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Once Spider-Man has found his calling and, most importantly, superhero suit, The Amazing Spider-Man goes all out to entertain bolstered by its spectacular 3D, writes Sukanya Verma

It's not easy to replace a favourite memory.

And so I wasn't too happy about a new Spider-Man movie. Not just because the last one (2007) was such a joke but the likelihood of seeing someone other than Tobey Maguire under Spidey's distinguished mask appeared unbearable.


At the same time, I hoped like Daniel Craig in Casino Royale and, perhaps, Anne Hathaway in the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises, Andrew Garfield could co-exist with, if certainly not erase, the memory of their iconic predecessor. Hathway, at least, has the advantage of an atrociously poor representation before hers.

Despite my reservations and lack of fervor, I have to admit The Amazing Spider-Man was a lot of FUN.

Now, it's quite obvious why this film got made. Superhero flicks spell box-office gold. So there's no point judging the studio for rebooting a franchise barely five years since its last venture. Also, considering what an embarrassment that was, it shouldn't be the last living memory of any man or superhero. Moreover, this has been an exceptionally generous year for fellow Marvel messiahs thanks to the billions-minting, The Avengers. Wouldn't be polite if the still-in-college shy science geek with an unending supply of goopy web was left out, right?

Bottom-line, why not?

So here's the deal of what's hot and what's not. What's interesting is that instead of a conventional big studio set-up action whiz taking over the reins of this franchise from director Sam Raimi, Sony opted for Mark Webb who debuted with a delightful coming-of-age indie, (500) Days of Summer in 2009.  Guess having that unmistakable Spidey vibe in his name went in his favour.

That's cute but there was really no need to establish Peter Parker's (Garfield) transformation from boy to hero all over again with the same plotline we've watched and wowed over in the first Spider-Man vehicle.


 All this -- radioactive spider takes a snap at Parker during a science trip, his metamorphosis from just-another-shy geek to web-shooting, wall-crawling wonder, Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen is a picture of warm benevolence) and Aunt May (Sally Field looks as though she's washed too many dishes that day) lectures him about responsibility, dies in an unfortunate manner and triggers the desire to teach all the baddies of the world an unforgettable lesson within the masked vigilante -- is still fresh in the minds of Spider-fans.

If at all there was a concern for reaching out to those 12-15 year-olds,  given they were probably too young to follow what the events of the first film, they could have simply shown the afore-mentioned scenario in a snappy  and stylish recap. Webb, after all, knows the drill having directed numerous music videos.

Following a tedious 20-25 minutes, which could easily be trimmed down by 10 or so, The Amazing Spider-Man finally begins to underline the adjective in its title.

Once Spider-Man has found his calling and, most importantly, superhero suit and the self-seeking scientist, Dr. Curtis Connors (a compelling Rhys Ifans) has turned into a full-fledged Mr Hyde, rather a green, scaly gigantic Lizard, the film goes all out to entertain bolstered by its spectacular 3D. I can't tell you how many times I felt Spiderman smashing into my face.

And that lifelong aspiration to experience the thrill of firing web shots and swinging between Manhattan's ubiquitous skyscrapers, Spider-Man's 3D avatar is as close as it gets.

Speaking of which, although it's a brief part and he cannot resist an occasional accent (disapp-h-ointed, cl-h-ose), Irrfan Khan holds it together with his commanding presence and tenacious eyes. It's nice to see he's important enough to be thwacked by the bad guy and (kind of) rescued by the good one.

Unlike say, the cheesy Green Goblin or lacklustre Sandman, Lizard resembles a green mass of unabashed terror. He conveys genuine threat and proves a worthy candidate for testing Spidey's powers considering the latter is unwittingly responsible for creating him in the first place.

Their combat sequences in the murky sewers and later in the city are orchestrated with commendable grandeur. Webb treats the genre like science-fiction horror, especially when Peter realises he's 'changing' and portions featuring the Lizard but lends a few witty touches at the right places to generate an unforeseeable, exhilarating momentum. James Horner's soundtrack, however, is a dampener and its syrupy quality is no patch on the striking, epic enchantment of Danny Elfman's glorious score from the previous films in the franchise.

