Development of the film began in 2010 following the cancellation ofSpider-Man 4, which would have been the fourth film inSam Raimi'sSpider-Man series starringTobey Maguire. Columbia Pictures opted to reboot the franchise with the same production team, with Vanderbilt staying on to write, and Sargent and Kloves assisting with the script. Using theRED Epic camera,principal photography occurred inLos Angeles and New York City between December 2010 and May 2011.3ality Technica provided 3D image processing, whileSony Pictures Imageworks handledCGI effects. It was the last film written by Sargent before his death in 2019.
Sony Pictures Entertainment built a promotional website, releasing many previews and launching aviral marketing campaign, with tie-ins including avideo game byBeenox andActivision.The Amazing Spider-Man premiered in Tokyo on June 30, 2012, and was released in 2D,3D,IMAX 3D, and4DX formats in the United States on July 3. It received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised the directing, action sequences, visual effects, musical score, and the performances of Garfield and Stone. The film grossed $758.7 million worldwide, making it theseventh-highest-grossing film of 2012. A sequel,The Amazing Spider-Man 2, was released in 2014. In 2021, Garfield and Ifans reprised their roles in theMarvel Cinematic Universe filmSpider-Man: No Way Home, which explored the concept of themultiverse and linked theSpider-Man series directed byJon Watts to the films directed by Webb and Raimi.
After discovering that his home office has been burglarized, scientistRichard Parker and his wife Mary flee to an unknown destination, leaving their young sonPeter in the care of hisAunt May andUncle Ben.
Years later, a teenage Peter attendsMidtown Science High School in New York City. He is intelligent, but socially awkward and often bullied. He has a crush onGwen Stacy, who returns his feelings. Peter discovers his father's briefcase and learns from Ben that his father was a friend ofDr. Curt Connors, a scientist atOscorp in the field ofcross-species genetics. Hoping to learn about his father's work, Peter sneaks into a restricted laboratory at Oscorp, where a genetically modified spider bites him. He develops spider-like abilities, including superhuman strength, agility, speed, and the ability to cling to surfaces.
Connors, whose right arm has been amputated, is conducting experiments to regenerate limbs. Peter discovers the missing piece to Connors' research, the "decay rate algorithm", in his father's papers. Peter visits Connors, reveals that he is Richard's son, and gives Connors the algorithm. At home, Peter and Ben argue, and Peter leaves. While searching for Peter, Ben is killed by a thief. Under the alias Spider-Man, Peter uses his new abilities to track down criminals matching the killer's description. He creates a mask with yellow-tinted glasses and aspandex suit to hide his identity, and builds mechanical web-shooters using a web formula developed by Oscorp. At dinner with Gwen's family, he discovers her father is police captainGeorge Stacy, who holds a grudge against Spider-Man. After arguing with Captain Stacy, Peter reveals his double identity to Gwen, and they kiss.
Connors' superior Rajit Ratha demands that Connors begin human trials with his formula to regrow limbs using lizard DNA. Connors refuses to rush into testing, as it could put innocent people at risk. Ratha fires Connors and decides to test the serum at aVeterans Administration hospital. Desperate, Connors tries the formula on himself, passes out, and awakens to find that his missing arm has regenerated. While trying to intercept Ratha on theWilliamsburg Bridge, Connors turns into a humanoid reptilian monster and begins a violent rampage; Peter arrives and saves people from Connors' attacks. Unable to piece together a narrative for the incident, the police issue a city-wide manhunt for both the Lizard and Spider-Man.
Connors discovers that Peter is Spider-Man, and attacks him at school. After Peter chases him off, he pursues Connors into the sewers, where he finds a makeshift lab. He realizes that Connors is planning to release a biochemical agent from Oscorp Tower, which will turn everyone in the city into reptilian hybrids like himself. As Peter tries to stop Connors, the police corner him, and Captain Stacy discovers his double identity. Stacy lets Peter go after Connors, while Gwen creates an antidote for Connors' chemical agent. While Stacy occupies Connors in battle, Peter disperses the antidote into the city, curing Connors and his victims. Dying from wounds inflicted by Connors, Stacy asks Peter to stay away from Gwen to keep her safe. Peter tries to honor this request, but realizes both he and Gwen are unhappy, and he hints to her that he may not keep his promise.
Andrew Garfield asPeter Parker / Spider-Man: A highly intelligent and introverted teenager who develops spider-like abilities after being bitten by a genetically-modified spider.
