And Then Along Came a Spider...

I saw this movie a few days ago, in preparation for Ramadan where I would abstain from such viewings haha. And I have to say, it really did live up to my expectations. To be honest, in comparison to the last Spiderman movie... Things could only get better.

Peter Parker
I really love Andrew Garfield. I had seen his work before, in movies such as The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus, and television shows such as Dr Who. So I was perfectly aware of what he was capable of. Despite this, I walked into the cinema with slight concerns. Peter Parker was a very unique character, and I wanted confidence in Garfield and his portrayal. And, thank God, he managed to pull it off. Peter Parker was exactly how I would picture him; a silent sufferer, a genius...and of course, a hero. He knew what he stood for, and wasn't afraid of the consequences. Despite his chivalry and courteous demeanour, he was incapable of striking up a decent conversation with the women. I think in many ways he was like Steve Rogers, or Captain America... A hero in the making. Furthermore, the poor guy was so conflicted over his upbringing, he often switched moods in a heartbeat. Garfield had the audience feeling WITH him; we smiled when Peter was happy, we practically sobbed when he was sad.
I also really loved his relationship with Gwen. It was so awkward and bumbling to begin with, before they finally managed to smooth out those social crevices and fall into a 'proper' relationship. Gwen was what I consider a strong character; her confidence and bubbly nature made her extremely likeable, as well as her ability to pull herself together in the most dangerous of situations.

however...
With every positive there must accompany a negative. I loved the Lizard, as well as Dr Conners when he's in a more humane state, but I didn't like the CGI they used for his transformation. I personally think he didn't look reptilian enough. Or green enough, haha. Weird, huh? Maybe I'm the only one, but I used the cartoons of my childhood as reference material for everything in the movie, and the Lizard didn't quite bring it. In the Spideman cartoons the Lizard looks much more like a crocodile, with visible scales and a greener tinge to his body.

Another thing that bugged me; the nerd inaccuracies. Has the director/screenplay writer never seen a nerd before?! They don't use BING! Nor do many nerds skate! Or have the amazing spiked up, messy ruffled hair. Or wear sexy skinny jeans. Again, I don't know, maybe I'm letting personal taste overshadow the conventional nerd outlook... But that's seriously where Garfield went wrong- he looked too good to be a convincing geek.

Hey, if that's all I can complain about, then I think we're okay.

Overall Rating - 8/10
Action packed, with the perfect mingling of humour and romance, this is definitely a movie I'll watch again. If possible, I recommend seeing it in 3D on the big screen. The effects are brilliant, and the POV shots are dizzying. You'll enjoy every minute, as if Spiderman is taking you on a tour of Manhattan.