Fed on Tim Burton's gothic, surreal vision of Batman and Joel Schumacher loony follow-ups, it was 2002's Spider-Man that changed our outlook about superhero films for good. Since then others have picked up, improvised or found the courage to darken its core elements to tremendous success.

What Sam Raimi did was make Spider-Man, despite his unique powers, a real person with the same set of vulnerabilities, concerns and insecurities.  He gave him a heart. Webb takes that heart and builds it into a beautiful romance between the nervous, sentimental, introvert Peter Parker and his plucky schoolmate Gwen Stacey much to the disapproval of her cop father, played by a wonderful Denis Leary.  Not to mention, Spidey's multi-purpose web could put candlelight dinners out of business.

The real-life duo makes magic on screen with that oft-used, seldom-possessed attribute, c-h-e-m-i-s-t-r-y.  Emma Stone's Stacey is gorgeous, adorable, smart and graceful even when she's not looking. She's terrific and not relegated to sidelines in a genre famous for doing just that.

I am not so crazy about the new Spidey guy though. Andrew Garfield, though he has the physicality and I liked him in Never Let Me Go, is not my idea of Spider-Man. Garfield's excessively hyper body language (what's with that constant scratching of hair, licking lips, trembling tone?), petulant response and that obvious 'OH-MY-GOD-I'M SPIDER-MAN' astonishment is distracting until he's calmed down by Stone's loving lip-locks. (Nope, none of that sexy, upside-down kissing moments in this one but that's no downer.)

First impressions are something else, especially of the favourable kind. Tobey Maguire's lost eyes, boyish candor, radiant goodness and that exclusive ability to make you feel bad for him/with him are sorely missed. Garfield, sensitive as he is, doesn't quite enjoy this level of empathy.
What I really found interesting though the film doesn't end in the spirit of action but lingers on a bit to emphasise on Spider-Man's growth and realisations. And after a brief roll of closing credits, there's a sly suggestion of a possibility. We know it as sequel.

This week's release Maximum features good actors lazily reeling off lines that go nowhere, writes Raja Sen.

The film opens with the word MAXIMUMBAI, suggesting either a superheroic clean-up lady or a city inundated by unminiskirts.

Lamentably enough, Kabeer Kaushik's cop thriller is neither of those potentially fun things, and not even really a thriller. It's a pity, for Kaushik's Sehar remains one of the most solid cop movies in recent years.

This one, however, tries too hard to appear 'intelligent,' which is why voices are softened and conversations are made matter-of-fact. The idea of corrupt cops facing off against each other can be a fine one, but mired here in the midst of people saying things really really slowly, it loses its steam.

A stubbly Vivek Mushran type rides a train with a sketchbook, but his subjects are cops -- more baton baton than Baaton Baaton Mein here, clearly. He works in a news channel, and befriends an exasperatingly calm top cop, played by Sonu Sood.


Sood, initially engaging but then channeling a young Shatrughan Sinha (while sounding like Raj Babbar), is a bad egg, but one of many.

His wife, played by Neha Dhupia , restricts her performance to picking out cotton saris, and his mistress, played by Anjana Sukhani , has the word Maa tattooed on her hand: what a terrific antithesis to the iconic Deewar scribble.

So we meet dirty cops. And more dirty cops. And their allies. And we hear of their plans. And it's all so deathly boring.

There is something to be said for clinical exposition that doesn't beat about the bush, but Maximum features good actors lazily reeling off lines that go nowhere.

An old man quotes Shakespeare and speaks of providence while politicians and cops talk between teacups, and some low-res newsclip footage of the 26/11 attacks are spliced in.

Somewhere, Naseeruddin Shah seethes, possibly at the lack of narrative heft.

In the end, almost like an afterthought, Kaushik realises he's left too many guns unfired, and things come to a head in a pointless hail of bullets, rivals trading fatal gunshots in turn, like polite ping-pong players.

The score? Nothing to love.

The Amazing Spider-Man's Spider-Man soars and director Marc Webb lets us tag along for the ride, writes Raja Sen

We've seen it before, of course. We know he gets bitten by accident, yahoos about his powers, learns tragically about power and responsibility, and is surprisingly adept at sewing himself a spandex costume with significant embellishment.