Rhys Ifans asDr. Curt Connors / Lizard: A leading scientist at Oscorp who attempts to engineer a serum to regrow human limbs. After testing the serum on himself, he transforms into a large reptilian monster.[9][10]
Denis Leary asGeorge Stacy: A police captain and Gwen's father. He distrusts Spider-Man and seeks to apprehend both him and the Lizard.[11]
Campbell Scott asRichard Parker: Peter's deceased father. He is a former Oscorp scientist who intentionally disappeared with his wife for unknown reasons.[12][13]
Irrfan Khan as Rajit Ratha: An Oscorp executive and Connors' immediate superior.[14]
Max Charles plays a young Peter Parker,Chris Zylka plays the bullyFlash Thompson,[18][19] andEmbeth Davidtz portrays Peter's mother,Mary Parker.[12][13] Leif Gantvoort plays theburglar who shoots Uncle Ben, and Michael Barra plays T-Bone, the store clerk. Tom Waite plays Nicky, a thug whom Peter mistakes for his uncle's killer.Hannah Marks portrays Missy Kallenback, a shy girl who has a crush on Peter,[20] whileKelsey Chow appears as Hot Girl.[c]C. Thomas Howell plays the father of a boy rescued by Spider-Man, whileSpider-Man co-creatorStan Lee has acameo appearance as a school librarian.[22]Michael Massee plays the mysterious man who talks with Connors in his prison cell in a brief scene during the end credits.[d][e]Michael Papajohn, who appeared as the burglarDennis Carradine inSpider-Man (2002), has a cameo as Alfred, Dr. Ratha's limo driver. Papajohn asked to reprise the role of the burglar inThe Amazing Spider-Man, but the part was given to Gantvoort.[26] Kari Coleman portrays Gwen's motherHelen Stacy, while Charlie DePew,Skyler Gisondo and Jacob Rodier play Gwen's brothers Philip, Howard, and Simon respectively.
Following the release ofSam Raimi'sSpider-Man 3 (2007),Sony Pictures Entertainment announced a May 5, 2011 release date for the next film inthe series. By this time,James Vanderbilt,David Lindsay-Abaire andGary Ross had written several screenplays for the film, which were rejected by Raimi.Alvin Sargent, who co-wroteSpider-Man 2 andSpider-Man 3, was working on yet another script.[27][28] On January 11, 2010,Columbia Pictures andMarvel Studios announced that instead of continuing the Raimi series, they were rebooting the series with a new cast and crew.Deadline Hollywood reported that Raimi had pulled out of the project, and the studio did not want to continue the series without him. Additionally,Avi Arad felt that the writers had not produced a story of sufficient quality to warrant a continuation of the Raimi series.[29] Arad, Matt Tolmach andLaura Ziskin were retained as producers for the upcoming reboot.[30] According to Tolmach, the producers felt the core story of Spider-Man was that of a boy becoming a man, which could be depicted again in the reboot.[29]
Tolmach, now president of Columbia Pictures, andAmy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, sought a director who could give sharp focus to Peter Parker's life.[31][32]Kathryn Bigelow andDavid Fincher were considered for the job before Marc Webb was selected. Webb had recently made his directorial debut with500 Days of Summer (2009).[f] Webb praised Raimi's version of the Spider-Man character and said it was a challenging precedent to follow. He did not want to tell another story with Raimi's version of the character, but instead wanted to present a new version of Spider-Man.[g] He later said that the world ofThe Amazing Spider-Man was influenced by theUltimate Spider-Man comic series, but was also dreamed up by the filmmakers.[37] The finalized screenplay was written by Vanderbilt and Sargent, with contributions fromSteve Kloves andPaul Feig.[38][39]
Before Andrew Garfield was cast as Spider-Man, other actors were considered for the role, includingMichael Angarano,Drake Bell,Jamie Bell,Frank Dillane,Alden Ehrenreich,Josh Hutcherson,Aaron Johnson,Joe Jonas,Logan Lerman andAnton Yelchin.[h] On July 1, 2010, it was announced that the role would go to Garfield, who later said that he mitigated his anxiety about getting the role by pretending he was auditioning for aSpider-Man short film made by his friends.[44][45] The film's director, Marc Webb, said that Garfield brought humor, emotional weight and physicality to the role. Garfield and Emma Stone were screen-tested together, and Webb said there was instant chemistry between them; they began dating while shooting the film.[46][47]
Garfield described Peter as someone he can relate to, and said the character had been an important influence on him since he was a young boy.[i] Garfield said it was a "massive challenge" to make Peter authentic. He sought to make the character "live and breathe in a new way" since audiences had already seen various incarnations of Peter.[50] To prepare for the role, Garfield studied the movements of both athletes and spiders, and incorporated spider-like movements into his performance of Peter, even when the character is not wearing his Spider-Man suit.[51][52] Garfield practicedyoga andPilates in order to be as flexible as possible. He said the physical training for the role was demanding and exhausting; he had three different stunt doubles during filming.[53][54] Garfield admitted to shedding a tear when he first wore the Spider-Man costume, and that he tried to imagine a "better" actor in the suit, because seeing himself as Spider-Man did not make sense to him.[55] He said the suit was uncomfortable and that he was not allowed to wear anything underneath except underwear, because it was skintight.[56]
