The Amazing Spider-Man (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray / DVD)

Arrived safely and undamaged.

One thing I wish about Spider-Man: that Sony would release the contract to Marvel Studios so Spidey can be in the Avengers where he belongs. But until that glorious day, Spidey will be forced to live on the silver screen all alone with a set of villains that have yet to be in the movies. Sure, I think I read that The Rhino will be in the next one, which is great since Rhino is one of the classics that, until modern CGI technology, couldn't really be done the right way.The previous three films by Sam Raimi were amazing...well, the first two were amazing, but not number three. Ick, not number three. I mean, Topher Grace as Eddie Brock? Did they even read the comic books? Come on Sam, no wonder there was a needed reboot just a few years later. And why throw in the Sandman AND Green Goblin's son back into the mix? It was too much, and therefore nothing was done to the fullest. In my opinion, they should've just stuck to the Venom suit and cast someone much more comic-book-related as Eddie Brock...someone with a more sinister voice.OK, this is just a ranting history lesson leading up to the real review of the reboot. I LOVED this film for many, many reasons. First, the casting was much more well-done. Andrew Garfield plays a much more believable Peter Parker (lankier, goofier, and much more natural on-screen as a nerd than Toby MacGuire). And they didn't include Mary Jane! They started much earlier in Spider-Man's history by giving us Emma Stone as Gwen Stacey. Much, much better in terms of true storyline adherence. In short, the acting was much, much better and tighter for another reboot, which was risky to begin with in my opinion.The best part of the film, was that they never "buffed" Andrew up when he was in the suit. The suit was loose, wrinkly, and he still looked like the little skinny guy that he truly is when Peter Parker. It was awesome that they didn't make Peter some ripped-up muscle-bound hero after the spider bite. Yes, they gave him the necessary augmentations like vision, spider sense, sticky hands and feet, dexterity, etc., but they didn't buff him. I don't know, for someone who's a Spider-Man purist like me, I thought this was a well-thought-out execution of the character. He looks feeble, even in the suit, and that really helped me root for the underdog even more. The Lizard, played by Rhys Ifans, was massive compared to our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, which made the fights look awesome.Regarding character development, the storyline differences between Raimi's first film and this one aren't very big. Uncle Ben is still killed "accidentally" by a rogue criminal that Peter arrogantly lets go to "get even" with some minor injustice. The "with great power comes great responsibility" mantra is still intact, and it's a good lesson to learn...and painful in most instances. But Peter's scientific side is much, much more developed in this film because his webbing isn't organically engineered from his own body (as in Raimi's depiction). As in the comic books, Peter is a scientific genius, and develops his own webbing and shooters. Oscorp as a military industrial complex is also much more developed, though we never see hide nor hair of Norman or his son in this film.In summary, I think this reboot of my favorite comic book character of all time is well-done, surpassing - in my humble opinion - that of Raimi's vision. Marc Webb (really...Webb?) did a great job directing and the on-screen outcome is nothing short of brilliant. I'm very excited for the next installment.

Great movie

Amazing Spiderman is really good. Andrew Garfield did a great job as his version of Spiderman. The movie has plenty of action and good story. The visual effects are awesome too

The Amazing Spider-Man is a surprisingly enjoyable and a solid opening to a modern take on Spider-Man, however brief it might have been given that the sequel flopped and paved the way for Spider-Man's inclusion into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.My biggest problem that I have with this film is Andrew Garfield's take on Peter Parker as a whole. The Peter has plays in this film is largely bratty and a egocentric annoying loser that luckily grew over the course of the movie, but I still found his portrayal to be cringe worthy at times.Emma Stone is delightful as Gwen Stacy, and she is not just a damsel in distress that simply stands around to look pretty and for Peter to lust and obsess over. She has her own character strengths that help Peter grow as an individual over the course of the film and ultimately it is her assistance that proves vital to victory. Without her, Spider-Man would not have been able to win the final confrontation.The overall bad guy, The Lizard, is a little cartoonish. His human characterization is top notch and thrilling to watch, but his motivations and characterization once he fully transforms into the villain really just make him a clunky over the top CGI menace with cartoonish goals and a cartoonish way to achieve them. I would have much preferred that he had retained his human characterization as the acting and direction was so much better.Denis Leary was a surprisingly great character in this film despite the role he was cast in. He has to play the 'cop hunting Spider-Man' and 'protective, suspicious dad' role and overall he does a great job in a role that could have been ultimately hamfisted. His character undergoes growth throughout the film and has a satisfying conclusion that has lasting ramifications across the next film.Bonus points to Martin Sheen as a much more down to earth and relatable Uncle Ben. He's a demanding yet caring father figure and not portrayed as so old as to be decrepit as he was in the Raimi films. There's a power and believability in the character's portrayal, a roughness that doesn't hold him up as the ultimate paragon of right and wrong. He's just a working man taking care of a family and dealing with the very real realities of everything that entails. He's harsh and confrontational to Peter when Peter screws up, but in the end just wants to protect Peter, Aunt May and the lives they have and do the right thing. You know how Uncle Ben's story ends, it's one of those stories that has seeped into the modern zeitgeist. Batman's parents always die, Superman is an alien, Captain America is entirely pure and Uncle Ben always has to die.I just really appreciated how it was done in this film.Overall I enjoyed this movie a LOT more than I expected to. I'm not the biggest Spider-Man fan in the world and having already known the problems that Amazing Spider-Man 2 had and it's failings before ever seeing this film made me a little pessimistic. I'd also seen and greatly enjoyed the current take on Spider-Man in the MCU, and had seen the original Sam Raimi films when they'd released and cringed at all three of them. SO I hadn't been expecting much from this film but found myself really enjoying this short lived modernization of The Amazing Spider-Man.

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