By Melissa Garza
Unlike a lot of people, I was not discouraged by the reboot of Spiderman. I thought the Tobey Maguire series had run its course and that it was certainly time for something new.
Personally, I think this is one of the best superhero movies of all time. Though, I don’t think it is as good as The Dark Knight, Iron Man or The Avengers, it is certainly an exciting and fantastic production. I shouldn’t even have to say that the visuals were great. The villain was fabulous. Seeing a huge Lizard in a lab coat was awesome!
Andrew Garfield portrays Peter Parker in a much different fashion than Maguire’s choice. Though both play the geeky photographer, Garfield version isn’t as stereotypically nerdy as it had been in the Sam Raimi films. He was very intelligent when it came to science and wasn’t able to hold his own in a fight, but still he had witty comebacks and attempted to rescue the bullied. I think times have changed since Spiderman was released in 2001, and geeks and nerds are viewed in a more positive and a much different light than before. They are portrayed differently and due in a big part to the Spiderman franchise. Now that Superheroes are cool again, those who read the comic books and graphic novels that the films are based upon aren’t shown in a poor light but instead in an attractive one. The Big Bang Theory is a perfect example of this.
Garfield was definitely the expected highlight of the movie and he pulled it off quite well. Emma Stone also was remarkable as Gwen Stacy. I’m really becoming a fan of Stone. I enjoyed the performance and the character much more than that of Kirsten Dunst’s Mary Jane. Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge fan of Dunsts’s, but Stone captured a level of innocence without the trouble that Mary Jane had. There was a smart and sassy aspect to her. Also, she wasn’t the ordinary damsel in distress. Thankfully, she didn’t go overboard the other way but instead was merely helpful to Spiderman.
Dennis Leary did a fantastic job as Stacy’s father. Of course Martin Sheen and Sally Field also were spectacular in their roles as Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Sally Field has always had a special spot in my heart. I loved her since I was a child when I saw her in Kiss Me Goodbye which is a fantastic movie. Sure, she’s been in better. Not Without My Daughter and Sybil come to mind – but Kiss Me Goodbye will always be closest to my heart. I’ll put the only video of the movie that I can find (which is fan-made) at the bottom as a courtesy to the readers.
Scared Stiff Rating: 9/10
