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The Amazing Spider-Man
- Review Date: July 2, 2012
- PG-13
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- 2012
Common Sense Media says
Action-packed series reboot has lots to offer Spidey fans.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that The Amazing Spider-Man sticks pretty closely to the standard superhero template. There's an average guy (Andrew Garfield) who mysteriously receives amazing powers and is suddenly thrust into the unfamiliar role of savior, some tame romance (kissing, flirting), mild swearing ("damn," "hell"), and lots of comic book-style action -- cars getting thrown off bridges, villains throwing heroes through walls, and assorted other mayhem, some with weapons and a bit of blood. Popular actress Emma Stone co-stars as Spidey's love interest, and Martin Sheen adds gravitas in the tragic role of Peter Parker's kind Uncle Ben.
What's the story?
As a young kid, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) watched his parents rush off in a hurry after parking him with his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field). They never returned, dying in a crash. It's a wound that Peter revisits from time to time, despite a pretty happy childhood overall (though he's not exactly -- or even remotely -- popular). Then, on a visit to Oscorp, the lab where his father once worked, a trip spurred by the discovery of secret files in his father's long-lost portfolio, Peter meets his dad's former colleague, Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), and is fatefully bitten by a spider. Not just any spider: one that somehow transfers its strengths to a teenage Peter. His life will no longer be his own as he struggles to merge his Peter Parker self and his new alter-ego, one who will soon find a dangerous nemesis set to destroy Manhattan.
Is it any good?
Let's be honest: The Spider-Man franchise didn't really need a reboot. Sure, the third film of the last set, which featured the wonderful Tobey Maguire in the titular role, was a bit disappointing, but overall the series was a crowd-pleaser in many ways. So is there any reason to love this new outing, which treads over much of the same backstory as previous films did? Yes. Garfield brings a different but equally fantastic energy to the role; his Peter has a skater-on-the-fringes angst that's not emo and not super-boyish (like Maguire) but still perfect for a teenage superhero. He's antsy and curious and very charming. And it helps differentiate THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN from previous movies that Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), not Mary Jane Watson, is Peter/Spidey's paramour here.
Director Marc Webb brings a realism to the proceedings that's hard not to like. He lingers on the teen romance, which is delightful, and serves up thrilling action sequences without the show-off-y quality that too many superhero movies rely on. One gripe worth airing is about Spider-Man's nemesis: The Lizard seems scary enough, but not so scary as to be a worthy opponent. This Spidey wants to show off, as a teen encountering new powers would, and he deserved a proper fight.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about the Spider-Man franchise. How is The Amazing Spider-Man different from the 2002 version with Tobey Maguire in the title role? Did this series need a remake of Spidey's origin tale? What do you think the main motivating factor was to make one? The story, or the money to be made?
It's hard to imagine a superhero film without plenty of action, including explosions, fights, and gunfire. How does the impact of the violence in movies like this one compare to that of other action or horror films?
Is Peter a role model before he becomes Spider-Man? After?
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- Teens & kids
Kid, 11 years old
July 3, 2012
AGE
Easily the Best Marvel Blockbuster
As promised, here is my review of the masterpiece - The Amazing Spider-Man. It surpasses all of the previous Marvel movies - Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Captain America, even the Avengers. This movie is more of a reboot than a remake. It has different characters and a different (but better) storyline. Andrew Garfield pleases as always. After his marvelous performance of Eduardo Saverin in the Social Network back in 2010, here he is in The Amazing Spider-Man as the lead. He is flawless as the awkward and young nerd who gets bullied a lot. He really put his blood, sweat, and tears working on this film. You can feel his emotion and it empowers your whole body. As for Emma Stone, she is pretty good as Peter Parker's girlfriend, also having effective and emotional parts in the film. Rhys Ifans is awesome as Doctor Connors, and *MILD SPOILER* the Lizard. *MILD SPOILER END* Everybody else does their work and does it well. Now, for the 3D review. The 3D is so-so, with some things jumping out at you, and in most scenes, showing the huge city's depth. Getting the 3D ticket is unnecessary. However, if you want to watch it in IMAX, you have to watch it in IMAX 3D. The IMAX makes you feel like you're in the movie, web-slinging across the city. Now, for the parental review. There are positive messages and role models. Peter is a courageous young man and tries to protect citizens at all costs. However, the bully, Flash, bullies many people and beats Peter up. There is strong violence in the movie, attacking, fighting, violence, bullying, and harshness. I jumped about 5 times in the movie, mostly because of the sudden spinning of webs and gunshots. But, be warned, there is a HUGE JUMP SCENE (I'm going to caps lock it to make sure everybody knows what it is): WHEN GWEN IS HIDING IN THE DARK BEHIND AN OBJECT, THERE IS SILENCE FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN THE LIZARD SUDDENLY POPS OUT AND SCREAMS, ACCOMPANIED BY SUDDEN AND FRIGHTENING MUSIC. I jumped so hard in that scene, everybody looked at me. For sexual content, there are a lot of long kisses between Peter and Gwen and other couples. Also, Peter also accidentally rips a woman's shirt off, revealing her in her bra. In the language department, there is a use of a*s and Peter uses mf word, but the f part of it, he creates a new word and says huher or something like that, so don't worry about that too much. As some people know, Sony supports this movie and once, there is two people watching a video, holding a Sony tablet. Also there are search engines shown, such as Google. This film is a part of the Marvel Universe, promoting Marvel movies. That's what the film has in terms of bad stuff. Overall, I say go watch this movie right now. You'll enjoy this thrilling movie that you'll never forget.
