Review: The Amazing Spider-Man (Pt. 2 of 2)

So last Friday I went to watch The Amazing Spider-Man on a special screening granted to me by the wonderful people over at Nuffnang Philippines. This is Part 2 of my review, recap and take on the new superhero movie.

You can find Part 1 over here.

Now before I say anything else, a word of caution, there are in fact spoilers ahead so read on at your own discretion. 

So picking off where we last left at Uncle Ben's death, Peter finds out that the man who killed his uncle was the very man he had let go just moments before, thus driving him to pursue a personal vendetta against the man which escalates into nightly night searches and unintended crime fighting.

Only when Peter gets owned by a few men does he realize that if he's going to do any real pursuing, he's going to need to do it with a disguise, lest he be identified like the very man he's been looking for. The irony.

Insert SuperHero training/costume-making/self-discovery montage here. I'm actually really happy they portrayed Spidey's web powers the way they originally were in the comic book - a product of his ingenuity and his own skillful engineering instead of a side-effect of his genetic mutation. The movie never really does explain where he gets all the money - although it's presumed he gets it from Dr. Connors, because while he pursues his night antics against crime, after school during the day he's busy at work with Dr. Connors trying to create a serum for limb regeneration. I mean, you can't work and not get paid right?

I'll be truthful here. If Oscorp was a real company, it'd probably be on the top in my list of places I'd want to work after pursuing my PhD, even despite its reputation for spawning some of Spidey's and the Marvel Universe's worst villains haha.

OSCORP - The World's Leading Enterprise in Research, Development and Villain Cultivation

Meanwhile, as Peter's going around making quite a name for himself on the streets, as well as with the local Police department as a public menace, all the while dealing with his personal angst and his new reputation in school as the broody kid whose only father-figure life died, Gwen Stacy seems to be growing a spine (woman empowerment ftw) and has actually asked him out to dinner? Where? Over at her house of course! Why does this seem like it's the best idea in the world? Kudos for you if you got my hint of sarcasm.

Of course, Peter couldn't be more elated, as elated as he could be considering his uncle died of course. But before that, let me sidetrack.

While I do enjoy the snarky dialogue the writers have so dutifully included to give the Peter Parker they have created any semblance of charisma, this charisma only seems to push through when he's in a mask. I especially loved his little altercation with a man and his small knife, sarcastically falling to the ground in mock fear of the tiny weapon. That was a nice touch writers, it truly was. The other times though, our Peter is just a socially awkward mess. It's such a stark contrast that I can't help but feel that the writers are trying too hard to match up the wit and humor of other recently highlighted Marvel characters (e.g. Tony Stark), no pun intended.

Oh no! You've found my weakness! It's small knives!

Now back on track. Fresh from a trip of taking out the figurative trash, Peter makes his way to the home of none other than Gwen Stacy for his much awaited dinner, only to find out that the father of his object of interest is in fact the very same police chief that's been on his tail. It's no wonder then that they get into a heated debate as to the true intentions of masked vigilante and the level of threat he imposes on the city.

Meanwhile, Dr. Connors is in some of his own heat when an Oscorp executive/representative/some Indian guy pressures him to begin human trials on the serum that they found to be successful on a bunch of lab rats. Like a true ethical scientiest. Dr. Connors refuses, that is until Peter Parker is brought into the equation and a small threat to his life is imposed. Dr. Connors seemingly stands firm, but you can tell in his eyes that he's startled, caught in an internal debate and the responsibility he feels toward his old colleague's son after all of those years of leaving him unattended. Thinking Connors is a lost cause, the man leaves, telling Connors he can conduct clinical trials elsewhere, say a general hospital with willing patients lining up for a chance of any type of recovery. Dr. Connors is visibly jolted, but before he can change his mind, the man tells him he is relieved of duty and that's that.

Connors juggles with the idea of human trials, ultimately succumbing to the idea, presumably to spare the patients in the hospital from any possible adverse reactions, as well as to protect Peter, even if it is just a side thought in the process. The point is that Connors intentions were good, and we shouldn't forget that. And so he injects himself with the serum, inducing in himself a state of catatonic shock. There's a little bit of suspension of disbelief required here because let's face it - gene expression doesn't happen that fast, but meh.

The road to villain-dom is paved with good intentions.

