Looking to make audiences forget about how dreadful 2007's Spider-Man 3 truly was, Columbia Pictures decided to give the franchise a complete makeover this summer with a new cast and director. The result is The Amazing Spider-Man, a new take on the Wall Crawler's origin that looks to dig deeper into Peter Parker's past and focus on the mysterious deaths of his biological parents.
In this latest trailer, the film's tone is firmly established as director Marc Webb looks to give Spider-Man's world a more serious edge, while retaining the character's signature sense of humor. Fans of the comics will instantly recognize scenes where Spider-Man is joking around with criminals he has apprehended, ultimately humiliating them in the process. Andrew Garfield seamlessly pulls all of this off as the shy, yet emotionally unstable, Peter Parker. No longer is he the harmless nerd of the piece; instead, he has a chip on his shoulder that not only gives him an edge, but a sense of purpose as well.
Garfield's chemistry with Emma Stone, who plays Gwen Stacy, looks to be a true highlight of the film. They seem to realistically care about each other in a way that Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst couldn't quite pull off in the previous trilogy. This leads to a classic conflict as Gwen's father, Captain George Stacy, who is played by Denis Leary, is in charge of putting Spidey behind bars. It's a comic book soap opera at its finest.
Thankfully, Webb's grounded approach to the movie has led to more practical special effects being used and less CGI stuntmen. That is why Spider-Man moves with a real sense of weight and physicality here, as opposed to the lighter-than-air quality we have seen in the past. However, the trailer still keeps the film's villain, the Lizard, played by Rhys Ifans, under wraps for the most part. Brief glimpses are available, and it's easy to get a sense of what he will look like, but there is still a lot that is unknown.
Unlike The Avengers, The Amazing Spider-Man looks like more of a character piece than an action movie. With great actors, a sophisticated tone, and a some potentially complex themes, The Amazing Spider-Man should appeal to fans everywhere looking for a little bit more substance in their comic book movies. There is no reason why this movie can't begin a more mature Spider-Man trilogy in the same way Batman Begins did for the Caped Crusader.
We'll see if it really delivers when The Amazing Spider-Man hits theaters on July 3.