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Adult
July 3, 2012
AGE
12 and up.
this action/adventure movie The Amazing Spider-Man is a great action movie good for your teens and fans that like spider man and parents the only thing that spider man has is some mild violence and some mild language used the message is about Teamwork and collaboration play important roles, and love familial, romantic and the role models are that Peter Parker is really trying to do the right thing, but he often comes off as a classically immature teen self-absorbed, insensitive, and at times narcissistic and Gwen is a smart, independent young woman who, unlike many superhero movie female leads, doesn't need rescuing. Uncle Ben and Aunt May teach Peter the importance of responsbility and unconditional love.
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Kid, 12 years old
July 3, 2012
AGE
Definetly not dissapointing.
First of all, CSM pretty much has this movie nailed when it comes to what parents/anyone should know about this movie's violence, sex, language, etc. So, all I need to really talk about is how good the movie was.
When I came to the theater earlier this night, I was really excited to see this movie, and I wouldn't say it disappointed me. It had good acting, good CGI, good action sequences, decent enough pacing, and awesome makeup/ costume design/ general style. The movie isn't flawless, but it works (I might be judging it a bit too harshly, as I was prepared for a mind blowing spectacle. If I feel differently the second time I watch it, I might post an edit on my review) well enough. Some scenes I personally thought were a tad unnecessary, and in the end (as I said before) the pacing was a bit strange, but all in all, I'm certainly glad I saw it.
FINAL VERDICT *final at least for now*: The movie is a bit flawed, but it works out for the most part, kind of like the old Spiderman movies (of course the actual movie is nothing like the originals, without a couple of moments that remind you of the movie that came out only 12 years ago). If anything, it's certainly worth seeing and I would be happy to see an (inevitable) sequel.
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Parent
July 3, 2012
AGE
Sneak Preview Well worth it
I saw this last night with a friend of mine who is a critic. This Spider-Man puts previous ones to shame. Better acting from less known stars. Action scenes were intense but not over the top. And well worth seeing in 3D as well.
As for content, there was very little language that I picked up on. "Peter Parker" does have a high school relationship. Several kissing scenes. And a scene where a woman's shirt is ripped off by Peter on accident. She is shown in a bra. But over all I'd say on for your teens and older. Who can handle a high relationship, violence, and death.
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Teen, 14 years old
July 3, 2012
AGE
Great Movie
This movie was fantastic. Andrew Garfield nailed Peter Parker. It was a great movie.
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Kid, 12 years old
July 3, 2012
AGE
The Amazing Spider-Man: Worth It! FULL REVIEW
Age-wise, this movie displays positive role models and messages. Peter's character tells you that there is a hero inside all of us, and everyone knows that even the Spider-Man comic books tell you that "With Great Power comes Great Responsibility." There's some epic violence that I wouldn't worry too much about, and there are some swear-words here and there, but I think just about any Spidey fan can see this.
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN was a movie that I had been waiting for since I was seven years old. It is a completely different movie than any of the old ones. Andrew and Emma were amazing when it came to acting, but Peter's character more than Gwen's. Marc Webb should really consider returning for a sequel to "try again" and make a movie that deserves an 11/10.
I liked how while the spider-powers didn't kick in too soon, an interesting plot involving Peter's parents did. The movie did a good job getting you interested on one thing, and then, BOOM, another plot point changes everything. It was really put together nicely.
The movie contained some HILARIOUS scenes, really depressing scenes, and amazing scenes, and they were all balanced out perfectly, except for near the end, where a funny scene is placed just to lighten up the mood, even though it's after a really depressing scene.
The big villain, The Lizard, will be hard to beat in upcoming superhero movies. He was a true threat to New York and had a reason to do what he was doing other than "I want to kill Spider-Man" or "I'm just crazy like that." Not only was the villain's character awesome, but the animation made him look real and scary. You can compare him to Venom and Sand-Man and see how much better he looks.
All in all, I give The Amazing Spider-Man an 8.5/9 out of 10. It truly deserves it's title of "amazing." There were scenes where I had to hold my breath or somewhat stop watching because of everything that was going on. If you are someone who doesn't really like the super-hero genre, then you are going to LOVE what Marc and Andrew have in store for you. If you're a comic book geek (which I don't think we have many of anymore) you are going to love how this compares to the comics and other superhero movies. It was truly worth it, and I hope to see it again soon
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Kid, 12 years old
July 3, 2012
AGE
The Amazing Spider-Man
This was VERY good. Garfield did better than Tobey Maguire. There was superhero violence, including mutilation, fight scenes, stabbing,death, and more. There was a scene of sensuality and there was some flirting. And some mild language. But except for the emotional intensity, this was fine.
