Writer: Siti Munawirah Mustaffa

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Watch this if you liked: "Spider-Man"

A reboot made only ten years after Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" may seem a little too soon, but upon seeing the unforgivable atrocities in the third Raimi film, "The Amazing Spider-Man" might just as well bring some new hope to the comic hero's fans.

To begin with, there is nothing original about the whole story as the audience can already figure it all out from the beginning. Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), an awkward teenage boy who knows his algorithms and photography, tries to solve the mysteries of his missing father and is eventually led to a scientific corporation known as Oscorp Industries. He gets bitten by a lab spider, becomes a superhuman the next day, and uses his power on the school bully before transforming into a big time hero in the city of New York. It's the same old boring plotlines that you find in every superhero versus super-villain movie.

What makes the remake less redundant is new director Mark Webb's ability to develop the characters and make them look more realistically human. It's easy for the audience to feel Parker's teenage angst and awkwardness. He is, after all, an ordinary boy who lives through his day dealing with school and family matters. As the story rolls, audience can notice the change within Parker as he becomes more responsible and courageous, balancing his double live as a teenager and a hero. Webb made the right choice of having Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, who is definitely not your typical screaming vulnerable heroine that was portrayed by Kirsten Dunst's Mary-Jane Watson. As the director of "500 Days of Summer", Webb does a good job in placing the focus on the characters rather than the action.

The dowsnside is, though, is that it makes the film appears more of a teenage sitcom than a comic book hero. Even the 3D effects and action scenes do not provide any of that 'oomph' found in "The Avengers" or "The Dark Knight".

Despite Webb's attempts at placing more light on the characters' developments, several plot holes could not help but appear along the way. First of all, how does Peter perfect his whole alter ego costume? And why, at the age of 17 does he suddenly decide to find out more about his father who had already been missing since he was 10?

In short, "The Amazing Spider-Man" is predictable, slightly cheesy, yet heartwarmingly entertaining. So, do enter the hall with fewer expectations in order for you to enjoy the show as that's what the film is supposed to do: To please the audience.

Cinema Online, 29 June 2012