The Amazing Spider-Man

Believe it or not, it’s been 10 years since Tobey Maguire first donned the red and blue spidey-suit in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. Now the baton has passed to Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) in this new and darker adaptation of the Marvel Comics. Headed by the ironically named Marc Webb (director of (500) Days of Summer), The Amazing Spider-Man is a fresh new take on the story we all know and love.

Upon finding an old briefcase of his father’s, Peter Parker (Garfield) begins a desperate search to find out more about the parents who abandoned him as a child. The search leads him to Oscorp Laboratories where he manages to wander into a room full of genetically modified spiders. One of them, inevitably, bites him, transferring super-speed, agility, reflexes and strength to the unsuspecting Parker. However, his determination to find his parents, and his new-found challenges in dealing with his super-powers, have to be put on hold when Parker witnesses the murder of his Uncle Ben. From then on he vows to hone his skills to take out criminals all over the city, a task which becomes far more difficult than he imagined when one of Dr. Connors’ (Rhys Ifans) experiments goes wrong and he transforms into The Lizard.

Alongside furious battles with his new arch-nemesis, Parker also has to deal with the more relatable teenage issues of wooing his classmate Gwen Stacey (Emma Stone). The romance is developed well due to some fantastic performances from Garfield and Stone. However, it’s the action set-pieces that take centre stage and rightly so; Webb’s visual energy from (500) Days of Summer is perfectly transferred to Spiderman’s world and the CGI is sublime.

So, whether or not you were a fan of the Raimi originals, come along and see whether Spidey was worth the reboot.

Clarissa Gillingham