The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

After Peter Parker is bitten by a genetically altered spider, he gains newfound, spider-like powers and ventures out to solve the mystery of his parent's mysterious death.

Director:

Marc Webb

Writers:

James Vanderbilt (screenplay), Alvin Sargent (screenplay)

Stars:

Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans

2 wins & 31 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Andrew Garfield	...	Spider-Man / Peter Parker
Emma Stone	...	Gwen Stacy
Rhys Ifans	...	The Lizard / Dr. Curt Connors
Denis Leary	...	Captain Stacy
Martin Sheen	...	Uncle Ben
Sally Field	...	Aunt May
Irrfan Khan	...	Rajit Ratha
Campbell Scott	...	Richard Parker
Embeth Davidtz	...	Mary Parker
Chris Zylka	...	Flash Thompson
Max Charles	...	Peter Parker (Age 4)
C. Thomas Howell	...	Jack's Father
Jake Keiffer	...	Jack (as Jake Ryan Keiffer)
Kari Coleman	...	Helen Stacy
Michael Barra	...	Store Clerk

Storyline

Peter Parker (Garfield) is an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents' disappearance - leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father's former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors' alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

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Plot Keywords:

spider man character | spider | lizard | new york city | death of parents | 

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Taglines:

The untold story begins.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Facebook game

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 July 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Spider-Man Reboot

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios Hollywood - 1000 Universal Studios Blvd, Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$230,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$62,004,688, 8 July 2012, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$262,030,663

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$757,930,663

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Marvel Entertainment, Laura Ziskin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

136 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS Dolby Atmos Dolby Surround 7.1

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally conceived as "Spider-Man 4," a direct sequel to the original film trilogy, Sony Pictures had actually begun pre-production before opting to make this film as a reboot instead. Sony re-negotiated contracts with director Sam Raimi and stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst (each receiving a reported $30 million) for a three picture deal with the intention of starting a new trilogy in the series. Scripts were commissioned from writers James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, David Koepp and Gary Ross, with each writer earning upwards of $1 million or more for their services. The story would have introduced the Vulture as a new villain: Raimi initially approached Ben Kingsley for the role before casting John Malkovich. Malkovich was actually slated to play Norman Osborne in the original film series, but had to withdraw due to scheduling conflicts. In addition to the Vulture, the film would also introduce the villainess Felicia Hardy, with Anne Hathaway set to play the character. In the initial story, Hardy would become her comic book alter-ego Black Cat, though later script rewrites recreated Hardy as an original character called Vulturess (after her departure, Hathaway would take on a similar role in The Dark Knight Rises (2012)). Raimi also expressed interest in having Dylan Baker return as Dr. Curt Connors, who would transform into the villain The Lizard, though Executive Producer Avi Arad vetoed this idea. With development costs skyrocketing in excess of $100 million, Raimi, unhappy with repeated versions of the script, and tensions rising between Raimi, Maguire and the studio, Sony opted (in January 2010) to cancel the film and reboot the series instead. Raimi, for his part, has said it was for the best, as the director had been unhappy with Spider-Man 3 (2007) citing studio interference, and "hated" the storyline concocted for the proposed fourth film.

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Goofs

Peter's hair length changes constantly throughout the movie. For example it's very long and not stuck up at dinner with Gwen's family and right after is shorter and spiked in the rooftop kiss scene.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Peter Parker: Five, four, three, two, one... Ready or not, here I come.

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Crazy Credits

SPOILER: Not long into the credits, a scene appears of Dr. Conners in his asylum cell, talking to a mysterious man.

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Connections

Referenced in Demo Reel: The Dark Knight Begins Rising (2012)

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Soundtracks

No Way Down
Written by James Mercer
Performed by The Shins
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

Exciting, Action-Packed Reboot,,,,,But Is It Worth It?

Only five years after the universally-hated Spider-Man 3(not me, though), Columbia Pictures have decided to give Peter Parker and his alter ego, Spider-man a fresh start. This film is essentially quite similar to 2002's film, but also features a few differences mainly a personality change in Peter. I don't know if I like this film any better than the original trilogy. This film is action-packed, has a great cast, and a rather fun villain in "The Lizard," but this film doesn't live up to the trilogy that gave Spider-Man a name for himself.

Marc Webb's film explores the origins of Spider-Man and also unlike the trilogy, we learn more about Peter's past including what happened to his family. As Peter is exploring his past, he is lead to his father's former partner who happens to be too smart for his own good. Also, Peter strikes a relationship with the daughter of the police captain, Gwen Stacy.

The acting is really not too bad. An Andrew Garfield/Emma Stone pairing is not as good as the Maguire/Dunst pairing, but they still do very good and it's nice to see some cockiness in Peter's attitude instead of complete nerdiness. The Lizard, played wonderfully by Rhys Ifans, is a good villain to watch. The rest of the cast rounded out with Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, and Sally Field gives this film some starpower.

Overall, this is definitely not a bad film and it's very entertaining. But we must ask ourselves, is this a necessary reboot? Honestly, I would rather have seen a Spider-Man 4, but who's to complain. This is a solid entry into the superhero genre despite really offering anything new. But hey I was entertained and that is all what matters. I rate this film 8/10.