Whether or not rebooting a franchise barely a decade old was a good idea is inconsequential to the merits of the resulting film. And it isn’t as if the original web-slinging trilogy is some sacred cow. Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man has its moments but doesn’t ever reconcile the origin story with the business at hand. Also, Macy Gray. I’m willing to let some silliness slide, but a man has his limits. Raimi’s second try is possibly the best superhero movie ever made. Sure, some things remain goofy, but the narrative thrust of the film pushes it through deftly. Also, the climactic train sequence is legend. As for Spider-Man 3 well, I remember thinking it was bad, but I can’t remember anything about it. And that’s precisely how I feel about The Amazing Spider-Man, except I saw it less than 12 hours ago. Continue reading
