Things I love about The Amazing Spider-man:
1. Showing, not telling
This movie was all about developing the characters to show what they have learned and what they believe in, rather than using some turn of phrase to just tell you. (Anyone who's ever taken any writing class ever should know that's the way you want to do things.) I adore the filmmakers' storyshowing capabilities.
My favorite example of this was that Uncle Ben was able to teach Peter about responsibility without what has become somewhat of a cliché line ("With great power comes great responsibility") that is going to be overused for centuries, dimming the luster of the truth in those profound words. Uncle Ben didn't say that Peter's father believed that only "with great power" came responsibility, but with any power. Any ability that we have to help other people in any way implies a moral obligation to do so. (This makes his lesson apply not just to Peter/Spiderman, but to every person on this planet. It's a great take-away for all of us.) Peter then shows that he has learned that lesson without just quoting that same line back to someone else.
2. Peter is so real
To me, the beauty of this film is that it didn't try so hard to be true to the original as much as it took that framework and explored the characters' personalities more in depth and displayed beautifully human motives and reactions for everything in the story. I especially appreciated that Peter's relationships are the central motivating factors for everything he does. Even when it seems like he's being an idiot or a selfish punk, his actions are still deeply rooted in his quest of discovering what happened to his parents. They set that tone for the movie right from the very first scene where Peter is playing hide-and-seek with his father. (Super obvious foreshadowing, anyone?) I don't resent that tone for the film at all; to me it makes Peter a more well-rounded, realistic character. Additionally, I'm always a fan of media that portray family as the most important part of one's life, because I'm sappy and sentimental like that.
It's also worth noting that Andrew Garfield plays the awkward (and sometimes punkish) 17-year-old part incredibly well. The author of the review I referenced above says that he doesn't like this moping, brooding interpretation of Peter's character, but come on. 17 year old boy? Brooding? They're practically synonyms, especially once you take into account Peter's confusion about his parents' history. As for the genius/nerd factor, I think he is plenty nerdy, but he's not a geek, and that could irritate some people, but I think it's great. Even a genius can do stupid things, because a genius is still human. So, if you've ever known a teenager, I think you can appreciate his expertly-scripted mood swings and occasional human imperfection. Bottom line: I think Andrew Garfield is brilliant. That's all.
3. Gwen is so real (and strong and feminine and woman--not a wimpy girl, not a sex symbol, not acting like a man)To me, the beauty of this film is that it didn't try so hard to be true to the original as much as it took that framework and explored the characters' personalities more in depth and displayed beautifully human motives and reactions for everything in the story. I especially appreciated that Peter's relationships are the central motivating factors for everything he does. Even when it seems like he's being an idiot or a selfish punk, his actions are still deeply rooted in his quest of discovering what happened to his parents. They set that tone for the movie right from the very first scene where Peter is playing hide-and-seek with his father. (Super obvious foreshadowing, anyone?) I don't resent that tone for the film at all; to me it makes Peter a more well-rounded, realistic character. Additionally, I'm always a fan of media that portray family as the most important part of one's life, because I'm sappy and sentimental like that.
It's also worth noting that Andrew Garfield plays the awkward (and sometimes punkish) 17-year-old part incredibly well. The author of the review I referenced above says that he doesn't like this moping, brooding interpretation of Peter's character, but come on. 17 year old boy? Brooding? They're practically synonyms, especially once you take into account Peter's confusion about his parents' history. As for the genius/nerd factor, I think he is plenty nerdy, but he's not a geek, and that could irritate some people, but I think it's great. Even a genius can do stupid things, because a genius is still human. So, if you've ever known a teenager, I think you can appreciate his expertly-scripted mood swings and occasional human imperfection. Bottom line: I think Andrew Garfield is brilliant. That's all.
Emma Stone's character, Gwen, is so much easier to watch than Kirsten Dunst's helpless, high-pitched-screaming MJ in the first set of Spiderman movies. She is still a strong female character without having to be skanky or, to quote my 7th grade literature teacher, a "kickbutt" woman. (Just to clarify, I'm pretty sure when she said kickbutt, it was because it was the only classroom-appropriate synonym she could find for bada**.)
Now, I think Gwen kind of is a little kickbutt, but not because she is hyper-sexualized--or, as a polar opposite, macho, hardcore, and unfeminine. She is kickbutt because she's courageous. She's smart. She's concerned for the well-being of others. She knows what she can contribute and when to contribute it, but she knows when to back down and keep herself safe. My only reservation is that it is harder to imagine Emma Stone as a high schooler than it is to imagine the same for Andrew, but I'm willing to look past that since she played the part so well.
4. Transparency of Peter's identity
In this version of the story, Peter doesn't struggle nearly as much with his dilemma about whether or not to tell people (especially his love interest) who he is. Obviously, he doesn't parade it around all the time, but he's pretty straightforward with Gwen about it. You know what I think is most beautiful about it? It's that, instead of having two separate identities with two separate purposes, Peter is consistently himself, whether or not he's actually wearing the suit. The scene with the little boy on the bridge is another evidence for that, though I won't go into detail about what happens. That's the part that made me cry, though (Level 1).
Also, the way he shows Gwen that he's the masked web slinger is dang cute (again, because he shows her instead of telling her). LOVE IT.
5. Slow pacing
This reviewer also didn't like the snail-like approach to getting Spiderman's origin story out of the way, but it is exactly why I think this movie is so great. First of all, it is the only time that I'm aware of (though I haven't read all the comic books) that we start to learn anything about Peter's parents other than the fact that they are dead. Motivation is so key! Yeah, maybe Peter was kind of a lunkhead when he plucked the spiderwebs and made the spiders fall all over him, but I actually love that it wasn't a "wrong place at the wrong time" kind of accident, but that Peter is a man of action. He was actively seeking answers, and that's what got him into his situation.
6. Growth of Peter's character
Peter starts out as kind of an awkward skater kid, but he's still well-intentioned and extremely kind. Once he gets his Spidey powers, he's so obsessed with that (finding out what his father's life work was, etc.) that he forgets about other important things. After that, he is kind of a jerk for a little while (this is when he humiliates Flash), but then Uncle Ben dies and Peter is at his all-time low. He's "helping" the cops by catching all sorts of criminals, but his motivation is still revenge instead of overall good. When the Lizard starts terrorizing the city, though, Peter starts saving people, even before he realizes how responsible he is for the Lizard's existence. By the end, Peter has taken responsibility for helping people, simply because of his goodness and the ability he has to do so.
7. Lessons on identity
Something I didn't notice until the 2nd time I watched it: Peter never calls himself Spiderman until shortly after Gwen calls him Spiderman. That gave me chills. It has definitely been true in my life that sometimes, other people see who we are and what we are capable of so much better than we can see it in ourselves. Gwen saw all that Peter as Spiderman could accomplish even before he could. She essentially gave him the name.
Also, at the end, we hear Peter's literature teacher say that there is only one plot in every story ever told: "Who Am I?" To me, this is a beautifully poignant reminder of the fact that all of us--our heroes, our enemies, and we ourselves--have the opportunity, even the responsibility, to choose who we will be and how that will affect our actions. I think it also sets it up really well for a sequel, when Spiderman may decide, as in the 2nd film of the original trilogy, that he is "Spiderman no more." (I'm looking forward to that being shown instead of cheesily told, too.)
I think the best lesson on identity in the film, though, is Aunt Mae's comment about Peter being good. That's all any of us really need to try to be, and the rest just falls into place.
All of this culminates in my one birthday wish this year: I want a Peter Parker of my very own. Especially if his mouth can be as beautiful as Andrew Garfield's.