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Kid, 11 years old
July 2, 2012
AGE
AMAZZING.
I am amazed to this movie, I really like it can be 10 and up. :)
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AGE
The Title Says Amazing, and it Doesn't Lie!
It's true that the film touches on plot points Sam Rami's "Spider-Man" already had, but "The Amazing Spider-Man" revisits these plot points in a refreshing way. Walking into the theater I was hoping the film wouldn't be a disappointment.............. and it wasn't!!!! Toby McGuire did a good job portraying Peter/Spidey in the original films, but Toby is dry bones compared to Garfield. Andrew Garfield takes his role and creates an outstanding portrayal of Peter and Spider-Man. He brings to the character an emotional depth, and power that McGuire failed to achieve. And when Garfield is in the newly designed Spidey suite (pretty cool!), he gives our wall-crawling hero a confidence that radiates on screen! Emma Stone never lets me down in her performance's, and as Gwen Stacey she makes me proud! Stone succeeds in bringing Gwen to life on-screen, and she makes audience's forget damsel-in-distress Mary Jane. While MJ is a sweet red-head, who continuously got kidnapped while having a relationship with Peter after falling for his alter ego, Gwen is a smart, strong girl who can save herself and falls for Peter while he's himself, and supports him and his heroic antics. Ifan's gives us a Jekyll/Hyde performance with his Dr. Curt Conner's/ Lizard. But he doesn't give as strong a performance as Stone and Garfield. The rest of the cast also gives solid performances. As for the plot, though it revisits events from the first Spidey film, is actually fresh. With a super hero reboot series I think it's alright to go on and retell an already told origin story, as long as you make it different and original, which is what director Webb does. But after we revisit the familiar, the film moves into a save the world story, and it's told very-well. The Lizard isn't Spider-Man's greatest opponent, but he still is a decent and accepting challenge for our hero. Though despite a lesser villain than the one's in Rami's movies, the film has plenty of stand out positives (other than Garfield ans Stone's performances) in the script and screenplay that make this film better than the first three. Unlike in the first film's Spider-Man dishes out comedic, smart comebacks (what I like to call quipage) at the bad guys as he fights them. Also, there is a wonderful love sub-plot between Gwen and Peter, which is stronger than Rami's love plot between Mary Jane and Peter. And the film also has a greater depth and strength that none of Rami's films had. So to conclude, "The Amazing Spider-Man" is an incredible superhero film that is certainly more "amazing" than any of the original Spidey films, period.
What other families should know:
Was this review useful?
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AGE
The Title Says Amazing, and it Doesn't Lie!
It's true that the film touches on plot points Sam Rami's "Spider-Man" already had, but "The Amazing Spider-Man" revisits these plot points in a refreshing way. Walking into the theater I was hoping the film wouldn't be a disappointment.............. and it wasn't!!!! Toby McGuire did a good job portraying Peter/Spidey in the original films, but Toby is dry bones compared to Garfield. Andrew Garfield takes his role and creates an outstanding portrayal of Peter and Spider-Man. He brings to the character an emotional depth, and power that McGuire failed to achieve. And when Garfield is in the newly designed Spidey suite (pretty cool!), he gives our wall-crawling hero a confidence that radiates on screen! Emma Stone never lets me down in her performance's, and as Gwen Stacey she makes me proud! Stone succeeds in bringing Gwen to life on-screen, and she makes audience's forget damsel-in-distress Mary Jane. While MJ is a sweet red-head, who continuously got kidnapped while having a relationship with Peter after falling for his alter ego, Gwen is a smart, strong girl who can save herself and falls for Peter while he's himself, and supports him and his heroic antics. Ifan's gives us a Jekyll/Hyde performance with his Dr. Curt Conner's/ Lizard. But he doesn't give as strong a performance as Stone and Garfield. The rest of the cast also gives solid performances. As for the plot, though it revisits events from the first Spidey film, is actually fresh. With a super hero reboot series I think it's alright to go on and retell an already told origin story, as long as you make it different and original, which is what director Webb does. But after we revisit the familiar, the film moves into a save the world story, and it's told very-well. The Lizard isn't Spider-Man's greatest opponent, but he still is a decent and accepting challenge for our hero. Though despite a lesser villain than the one's in Rami's movies, the film has plenty of stand out positives (other than Garfield ans Stone's performances) in the script and screenplay that make this film better than the first three. Unlike in the first film's Spider-Man dishes out comedic, smart comebacks (what I like to call quipage) at the bad guys as he fights them. Also, there is a wonderful love sub-plot between Gwen and Peter, which is stronger than Rami's love plot between Mary Jane and Peter. And the film also has a greater depth and strength that none of Rami's films had. So to conclude, "The Amazing Spider-Man" is an incredible superhero film that is certainly more "amazing" than any of the original Spidey films, period.
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| Topics: | superheroes, great boy role models, great girl role models, high school |
| Studio: | Columbia Pictures |
| Director: | Marc Webb |
| Cast: | Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 138 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | July 3, 2012 |
| DVD release date: | November 6, 2012 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | sequences of action and violence |
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