In September 2010, it was reported that Sony was casting two female lead roles, leading to speculation that bothMary Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy would appear in the film. However,The Wrap reported in November that Mary Jane was never in the script.[57][58] Candidates for the role of Gwen includedDianna Agron,Lily Collins,Georgina Haig,Ophelia Lovibond,Dominique McElligott,Imogen Poots andMia Wasikowska.[j] By early October, Emma Stone had been chosen for the role, due in large part to her chemistry with Garfield.[8] Stone was unfamiliar with theSpider-Man comics, and educated herself about Spider-Man in preparation for the role. She said she wanted to interpret the character in her own way, but hoped her performance would please fans of the comics.[k]
Rhys Ifans (left, pictured in 2011), and Denis Leary (in 2015)
By mid-October,Rhys Ifans was confirmed for the role of Curt Connors / Lizard;Michael Fassbender was also considered for the role.[l] In November,Denis Leary accepted the role of George Stacy, and Martin Sheen was confirmed for the role of Uncle Ben.[m] Sheen described Ben as a surrogate father for Peter, and Webb praised Sheen for bringing a "benevolent authority" to the role.[74] Webb sought to portray Ben as ablue-collar man, whose outlook on life was different from the science-inclined Peter. Webb found it interesting to explore the differences between Peter and his aunt and uncle.[75]
Sally Field said she took the role of Aunt May as a favor to her friendLaura Ziskin, because she knew it would be Ziskin's last film (Ziskin died in 2011).[76][77] Webb praised Field for bringing "genuine affection" to the role.[75] Irrfan Khan said he was offered the role of Rajit Ratha[n] after appearing in the television dramaIn Treatment.[79] Webb was a fan of Khan after watching the series, along with Khan's filmsThe Namesake andThe Warrior.[14] Khan said his sons were excited about the role and insisted he take it.[80]
Webb felt a responsibility to reinvent Spider-Man.[81] One departure from the preceding trilogy was to have Spider-Man build artificial web-shooters, as he does in the comics. Webb explained that the web-shooters inThe Amazing Spider-Man were meant to showcase Peter's intelligence. The crew also redesigned Spider-Man's costume for the film, in an attempt to make Peter's body appear "longer and more lithe, more of an acrobat, someone incredibly agile". Webb wanted it to be apparent that the costume and web-shooters were things that Peter constructed himself. The crew created multiple different Spider-Man suits for various lighting conditions.[82]
When designing the Lizard, Webb decided against putting a lizard snout on the character, because he wanted him to feel human as well as monstrous, and be able to convey emotions.[75][83]
The scene in which the Lizard rampages on theWilliamsburg Bridge was filmed both on the bridge itself and on a Los Angeles soundstage, where a 150-foot piece of the bridge was constructed.[84]
For action sequences involving Spider-Man, Webb relied more on stunt performers than previousSpider-Man films, which had used extensive CGI to create the character's superhuman movements.[92][93] To determine how Spider-Man should look when swinging from his webs, stunt coordinator Andy Armstrong studied the movements of anOlympic gymnast.[p] Garfield performed many of his own stunts, which required him to undertake rigorous physical training and lessons inparkour.[97] The crew spent months creating rigs that would allow Garfield and his stunt doubles to swing in a way that was not computer-generated.[81] One rig onRiverside Drive in Harlem was hundreds of feet long, and allowed a man to swing through traffic.[92]
Initially, a large stunt double was going to portay the 9-foot-tall Lizard, but Ifans insisted on playing the Lizard himself. He wore amotion capture suit, a cardboard head and a green sleeve over his right arm. The sleeve allowed his arm to be erased in post-production, which made Connors appear to be an amputee. The motion capture process allowed even small movements—like those of Ifans' eyes and eyebrows—to be recorded and integrated into theCGI-generated Lizard.[q]
The Amazing Spider-Man was the first Hollywood production to be filmed with theRED Epic camera, and was shot in 3D at 5K resolution. CinematographerJohn Schwartzman said the RED cameras were crucial in achieving the type of 3D filmmaking that Webb envisioned, particularly when it came to moving the lightweight cameras on rigs for action sequences.[85] One of the film's climactic scenes was filmed at a 1.9:1 aspect ratio to optimize it forIMAX viewing.[102]