Dr. Connors wakes up from his serum-induced mini-coma to find that he has regenerated a new arm encased in what looks to be reptilian skin. Awesome, right? Nope, not really, because later after calling the same investor that had fired him before and finding he's being ignored, a sudden rage overcomes him and we find out that uncontrolled rage is just the trigger his now mutant genes need to transform him into one of Spider-Man's more formidable enemies, The Lizard.


Meanwhile, Peter's up on the roof tongue-wrestling with Gwen Stacy after revealing to her that he is in fact Spider-Man. The way he tells her is a lot more interesting than the awkward kissfest. And if I'm not mistaken, Peter actually webs Gwen Stacy in the butt to stop her from leaving.

"Did you just shoot a web at my butt?" "Never mind that. Shut up and kiss me."

But the awkward teen kissing is interrupted by mom - of course it is. It always has to be. And instead of following Gwen back into her apartment, spurred by his newly developed Spidey Senses, Peter goes off abruptly on another call for crime fighting, and a cut scene shows Gwen's dad doing the exact same thing. Ooh, a conflict of interests, oh what shall our poor Gwen do?

But of course when Peter gets to the scene of the trouble that he's alerted to, he finds it isn't any old robbery. Nope, it's Dr. Connors in eight-foot lizard-human-mutant form in a vengeful quest to kill the man who forced his hand to inevitable, but of course, Peter doesn't know this and instead gets The Lizard angry, and as such earns himself a new nemesis making himself out as a threat. It's noteworthy to mention that even at this point, Dr. Connors still has good intentions, albeit he can't actually control the actions that are a result of his intentions.

In the hullabaloo of the fight, The Lizard finds himself weakened, a result of a faulty serum which doesn't allow the sustained regeneration of his limbs and superhuman abilities and Peter's left to clean up after The Lizard's mess, including saving a kid who get stuck in a car seat as the minivan plummets to its doom. Sometimes, I think car seats are more trouble than they're worth >_> In a touching scene where Peter gives the kid his mask and urges him to climb up the van, he realizes what having powers is all about. It isn't just about his revenge, it's about using them to help people - just like Uncle Ben said his dad used to do. And when the kid's grateful dad asks him who he is, he answers confidently, "I'm Spider-Man". Chills.


Of course, there are people less than pleased with Spider-Man's antics. Gwen's Dad who's pissed that the Spider-Man is gathering a cult following, Aunt May who's worried sick that Peter comes home everyday bruised and beat up, Gwen, knowing how much trouble he gets into everyday and now, Dr. Connors, who has returned to his human form confused and seemingly developing a split identity very much like the Green Goblin had in the last installment.

This guy's just bought himself a one-way ticket to the loony bin.

Dr. Connors, spurred on by the voice in his head, develops a fixation with the serum, exploring its properties beyond its healing capabilities and into the prospect of creating a perfect Utopian society free from outcasts, and weakness, not by eradicating sickness bur rather by eradicating the human race itself in favor of a far more superior species much like his human-lizard alter-ego.

Good thing (or not so good thing), Peter catches onto the changes in his mentor's attitude when it notices patches of lizard-like skin on his neck. He finds an empty canister of the serum on the doctor's desk and deduces that somehow Dr. Connnors' self-administrated serum had gone terribly wrong and his hunch is affirmed when he sees the same mouse they had conducted preliminary trials on now mutated into this gruesome creature reminiscent of the rat monsters from Phantasy Star 4. Again, a comment on the CG. It's really bad. The shadows are off and the rat looks horribly fake.

Peter takes it upon himself to stop the doctor from causing any more harm but keeping the occupation of his new-found girlfriend's father in mind, he takes it to the authorities first. When they dismiss his warnings as talks of madness, he searches for his own evidence, catching the trail of lizards which seem to be gathering underground, leading him to the sewers where Connors has set up his own Mad Scientist Laboratory. Again, another comment on the CG, the lizards suck too. We find out that Dr. Connors has doubled his dosage of the serum in an effort to prolong its effects, which is totally a good idea Doc. Surely, adding more of the serum instead of reformulating it will get it to work. Totally. *sarcasm*

Seems like a great idea to me.

This of course only transforms him into The Lizard once more, even without provocation or tense anger.


