit.
Upon sneaking into an off-limits room at the lab, Peter beholds many delicate webs being woven by hundreds of spiders. With one touch, his life changes in an instant, as a spider bites him. By the time he reaches home from the lab, he realizes that something has drastically changed -- but what is it? Within no time at all, he realizes that he has just done what Dr. Curt Connors has been trying to do for his entire life -- find a way to cross the genetics of both humans and animals, in order to embody humans with more abilities. Peter not only finds that he now is as flexible and quick as a spider, but also that he has the ability to weave webs.
And oh, what a tangled web the plot begins to weave.
The story takes off as Peter begins to realize what good he can do with his super-powers, and tries to help in catching common criminals. However, it would seem that Peter is destined to face far worse when he is suddenly thrust in the face of danger, and collides with a greater foe than any he had dealt with before. He finds himself forced into making life-changing choices as he seeks to save the world from the very thing which he helped create.
{The Characters}
-- no spoilers included --
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| Peter Parker/Spider-Man: We all have secrets: the ones we keep... and the ones that are kept from us. |
Played by Andrew Garfield, Peter is a young man searching desperately for his purpose in life. Ever since his parents' disappearance when he was a small child, he has always had a cloud of uncertainly overshadow his life. Yet, when his life takes an abrupt turn with the small bite of a spider, and Peter is made to take dangerous measures in order to save humanity, he prepares himself to become the hero that he knows he is destined to be ... no matter the costs.
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| Gwen Stacy: You're a wanted man, Peter Parker. |
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| Dr. Curt Connors: There's rumor of a new species in New York. It can be aggressive, if threatened... |
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| Aunt May: Secrets have a cost. They're not free. Not now, not ever. |
{My Thoughts}
-- no spoilers included --
A few days ago, my bro's asked if I would come and see the new Marvel super-hero movie that had just come out three days before. Needless to say, although I didn't think that I would be the biggest fan of the movie, I hopped in the car with them, knowing that we would have a good time no matter what we saw. And we were off to see The Amazing Spiderman together. Just the three of us. And...
Oh. My. Goodness.
{was I in for a surprise}
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| Dr. Curt Connors: If you want the truth, Peter, come and get it! |
Peter Parker was, in my eyes, the perfect super-hero; merely because he was imperfect. So many times Hollywood tries to make there heroes out to be the perfect men and women. Without flaw. Without tarnish. Without struggles. Yet, while Peter is cute, smart, romantic, fun, and talented, he is not perfect; and I loved how I could relate to that. He struggles with being bullied at his school, he is wanting desperately to know why his parents left him when he was a child, he tries to dissuade waves of depression, does his utmost to be his true-self, wrestles with wanting revenge, and does his best to fulfill his duties. And he fails many times. But that never stopped him from trying.
I loved how, once he had "spider-like" abilities, he didn't all of a sudden become this hero. He still retained normality. And he still had struggles to deal with. As the plot draws on, it was inspiring to watch Peter slowly becoming a true hero. Not because he caught common criminals -- even though he did; or saved the world from atrocity -- although he might have *smile*; but because he first worked on conquering his own weaknesses, and tried to do the right thing. Even if it cost him his life.
Peter never wanted to become a super-hero, either. He was just a normal teenager who unintentionally walked into a hero's destiny. He never sought to be the greatest; the strongest; the best; the most miraculous. But that only furthered his attractiveness, for me. His humility and strong character is what truly made him the hero in the end. Even when he became more than a normal person, he didn't brandish his powers for the world to see. Instead, he stood quietly by as those around him would talk about "the amazing spiderman."
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Gwen Stacy was perfect for Peter. Again, I was pleased with how Hollywood didn't use the stereotype of girlfriend who never stops flirting, only loves him because he's a "super-hero", is selfish, and always seduces the guy into crossing the line. Instead, Gwen displayed the exact opposite. Her character is strong, kind, gentle, selfless, and simply beautiful. She loved Peter for who he was, and never failed in sustaining and supporting him when he needed it most. She is constant in showing selflessness, and plays the part of a heroine many times throughout the story. And, for the record, I was extremely pleased with her modesty. Although her skirts ran on the shorter side, I never found her appearance to be flaunting or flirty.
I have to say, the romance was superb. Stunned would be my reaction when I found that, again, Hollywood chose not to take this too far. It was simply sweet. Romantic. Beautiful. Pure. I love how you can clearly, clearly see how much they love each other without having to take the camera into bed. As promised, I won't spoil the romance plot, but I will say this; the romance between Peter and Gwen (which is but a side-plot) I found to be better than a few entire movies based solely on a romance. It was perfectly done.
I also found the main-plot to be very intriguing. Even though I am not one for science, the storyline captivated me from the very start, and didn't let go until the end-credits disapeared. What I loved about it most was that it wasn't the "fake" type of super-hero plot, where he has powers just because. Instead, everything that happens to Peter is due to science, genetics, etc. Although sophisticated, not to mention the fact I was clueless as to what Spiderman was all about before I saw this film, the plot never once confused me. And, for the record, I can't say there was ever a single slow part. In short, it was quite the thriller.
Now, I will say that the sequences of action were extremely intense; and once Peter acquires his powers there are many sequences of action. Although it wasn't overly-violent, I felt this definitely caused the film to exclude the younger audience.
With only an extremely minimum amount of language (I caught maybe one or two words), and one scene where you briefly see a woman in a bra, I found The Amazing Spiderman to not only be an extremely clean movie, but also a exceptionally well-done film. In fact, although I never dreamed I would, I loved it. The characters were amazing. The plot was phenomenal.
I have to say, the romance was superb. Stunned would be my reaction when I found that, again, Hollywood chose not to take this too far. It was simply sweet. Romantic. Beautiful. Pure. I love how you can clearly, clearly see how much they love each other without having to take the camera into bed. As promised, I won't spoil the romance plot, but I will say this; the romance between Peter and Gwen (which is but a side-plot) I found to be better than a few entire movies based solely on a romance. It was perfectly done.
I also found the main-plot to be very intriguing. Even though I am not one for science, the storyline captivated me from the very start, and didn't let go until the end-credits disapeared. What I loved about it most was that it wasn't the "fake" type of super-hero plot, where he has powers just because. Instead, everything that happens to Peter is due to science, genetics, etc. Although sophisticated, not to mention the fact I was clueless as to what Spiderman was all about before I saw this film, the plot never once confused me. And, for the record, I can't say there was ever a single slow part. In short, it was quite the thriller.
Now, I will say that the sequences of action were extremely intense; and once Peter acquires his powers there are many sequences of action. Although it wasn't overly-violent, I felt this definitely caused the film to exclude the younger audience.
With only an extremely minimum amount of language (I caught maybe one or two words), and one scene where you briefly see a woman in a bra, I found The Amazing Spiderman to not only be an extremely clean movie, but also a exceptionally well-done film. In fact, although I never dreamed I would, I loved it. The characters were amazing. The plot was phenomenal.
My Personal Rating...
Recommended for ages 14+
2 Words of Grace:
Oh, I want to see this movie. :) From your review it sounds very good, and enjoyable to watch. {like you said, I appreciate it when the "super-heroes" aren't perfect. They struggle, like everyone else. Which is good, so we can relate to it! :)}
Thank you for the excellent review. This is definitely going on my to-watch list. :)
Blessings in Christ!
xo,
Mikailah
Bethany and Johanna~
Have you ever watched "Amazing Grace" or "To Be One"? Those would be good ones to review!!! :)
I have been enjoying your articles! It would be really nice if you ladies could write about our realtionship with our siblings and parents. Those our some good topics!
ONLY because of HIM,
Emily J.
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