Initially,The Amazing Spider-Man was going to be filmed in 2D, thenconverted to 3D duringpost-production. However, with the help of the 3D technology company3ality Technica, the decision was made at the last minute to shoot the film in 3D instead.[r]Sony Pictures Imageworks was responsible for a digital touch-up of the film.[107]
Webb wanted a musical score that blended grandeur with intimacy, andJames Horner was enlisted for the task.[s] In a review of the score forAllMusic, James Christopher Monger said Horner's soundtrack lacks "the pulsating gravitas" of Danny Elfman's score for the 2002 filmSpider-Man, but evokes similar feelings. He described the score as "[m]easured, quietly grand, and at times a little old-fashioned", and felt that it focuses more on the human relationships in the film than the action sequences.[109] Christian Clemmensen ofFilmtracks called the score "heroic when necessary but unexpectedly dramatic in its character-centric passages." He felt that the "heart" of the soundtrack is found in its piano sequences, which follow Peter's relationships "in their tender and mysterious turns".[110]
As part of the film's marketing campaign, various types of merchandise related toThe Amazing Spider-Man was produced, including action figures,PEZ dispensers,Mega Bloks construction sets, trading cards and nail polish.[t] Partnerships were developed with corporate sponsors such asTwizzlers, theKellogg Company and theKeebler Company. The fast-food restaurantsCarl's Jr. andHardee's offered a new burger, "The Amazing Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger", which was advertised through television and radio commercials featuringSpider-Man co-creatorStan Lee.[u] Sony launched anaugmented reality mobile application for the film, whileD-Box Technologies providedmotion simulation for the film in select theaters.[126][127] Within the film itself,product placement was used to advertise Sony mobile phones, tablets, monitors and laptops, as well asMicrosoft'sBing search engine.[128]
Graffiti of theSpider-Man logo (pictured here inSeattle, Washington) was part of the film's viral marketing campaign in several major US cities.
Aviral marketing campaign for the film was launched in early 2012. On January 8, theSpider-Man logo appeared on some of the world's most iconic buildings, such as theSydney Opera House, theColosseum of Rome, theKremlin in Moscow and theArc de Triomphe in Paris.[129][130] A "sneak-peek screening" ofThe Amazing Spider-Man was held on February 6 in 13 cities around the world.[131] The same month, the film's officialTwitter account postedlongitude andlatitudecoordinates in major US cities, which led to comic book shops in Los Angeles, New York City, Atlanta, Denver, Seattle and Phoenix. Individuals who went on this scavenger hunt found a backpack at the location, ostensibly the property of Peter Parker.[v] Items in the backpacks revealed an online "countdown clock"—when the countdown was up, scavenger hunt participants were recruited to paint theSpider-Man logo asgraffiti.[w] The viral website also offered clues to other websites, such as a photo blog that expressed Peter Parker's point of view, and a website with instructions on how to build a web-shooter.[x]
The marketing campaign also included websites forOscorp and theDaily Bugle. TheBugle site featured George Stacy asking people to send in photos documenting the whereabouts of Spider-Man.[y] People who uploaded images of Spider-Man received aSpider-Man poster.[z] Through Twitter, locations were revealed that had packages containing Connors' shredded lab coat, an Oscorp identification badge and scientific samples of reptilian skin. Solving a puzzle led players to a new Oscorp website with an internship application.[148] Completing the application and supplying the keyword "Mutagen" revealed a Lizard-themedfeaturette.[aa] On June 1, 2012, a Carl's Jr. inGlendale, California, was decorated with webs and declared a "crime scene" due to Spider-Man's apprehension of a thief. Free promotional T-shirts, film passes and other prizes were distributed, and attendees were given another puzzle to solve.[152][153] Silas Lesnick ofSuperHeroHype described the film's viral campaign as "one of the most comprehensive film virals to date".[146]
Leading up to the release ofThe Amazing Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield became an ambassador for the organizationStand Up to Cancer, which sold T-shirts featuring Spider-Man as part of its fundraising. Garfield explained that "these shirts underscore the idea that anyone has the power to be a hero." He described cancer as "one of our greatest villains" and said was proud to join others "in standing up to this disease."[154]Laura Ziskin, one of the film's producers, was a founder of Stand Up to Cancer and had died from breast cancer the previous year.[155][156]