Meanwhile, Spider-Man sets up an intricate array of webs designed to alert him of approaching danger as well as to capture his intended prey for a nice little picture for evidence. And he almost succeeds too, but The Lizard manages to sneak up on him and get in a few blows before Spidey's forced to retreat, in so doing, leaving his camera aptly labeled with 'Property of Peter Parker' at the scene for The Lizard to pick up. Smart move, Peter, smart move.


Injured and let's face it, feeling a bit useless, Peter struggles and finds his way back to Gwen's place. In one of my favorite scenes with Emma Stone, Gwen tries to deter her dad from entering her room by telling him she has cramps. Good going Gwen, now all the guys know that 'cramps' are just our scapegoat excuse. Either way, she heals Peter's poor ego, with a little bit of making out. Forget the deep wounds on Peter's chest which she only tends to with a light scrub. Nope, he doesn't have any time for that. Instead, he suggests they go out and have a little bit of fun, which they do by swinging around the city on his web. You totally forget that only seconds ago, Peter was writhing in pain.

Ah, the miraculous healing powers of teenage, hormone-driven love.

Little does Peter know that Dr. Connors now has it out for him and the next day at school is the day he's ambushed by the doctor in lizard form, livid that the Spider-Man dare meddle in his efforts to convert the human race into something more than just weaklings. And so yet another fight ensues, which brings The Lizard and Spider-Man into a library where Stan Lee cameos as an oblivious male Librarian, jamming to some classical music as the two genetically modified humans have it out behind him, leaving a wake of destruction behind them.

We salute you, Stan.

What I like about this fight scene is that instead of running away in fear, our little leading lady makes herself useful and actually gets her hands dirty trying to distract The Lizard from potentially mauling her boyfriend. Of course, she doesn't do much, but it's the thought that counts, and it buys Spidey just enough time incapacitate the man-lizard before literally throwing Gwen out the window and 'cushioning' her fall before she hits the ground. You see, this is ironic, because in the comic book, Gwen dies because of being caught from a fall in such a manner, the sudden halt causing her neck to break. Knowing that Peter has the habit of stopping falls like that, it's no wonder it happens. Is this some sort of foreshadowing? :o Let's hope not.

Anyway, as the police approach, The Lizard retreats and Peter follows his trail, leading to the doctor's lab. Peter finds out through the doctors daily vlogs that he plans to administer the serum to a wide land area, presumably enough to cover the entire city in an effort to mutate the entire population into man-lizards. He quickly calls Gwen and asks her to make her way to the OSCORP tower to develop an antidote to the serum in the hopes of stopping The Lizard in his tracks. How she's going to be able to make that serum in less than an hour is beyond me, but little does Peter know that the doctor plans on using the device he and Peter's father invented to administer the drug. And guess where that device is? Yep, right in OSCORP tower, putting Gwen in the frontline of grave danger. When Peter realizes this he tries to coax her into leaving but Gwen reasons that the antidote is almost done cooking. Good job Gwen! You're an awesome strong female role in a male-centric movie. I love you so much.

Oh stop it, you.

So Peter ends up dealing with cops who are so desperately after him, even a midst an eight-foot lizard man reeking havoc on the streets and transforming their fellow officers into lizard mutants. Way to get your priorities straight, police force. At this point, I'm wondering why the hell they haven't brought in the tanks. Maybe they're too busy evacuating the entire city. That explains things.


Still injured from the previous fight and avoiding police, helicopters and cars at the same time, Spider-Man falls from a height in what might be a little bit too much butt exposure for my taste. Seriously? The angle of the light as he falls hits his butt so the suit looks almost transparent. And when he falls, his butt actually jiggles. It friggin JIGGLES.

"DAT ASS." I'm pretty sure this counts as indecent exposure.

So Spider-Man finds himself cornered by the police and is eventually demasked by Gwen's father himself, not before kicking some major police butt first of course, but still, it happens. He begs the chief to let him go, using his daughter as the reason, well at least one of the reasons, because we sure as heck know the police can't bring down the lizard-beast themselves. And so the chief gives in, but before Spidey can make a break for it, an idiot cop shoots him on the leg.


Injured, tired and with nothing to aim his webs at to swing from, Spider-Man's about twenty blocks away from where he wants to be - at OSCORP tower. 