The beats aren't new, and -- this is crucial -- they shouldn't be. Watching a superhero origin story is like watching yet another cinematic troupe play out a Shakespearean saga, an analogy that Stan Lee, with his faux-Bard posturing, might like. There are liberties taken, certainly, but the essence of it all -- whether the movie is directed by the fortunately named Marc Webb or Sam Raimi or by us, with a phalanx of action figures duking it out in bed -- is the same.

And the reason Spider-Man stands at the very top of the increasingly cluttered superhero heap -- a heap made up of aliens and mutants and shadowy vigilantes and men with really long fingernails -- is because there's a real man underneath that mask. Other heroes veer wildly in personality and character and scope based on writers and artists working on them, but there is only one Peter Parker.

One who is as much about saving the day as he is about the frustration of not having done it more seamlessly; one who is as much about the utter inability to ask a girl out as he is about being a genius scientist; as much about heart, then, as he is about heroics. And, given he's a high schooler, the mask is all about acting out.

Webb's film starts with a knee-high Peter Parker, playing hide and seek with wily parents who elaborately balance hats on broomsticks to confuse the child. He isn't the only one hunting for them, even though that hunt becomes a way of life as he grows up and continues to wonder where -- and why -- they hid. Relentlessly, recklessly he fumbles his way toward answers…

But while the film begins with the boy, it only genuinely kicks off with the girl. Making Parker's jaw drop with her go-go boots and the Vonnegut novel in her hand, Gwen Stacy is a confident, striking platinum blonde heroine who melts our boy right through. It is this impulsive, heady romance that gives a vitally thumping bassline to The Amazing Spider-Man. Even as a slithering foe (compared, in the script, to Godzilla) raises the story's stakes and lends it hihat reptilian chills.

Dr Curt Connors, while lacking of limb, is anything but 'armless. (Sorry, couldn't resist. Spidey'd get it.) A scientist trying to harness the regenerative power of lizards, he grows back his right arm but, in the process, turns into the long-tongued Lizard, a monster who wants to create an equally scaly army. Cue action sequences, each amplified by how genuinely formidable this foe looks. For a film shot in 3D, this doesn't take gimmicky advantage of the format as often, but when things roll, they really roll.

The action is lucid, urgent and importantly imaginative -- Spidey seems to be improvising, desperately, on the fly -- and the bits when Webb lets us look through those friendly neighbourhood eyes as he careens dramatically around the city, putting us right in the middle of a rollercoaster ride, are worth the IMAX prices. 3D this one, true believers.

Strangely for a superhero blockbuster, however, the sentiments overwhelm the setpieces. For one, the cast is smashing.

Andrew Garfield brings a wiry jumpiness to Parker, a constant nervous energy that keeps the character constantly unpredictable. Emma Stone is a treat as Gwen Stacy, ebullient and fresh enough to make up for decades of poorly-cast love interests in superhero movies. Martin Sheen is a very solid Uncle Ben (though it does occasionally seem like the President's turned into a handyman) while Sally Field's Aunt May doesn't click at all, forever seeming like a presence too far from Peter's centre. Rhys Ifans is a great Connors and a fine Lizard, further made fearsome by the humanity he brings to the part. And James Horner hasn't sounded this good in decades.

Webb's strength as a director lies in just how smoothly he flips genres, switching between gears with immaculate ease.

Snap, it's a coming of age story, snap, it's about boy meets girl, snap, it's Jurassic Park , snap, it's the best darned Stan Lee cameo in the Marvel universe, snap, it's a blockbuster, snap, snap, snap. And despite maniacal gearshifting -- and some initial sluggishness -- he keeps slowing down to close in on the nuances: on a boy who'd rather use a strand of webbing than reveal intent or identity, on a superhero learning on the job, on a girl falling head-first in love knowing she's in trouble, on promises made and promises broken.

And on Spider-Man, who scuttles. His movements aren't immediately graceful, often a flailing, akimbo mess. Garfield gives the character stammering nerves and Webb visually jerks him like a whimsical puppeteer, moving his limbs before the rest of him. It's a dynamic new way to see Spidey on screen, and as he gets better -- both at his job and at realising just what his job is -- this new Spider-Man soars. And Webb lets us tag along for the ride.