Another promotional campaign for the film was "Spider-Man Week" in New York City. Using the slogan "Be Amazing, Stand Up and Volunteer!", the campaign offered opportunities for people to be involved with various community projects, such as neighborhood beautification and CPR trainings. There were also activities featuring spiders and Spider-Man at theNew York Botanical Garden, the Wildlife Conservation Society Zoos,Madame Tussauds New York, theBrooklyn Children's Museum and theStaten Island Children's Museum. To celebrate Spider-Man Week, theEmpire State Building was lit in Spider-Man's characteristic colors of red and blue.[157]
The Amazing Spider-Man had been scheduled for a July 3, 2012 release, but release dates outside the United States were moved earlier to increase first-week sales.[ab] The worldwide premiere of the film took place inTokyo on June 13.[162]
The Amazing Spider-Man earned $262 million in North America and $495.9 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $757.9 million.[6] It is the 106th highest-grossing film,[163] theseventh highest grossing film of 2012,[164] the 19th highest-grossing superhero film,[165] the fifth grossingSpider-Man film, the sixth highest grossing film distributed bySony/Columbia[166][167] and the highest grossingreboot of all time worldwide.[6]
In North America, the film earned $7.5 million during its midnight run at 3,150 locations, including $1.2 million from 300 IMAX venues.[168] On its opening day, a pre-holiday Tuesday, it set a Tuesday-gross record with $35 million (previously held byTransformers),[169][170] which would eventually be topped in 2019 bySpider-Man: Far From Home with $39.3 million.[171] The next day, the film dropped 33.4 percent to $23.3 million—the second highest non-opening Wednesday.[172] Over the three-day weekend, it grossed $62 million.[173] This pushed the film's six-day gross to $137 million, which was smaller than those ofTransformers ($155.41 million) andSpider-Man 2 ($180.07 million) among past Fourth of July releases.[174] Although the film did not match its predecessors, Sony Pictures stated, "In the world of re-launched franchises, this is a spectacular success by any measure".[175] For example, bothBatman Begins ($79.5 million) andX-Men: First Class ($69.9 million) (both were non 3D-movies) opened significantly belowThe Amazing Spider-Man.[176] It remained at the number 1 spot for ten consecutive days, until the opening day ofIce Age: Continental Drift.[177]
Outside North America,The Amazing Spider-Man grossed $51.1 million on its five-day opening weekend (June 27 – July 1, 2012) from 13 markets, with strong openings in many Asian countries.[178] In India, it earned $6.0 million, a record opening for a Hollywood film. Its final box office collection in India was $20 million making it the eighth highest grossing Hollywood film in India of all time.[179] Kercy Daruwala of Sony Pictures in India felt very confident that the presence of famed Indian actor Irrfan Khan would enhance attendance.[159][180][181] Opening in an additional 61 markets, the film made $127.5 million over its second weekend. The movie ranked number one in over 30 countries. In Indonesia, it broke the opening-weekend record with $4.5 million while, in the UK, it opened to £11.1 million ($18.1 million) which is about equal withSpider-Man 3 (£11.8 million).[182][183] In its last market, China,The Amazing Spider-Man grossed $33.3 million over its seven-day debut, which is more thanSpider-Man 3's lifetime box office in China.[184] China is also the movie's highest-grossing territory with $48.8 million.[185]
In March 2024, Sony announced that all of its live-actionSpider-Man films would be re-released in theaters as part of Columbia Pictures' 100th anniversary celebration.The Amazing Spider-Man was re-released on May 6, 2024.[186]
The Amazing Spider-Man was released bySony Pictures Home Entertainment onBlu-ray,Blu-ray 3D,DVD anddigital download on November 9, 2012, in North America.[187] These releases contain a ninety-minute behind-the-scenes documentary for the film along withUltraViolet download. Other special features include "Rite of Passage: The Amazing Spider-Man reborn" and "The Oscorp Archives - Production Art Gallery". The discs also contain audio commentary from Marc Webb, Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach.[188][189] The deleted scenes included relationship-building between Peter and Connors which Joey Esposito ofIGN thought gives the Lizard a sense of sympathy that is lacking in the final film.[190] The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack contains three disks and also contains asecond screen app for theiPad.[191] Sony also included a limited edition gift set on November 9, 2012, containing four disks with the special editions along with figurines of Spider-Man and the Lizard from the film.[189]
While released, the film was reported as dominating the sales chart on its first release until the end of November 11, 2012, while its rental chart hadThe Amazing Spider-Man at number two behindPrometheus.[192] It then became number one in rental and dropped to number two in sales chart after its second week.[193]FX has acquired the TV commercial rights to the film to air in late 2014.[194] The film was included in "The Spider-Man Legacy Collection" of five Spider-Man films on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, released on October 17, 2017.[195]
