Oh, I wept.
Let me back up.
I really like the first two Spider-Man movies, and parts of the third, even though the third is one of the most problematic movies that exist, and there’s a moment in it where I almost stood up in the theater and walked out. (When Peter strikes Mary Jane, something he would never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever do.)
But the first one is a great comic book movie (and it doesn’t hurt that I was in it), and the second one is one of the better comic book movies they’ve ever made. Some think it’s the best. I certainly think it ranks up there with X2 (maybe the best), The Avengers (now the best), Iron Man (one of the new best), The Dark Knight (arguably the best) and the original Batman (I’m sorry, but, any best of list that doesn’t include Michael Keaton’s Batman isn’t a list at all.)
All of that said, The Amazing Spider-Man is the best Spider-Man movie they’ve made yet.
It’s fun. It’s smart. It’s pretty to watch. It’s got the two best leads of any of the four movies. Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker is the best Peter Parker, and Spidey, that we’ve seen in any media besides the actual comics. And Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy…
Sigh.
There really is nothing and no one better than Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy.
The movie itself is a good movie. A great movie. It’s romantic and playful, scary and hopeful, sad and tragic. Seeing it in IMAX 3D was like being thrown off a building along with Spidey.
I laughed. A lot. And I cried.
Yeah, I cried. Sally Field and Martin Sheen as Aunt May and Uncle Ben steal that movie, and that says something because everyone is trying to steal that movie from everyone else. Their scenes together, and with Peter, are fucking perfect. And as we all found out with Toy Story 3 two years ago, it’s really hard to cry while wearing 3D glasses.
What of the Lizard, you say? Well, ol’ Curt Conners was always one of my favorite Spidey villains, and he’s fun to watch in this. Much like Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2, the Lizard is a worthy foe for Peter (a mad scientist) and for Spidey (able to crawl around on walls and ceilings).
It’s clear that Sony (and Marvel) are building another trilogy here, as they should. These are great actors breathing new life into old characters. Amazing Spider-Man succeeds brilliantly. It’s as good, as fun, as comic booky, as The Avengers.
Which is just what you want from a super hero movie. You want fun. You want escapism. You want to be amazed. You want to feel like you’ve been transported into a comic book, and not at a dreadful, grimy, sad version of reality. (I’m looking at you, Dark Knight Rises.)
And for me, personally, it was really great to see Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker share scenes together the way they always should’ve.
Go see this movie. Go see it big.
There’s no way you can leave that theater and not feel amazed.
