The Amazing Spider-Man

Theatrical Release Date: 2010 (USA) / 2012 07 03 (USA - 3D) / 2012 07 03 (USA)

UPC: 043396409705

Studio: Sony Pictures

MPAA Rating: PG13   Contains:[Violence]

Summary: Typical teenager Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) embraces his incredible destiny after uncovering one of his father's most carefully guarded secrets as Columbia Pictures reboots the Spider-Man franchise with the help of director Mark Webb ((500) Days of Summer) and screenwriter James Vanderbilt (Zodiac). Sally Field, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, and Emma Stone co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Category: Action

Features: Blu-ray exclusives:
The Amazing Spider-Man second screen app: download the app to your iPad or Sony Tablet S or Xperia Tablet S and sync to the film for an even more immersive experience
Rite of Passage: The Amazing Spider-Man Reborn: over 90 minutes of in-depth making-of featurettes
Pre-visualization sequences
Image progression reels

Plus:
Deleted scenes
Audio commentary with Marc Webb, Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach
Stunt rehearsals
The Oscorp archives - production art gallery

The Amazing Spider-Man

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 11/09/2012

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 2.40:1

Audio: DHMA, DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo

Runtime: 136 Minutes

Sides: 3

Number of Discs: 3

Language(s) English,French,Portuguese,Spanish

Subtitles: English,French

Chapters: Disc #1 -- The Amazing Spider-Man
1. Scene 1 [7:46]
2. Scene 2 [6:53]
3. Scene 3 [8:17]
4. Scene 4 [10:00]
5. Scene 5 [8:26]
6. Scene 6 [7:17]
7. Scene 7 [6:28]
8. Scene 8 [8:05]
9. Scene 9 [9:11]
10. Scene 10 [5:22]
11. Scene 11 [6:43]
13. Scene 12 [9:21]
14. Scene 13 [8:57]
15. Scene 14 [9:16]
16. Scene 15 [8:36]
17. Scene 16 [15:23]

Jeremy Wheeler

The Amazing Spider-Man is one confused mixed bag of a superhero movie. The first ten minutes say a lot about the dramatic tone that director Marc Webb was most concerned with establishing, although much of that particular air of self-seriousness just kind of lays limp, waiting for the next intermittent scene of humor to relieve the audience's yearning to just have a good time. It's true that the film only seems to pop when it lets loose the shackles of this oh-so-personal Peter Parker origin story. Indeed, the film covers much of the same ground that Raimi's first film did... too bad it seems laborious here -- that is, until the talking CG lizard turd shows up to declass the proceedings. Yet through it all, there are plenty of moments in the film that work: actors who brighten up a scene, genuinely funny audience-friendly bits, and Spidey images that are just neat to see. It's just too bad that one can’t sift the good stuff through a strainer and leave out the celluloid fat.

The script's pork lies mostly in this backstory that reinvents Peter (Andrew Garfield) as a loner orphan who conveniently finds a nondescript parcel belonging to his long-lost father, whose tale once paralleled a comic story that cast him as an American spy (itself an orphaned subplot cut out for the theatrical release), which leads Peter to conveniently jump to the conclusion that he should investigate and get this plot a-rolling. Lucky for him, the popular gal he's got his eye on, Gwen Stacy (charmingly played by Emma Stone), is a lab intern forCurt Connors (Rhys Ifans), the very man Peter is seeking out because he worked with his father. Though the i's are never dotted for Peter -- or the audience -- in this particular deadbeat dad/coworker relationship seemingly so key to the story, a common intellectual ground is found between the two while the inquisitive teenager is visiting the company that the one-armed scientist works for, Oscorp (cue sequel clues here). Soon, Peter is bitten by a radioactive spider at the lab and we're off to the races, crossing off iconic character moments like a checklist (Uncle Ben dies, Peter seeks revenge and discovers powers while trying out his new alter ego) that eventually lead to the showdown between the now-vigilante Spider-Man and the Lizard, a mutated Dr. Connors who seeks the new evolution of mankind through cross-species DNA mumbo jumbo.

Clocking in at the theaters at fifteen minutes beyond two hours, the picture shifts from serious land to B-movie mayhem at around the halfway point and really doesn’t stop smelling funky from there on in. The lizard is a mess -- looks-wise, as well as in his poorly laid out intentions. The computer-generated villain mugs for the camera aplenty, with Ifans' voice absurdly spouting out dialogue that only underlines how dopey the end result is in comparison to the brooding drama that makes up much of the rest of the picture. Spider-Man himself barely grows out of his young cocky mode before becoming a non-expressive digital stuntman in much of the film's finale. It's too bad, because Garfield has it in him to be a good Peter, albeit a different one than we've seen before. Stone, along with Denis Leary as her father, provide the most well-acted scenes with Garfield that honestly work and provide the best backbone the flick possesses. Unfortunately, the cast's keen chemistry ends with Aunt May and Uncle Ben, both played by terrific actors (Sally Field and Martin Sheen, respectively) who are never given the right chance to connect with the warmth and emotionality of their characters.

As in most cases with Marvel movies not made in-house during this time, there's just something off with this Spidey outing that hurts it in the long run. Many will say it's missing the fun that Raimi effortlessly brought to the character -- a shared ingredient that made The Avengers such a crowd-pleaser. Comparisons aside, The Amazing Spider-Man just seems like too much of a compromised product. Its former indie director wanted it to be one thing, yet by definition of a modern superhero film, was forced to include expensive action regalia that he wasn't cut out to handle. Perhaps the film will end up being a necessary studio sacrifice just to continue on with the character in future outings. In that case, it'll be interesting to see what they learn from this semi-honorable, but ultimately shabby effort. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Michael Grillo  Executive Producer 
James Horner  Composer (Music Score) 
Steve Kloves  Screenwriter 
Stan Lee  Executive Producer 
Alvin Sargent  Screenwriter 
Laura Ziskin  Producer 
Avi Arad  Producer 
Kevin Feige  Executive Producer 
Marc Webb  Director 
James Vanderbilt  Screenwriter 
Matt Tolmach  Producer 
Andrew Garfield  Actor 
Emma Stone  Actor 
Rhys Ifans  Actor 
Denis Leary  Actor 
Martin Sheen  Actor 
Sally Field  Actor 
Irfan Khan  Actor 
Campbell Scott  Actor 
Embeth Davidtz  Actor 
Chris Zylka  Actor 
Max Charles  Actor 
C. Thomas Howell  Actor 
Jake Keiffer  Actor 
Kari Coleman  Actor 
Michael Barra  Actor 
Leif Gantvoort  Actor 
Andy Pessoa  Actor 
Hannah Marks  Actor 
Kelsey Chow  Actor 
Kevin McCorkle  Actor 
Andy Gladbach  Actor 
Ring Hendricks-Tellefsen  Actor 
Barbara Eve Harris  Actor 
Stan Lee  Actor 
Danielle Burgio  Actor 
Tom Waite  Actor 
Keith Campbell  Actor 
Steve DeCastro  Actor 
Jill Flint  Actor 
Mark Daughtery  Actor 
Milton Gonzalez  Actor 
Skyler Gisondo  Actor 
Charlie DePew  Actor 
Jacob Rodier  Actor 
Vincent Laresca  Actor 
Damien Lemon  Actor 
Ty Upshaw  Actor 
James Chen  Actor 
Alexander Bedria  Actor 
Tia Texada  Actor 
Jay Caputo  Actor 
John Burke  Actor 
Terry Bozeman  Actor 
Jennifer Lyons  Actor 
Michael Massee  Actor 
Amber Stevens  Actor 

Country: USA