This is what I like about this reboot. In the last Spider-Man franchise, Spidey just mindlessly swings from one place to the other and nobody even wonders where the heck he's shooting his webs from because god knows there aren't that many surfaces his web has to adhere to which will allow for horizontal pendulum-like travel. PHYSICS, PEOPLE, PHYSICS.

Because you sincerely have to wonder where the hell he's hanging from in pictures like these.

 In this movie, Spider-Man has just that problem and ends up having to literally crawl his way to the scene.


Until the guy whose son Spider-Man saved earlier on (he just so happens to be a crane operator) sees him on the news and decides to return the favor by calling all his friends and getting a sequence of cranes ready for him. Call it deus ex machina or whatever, because I'm pretty sure that many cranes in sequential order is hard to come by, but damn, that was one of the coolest scenes ever. Now that Spider-Man has the cranes lined up and ready for him, he finally has somewhere to anchor his web to swing from. 


Cue epic fight scene with The Lizard. I'm not even going to go into detail about this. It's just one of those things you actually have to see in theaters to appreciate. I'm just going to go ahead and say one thing (yet again), the CG is still pretty bad. It's better than before, but still pretty bad. 


Meanwhile, Gwen has completed the antidote but is unable to give it to Peter for him to use, so instead leaves it in her father's hands. He tells her he knows about Peter and his alter-ego and my heart wrenches at this because I'm pretty sure they're going to kill her dad off in this movie.

So you mean to tell me I die in this movie!?

So like the badass police chief he is, he goes up and shoots the heck out of The Lizard, affording Spidey some time to aim some Liquid Nitrogen at him and freeze the creature. Apparently, this is super effective because he's cold blooded. Chief Stacy tells Spider-Man he can handle The Lizard and hands him the antidote. Peter contemplates administering the antidote directly to the doctor to keep him at bay, but knowing there are other people out there who've been mutated, goes off and tries to switch the serum for the antidote. It becomes quite apparent that the chief can't hold The Lizard off for any longer when the liquid nitrogen runs out and I cry for the second time in the movie when The Lizard deals the final blow to the chief with a jab of his sharp nails into the chief's stomach.


Peter is just a few moments too late when the device finally detonates and releases the antidote, healing those mutated and reverting the Doctor to his weakened form. But the damage from their earlier fight has Spider-Man falling off the building, seemingly plummeting to his death - not until Doctor Connors, now fully aware of his actions saves him and pulls him up to the building. It's reinforced in this scene that Doctor Connors really did care for Peter, much like Norman Osborn and Otto Octavius from the other films did before they went bad. Before Peter even has a chance to process what just happened, Connors tells him to go check on the chief, whom he is sure he had injured in some way.


Peter makes a mad dash for him, but he's too late, and is only in time to promise the chief to watch over the city and to leave his daughter out of his trouble. What can Peter do than to agree? Peter makes his way home before the cops can catch him on the scene, making sure to pick up the carton of eggs his aunt asked for on the way.


So the days pass and so does George Stacy's funeral. Doctor Connors is put behind bars and Peter isolates himself from Gwen just as he promised. But with a little bit of encouragement from Aunt May, he realizes that some promises were meant to be broken and quite stupidly, he resolves to patch things up with Gwen. Hopefully, this doesn't result in her death some time in the future.

I may have just indirectly killed a girl.

The End.

Well, not really.


A post-credits reel shows Dr. Connors talking to a shadowed figure about the real fate of Peter's parents and who exactly Peter is.

Which begs the question, why exactly did interspecies genetics work on Peter when all other clinical trials have resulted either in death or unsightly mutations into lizard-human hybrids?

In the comic book, Peter's parents were special agents or spies, if you will, but the writers introducing them as having a part in some scientific conspiracy and somehow involving Peter with his special genetics puts a whole new twist in the story in a universe far apart from that of in the comic book.

It is for this reason that I am sorely looking forward to the sequel of this movie, much more than I did the sequel of the last Spider-Man installment, because now there are actually legitimate questions left unanswered and not just questions of whether or not the girl and guy will get together.

So what do I have to say about this movie all in all? It was entertaining, the dialogue was better than I expected and I'm glad they retained elements from the comicbook that I valued very much. I hated the CG, abhorred it to bits, and I'm pretty disappointed that Uncle Ben had to die over a measly 2 cents, but that was necessary.

I hope this review, recap, summary or synopsis helped you guys or entertained you in some way.

Until next time,
Ada, signing out!