In April 2021, Sony signed a deal with Disney to let Sony's titles, including past Spider-Man films and SSU and other Marvel content to stream onHulu andDisney+. A significant number of Sony titles began streaming on Hulu starting in June 2021.[196] It includes films from 2022 onwards. While the deal only concerns the United States, titles from Sony Pictures begun to also be added to Disney+ in regions outside of the U.S., as early as June 2022, starting with the majority of the Spider-Man films.[197]
The film was released onDisney+ on April 21, 2023.[198]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 71% of 339 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "A well-chosen cast and sure-handed direction allowsThe Amazing Spider-Man to thrill despite revisiting many of the same plot points from 2002'sSpider-Man."[199]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 66 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[200] According to Rotten Tomatoes' yearly lists (by using a weighted formula of the critics review in the site), it was placed number 32 on its list of the all-time best comic book films in 2012 and had fallen to 36th in 2013.[201][202]CinemaScore's audience graded it an "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[203]
Jordan Mintzer ofThe Hollywood Reporter felt that the film was satisfying, explaining that Webb directed with emotional and comedic touches and provided a darker depiction and a stronger romance than the original.[1] Boyd Van Hoeija ofVariety described the film as a "mostly slick, entertaining and emotionally involving recombination of fresh and familiar elements".[204] A columnist ofThe Village Voice, Chris Pakham felt that the film was faithful to the comics and that "Garfield's spindly physicality evokes the Marvel illustrations of the 1960s."[205] Conversely, Lou Lemenick of theNew York Post wrote that the film was dull and uninspiring and felt that it did not compare toBatman Begins and was "a pointless rehash in the mode ofSuperman Returns."[206]New Yorker criticAnthony Lane described the film as "running out of nimbleness and fun, and the promise contained in its title seems ever more tendentious."[207]Kenneth Turan of theLos Angeles Times called the film "memorable in pieces but not as a whole" and said that its best element is the relationship between Peter and Gwen, while the Lizard "is not quite an opponent for the ages."[208]
Lisa Schwarzbaum ofEntertainment Weekly gave the film an A− describing the film as "a friskier, sweeter-natured variation" when compared to Raimi's work. She explained that the most "amazing" element was not the "blockbuster wow!" but instead the "intimate awww."[209] Claudia Puig ofUSA Today explained that "as a new chapter in the superpowered arachnid saga, it stands on its own quite nicely, focusing more on human emotions than on a panoply of special effects." She said "where Tobey Maguire in the original Spider-Man trilogy was earnest, Garfield's Spider-Man is whip-smart and likably cheeky, with an undercurrent of teenage angst." She also called the film "as much acoming-of-age story as a crime-fighting action saga."[210]Christy Lemire of theAssociated Press described Garfield's Spider-Man as an arrogant and misunderstood outsider, giving the film a "restless, reckless energy and a welcome sense of danger." She also concluded that Webb was a different sort of director, saying that while Webb's big set pieces lacked Raimi's imagination, they conveyed "emotional truth" and "a pervasive sense of humanity".[211] However,Ty Burr ofThe Boston Globe felt that the film lacked the original's pop grace and the pulpy joy, saying the film was "dumbed down, tarted up" and "almost shockingly uninspired". Burr evaluated it as "the worst superhero film sinceGreen Lantern".[212] Colin Covert of theStar Tribune also felt thatThe Amazing Spider-Man is weaker than its predecessor and described it as "The Notebook in spandex".[213]Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times felt that the reboot provided better reasons for why Peter Parker adopts his superhero role, even if the origin story didn't need to be told once again. He also remarked that it was "probably the second best" of the fourSpider-Man films afterSpider-Man 2, explaining that Lizard was lackluster compared to that film's villain,Doctor Octopus, and had the dramatic range ofGodzilla.[214][215]
Joe Morgenstern ofThe Wall Street Journal, pointed out that "the truly amazing thing is that most of what happens to Peter Parker in the first half of the film has already happened in previous chapters of the Spidey saga", that "what's old is old again."[216] However, Randy Myers from theSan Jose Mercury News found it "the best Spidey yet", describing it as "strong, bold and well-acted." He felt that a viewer couldn't help but feeldéjà vu, but that the work shows greater "dimension".[217]Dana Stevens atSlate magazine believed that the film was an "absolutely unnecessary" retelling of the origin story, although it avoided "the common comic-book adaptation trap of gloomy self-seriousness".[218]Peter Travers ofRolling Stone also opined that the "unnecessary" reboot pulled stellar performances from Garfield and Stone and touches the heart.[219] Writer Geoff Boucher of theLos Angeles Times was skeptical of the web-shooter change, finding it hard to believe that a financially strapped young man could build such devices.[220]
Andrew Garfield received general praise for his performance. Bob Mondello ofNPR said, "Here comes another Spider-dude: This Andrew Garfield guy. So he'd better be really something, right? Well, as it happens, he is."[221] Tom Charity ofCNN found Garfield's "combination of fresh-faced innocence, nervous agitation and wry humor ... immediately appealing."[222] Stephanie Zacharek ofMovieline said she "had no specific desire to see the series resuscitated. But watching Garfield and Stone made me think doing so wasn't such a bad idea".[223] Mary F. Pols ofTime said that even though the story was familiar Garfield and Webb made it feel "convincingly fresh and exciting."[224]
"I have tried to capture how Peter copes with the feelings of being an underdog, his confusions and his self-doubt. This, I hope, has brought, a certain empathy and sensitivity to his character that explains how it helps him become the hero that he eventually turns out to be."
Webb described the film as "a story about a kid who grows up looking for his father and finds himself." Both Webb and star Garfield described Parker as an outsider by choice, someone hard to get close to.[citation needed][233] As in the early comic books, the character "is a science whiz. If you look back to the early Stan Lee and Steve Ditko comics, he's a nerd with big glasses," said Webb. He explained "the idea of what a nerd is has changed in 40 or 50 years. Nerds are running the world. Andrew Garfield made a movie [calledThe Social Network] about it. ... What was important in those early comics was this notion that Peter Parker is an outsider and how we define that in a contemporary context."[81] Garfield compared his Spider-Man façade as a metaphor for internet anonymity, saying, "You feel the power of it, the power of not being seen, the power of the mask. Peter becomes witty when he's got that protective layer. It's like he's on a message board. He's got the anonymity of the Internet within that suit, and he can say whatever the @#!*% he likes, and he can get away with anything."[234] Garfield tried to explore Parker as an orphan, whom he feels "are the strongest human beings on the planet."[232] He said Parker is "a human hero [who] goes through all of the same struggles that we all have gone through, especially the skinny ones [who] want more power than they feel they have." He believes Parker represents "a very inspiring, aspirational character that symbolizes goodness—and how difficult it is to be good—but how worth it it is."[52] Rhys Ifans compared this film toWilliam Shakespeare'sHamlet on the grounds that Spider-Man can be redone over and over in different ways. He felt that they are similar in that they both represent meaningful archetypal young men grappling with the loss of their father.[235] Critics like Claudia Puig ofUSA Today felt that Garfield's character as the superhero "embodies the nerdy Parker, the anguished fatherless teen and the cocky super-hero in equal doses".[210] Boyd Hoij ofVariety noted that Garfield's character as Spider-Man makes an interesting hero in the film because of how it establishes early on that Peter's growing pains along with his search for an identity are common to any teenager and that "his struggles involve real people—and real lives."[204]
Stone described her character as "a daddy's girl" who is very responsible and protective of her family and loves science.[62][236] She said of her character, "she offers Parker a world of stability, of a family unit not marred with parental loss and, beyond physical allure, the two forge an intellectual connection over their shared love of science."[62] Her character, she explained, "is stuck between [her father] the Captain and Peter Parker and Spider-Man, who have different ways about going about finding justice in their lives" which she felt was a fun thing to explore.[65]Dana Stevens ofSlate described her character"as the stuff of a comic nerd's dreams: a sweet, smart, wisecracking dame in demure sweaters, miniskirts, thigh-high stockings and boots."[218]Webb felt that the Lizard was the best villain because, "He's the literal embodiment of the theme of the movie, which is we all have a missing piece. He has no arm. Peter has no parents, and he fills that void with Spider-Man."[237] Producer Avi Arad felt likewise, explaining, "[Y]ou look at Peter, he misses the parents, [and] Connors has one arm. ...[E]motionally, [it] is a very similar problem. It is a cautionary tale." Webb said that the Lizard "is not the worst villain on the planet. He's not a mustache-twirling guy who wants to terrorize people. He believes he's doing the right thing."[238][239] Actor Rhys Ifans described his character as a flawed character comparable toDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.[240] "Curt Connors is by no means an evil villain," Ifans stated. "He's not like theBatman villains, like theJoker, who are the embodiment of evil. Curtis Connors is a great man who makes a bad decision. ... [T]hat's the whole magic of the Spider-Man idea. These people are the embodiment of our flaws and our desires that lead to tragedy."[241] Ifans described Connors as a force for good throughout his life: "He's a geneticist who wants to help people, like him, who are limbless. In his eagerness to advance that science, he makes a mistake and that's an occurrence we've seen throughout time, sometimes to our benefit, sometimes to our detriment." "...He is a broken man who wants to fix himself."[242] Ifans added, "I'm not portraying a villain in any sense. Connors does feel cheated by God, and he's looking for answers in science. God seems to intervene."[238][239]
Webb said that Oscorp Tower is pivotal as a part of a new mythology of the film. He liked that Parker was connected to the building in some way and to think of it as "aTower of Babel in the middle ofManhattan that has something dark and seedy going on in there."[243] The criticRoger Ebert described the place as a "typical comic-bookmega-corporation with a madman at the top."[214]
The comic-book websiteNewsarama placedThe Amazing Spider-Man on its top 10 list of comic-book films.[244] Mark Hughes ofForbes ranked the film as the seventh greatest comic book superhero film being the highestSpider-Man film in the list while Jacob Hall of ScreenCrush ranked the film as 13th greatest modern Marvel film being the lowestSpider-Man film in the list.[245][246]
A scientist fromWake Forest Baptist Medical Center referenced the film to news organizations in explaining how scientists from the medical center are working on a long-term project involvingspider silks and potential humanregeneration along with deciphering fact and fiction from the film.[247][248]
On September 30, 2020, it was announced that the remaster ofMarvel's Spider-Man for thePlayStation 5 would be adding an exclusive suit based on the costume featured in the first film, titled the "Amazing Suit". The suit was made available since the game's launch on November 12, 2020, as a digital bonus for the Ultimate Edition ofSpider-Man: Miles Morales.[249] The suit returns in the PlayStation 5 exclusiveMarvel's Spider-Man 2.
The comic was released in June, namedThe Amazing Spider-Man: The Movie #1–2, written by Tom Cohen and illustrated by Neil Edwards.[257] A trade paperback was published collecting the two-parter a week before the film's release, entitledThe Amazing Spider-Man: The Movie Prelude, which also includedThe Amazing Spider-Man issues #75–77.[258]
The Amazing Spider-Man was originally reported as being the first of at least three films to the trilogy.[260] The sequel,The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was released on May 2, 2014.[261] On June 17, 2013, Sony announced two more sequels to followThe Amazing Spider-Man 2, which were scheduled to release on June 10, 2016, and May 4, 2018, respectively.[262] However, in July 2014, the third film was delayed to an unspecified date in 2018.[263]
In November 2013, Sony Pictures Entertainment chiefMichael Lynton told analysts, "We do very much have the ambition about creating a bigger universe around Spider-Man. There are a number of scripts in the works".[264] AVenom spin-off had been in early stages of planning at the studio since 2008.[265] In December 2013, Sony announced plans for spin-offs featuring the supervillainsSinister Six andVenom.[266]
^The official cost ofThe Amazing Spider-Man is unknown; however, various estimates put its cost at $200 million,[3] $215 million,[4] $220 million,[5] and $230 million.[6][7] This makes itone of the top forty most expensive films of all time both adjusting for inflation and not by inflation but still second last in place compared to theSpider-Man films preceding it.
^ab"Andrew Garfield, Disappearing Into Spidey's Suit".NPR. June 1, 2012. Archived fromthe original on October 5, 2013. RetrievedJune 1, 2012.If you're gonna do it and treat it real—if my DNA is being mixed with that of an actual spider, then why not actually bring in the physicality of a spider? The lightness, the stillness, the patience, and how that changes a 17-year-old boy. That's a fun thing to play with, as well.
^"Andrew Garfield talksThe Amazing Spider-Mans Peter Parker".Total Film. April 12, 2012.Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. RetrievedApril 24, 2012.Peter is an outsider.Because that's what he has to do to protect himself. He was dropped once; he doesn't want to be dropped again. It's difficult to get close to him.
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