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THE AMAZING SPIDER-MANMovie Reviews
Action fantasy about Peter Parker, an outcast teen who uses his superhuman powers to shape his own destiny and become a hero. Cast:Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Irrfan Khan, Chris ZylkaDirector:Marc WebbRelease Date:July 3, 2012DVD Release:November 9, 2012From:Sony PicturesRating:PG-13Length:2 hr 16 minIn 3D
The Amazing Spider-Man played to very good reviews. • Mick LaSalle wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle, "His girlfriend used to be Kirsten Dunst. Now it's Emma Stone. He used to be shorter and have lighter hair. Now he's Andrew Garfield. He's doing well." • And Curt Holman called the film in Atlanta Creative Loafing, "...compelling." More Reviews Below...
The Amazing Spider-Man Positive Reviews (52 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: VERY GOOD(cg) " 'Spider-Man's' solid script and capable effects simply aren't vibrant enough to warrant rehashing... The performances, though -- now, those are extraordinary."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 231 words, 07/05/12
Mary Pols, Time: OUTSTANDING "...ebullient, satisfying... might leave you with a new attitude about crime-fighting superheroes... Garfield and Webb make it feel convincingly fresh and exciting."(See all of Mary Pols's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,147 words, 07/02/12
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: VERY GOOD(cg) "...finds a distinct voice. And a great deal of that has to do with the central performance from Andrew Garfield.... it conveys an emotional truth, a pervasive sense of humanity..."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 767 words, 06/26/12
Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Spider-Man's most exceptional power is his crackling chemistry with love Gwen Stacy.... a raw, endearing romance within an entertaining comic book tale."(See all of Mara Reinstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 137 words, 07/05/12
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "I got bitten. With pleasure. A friskier, sweeter-natured variation on the story Sam Raimi told in his recent trilogy, with greater emphasis on human relations..."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 424 words, 07/06/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Webb allows time and space for Garfield and Stone, both stellar, to turn a high-flying adventure into something impassioned and moving."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 322 words, 06/29/12
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "While Sam Raimi had some great moves (and some misses), Marc Webb has a more subtle style with more investment in the emotional arc of the characters."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 504 words, 07/03/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a remake of Sam Raimi's 'Spider-Man' (2002)... This is a more thoughtful film, and its action scenes are easier to follow in space and time."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 700 words, 06/29/12
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The new Peter Parker is kind of an alt-rock lite (he broods with Coldplay on the soundtrack) iteration of pop culture's most famous bookworm nerd..."(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 875 words, 07/02/12
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: MODERATE(cg) " 'The Avengers' changed the game when it comes to superhero smackdowns... 'The Amazing Spider-Man' is unable to ascend to that level.... an inherent letdown."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,355 words, 07/02/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: MODERATE "Mr. Webb's 'Spider-Man' movie works only because he keeps the whole package, at least until the requisite final blowout, tethered to his two appealing leads."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,041 words, 07/03/12
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "Marc Webb's action-adventure is grounded in a recognizable reality, but is also full of thrills. It's dark and mysterious, but doesn't skimp on fun."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 514 words, 06/30/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...feels less directed with a consistent vision than simply cobbled together. What especially falls through the cracks are the nonromantic, nonaction parts of the story..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 845 words, 07/02/12
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "Sometimes dull and mostly uninspired, it's much less a satisfying reboot like 'Batman Begins' than a pointless rehash in the mode of 'Superman Returns.' "(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 901 words, 06/29/12
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "All they can do is attempt to pull off the illusion that this is the first time we've seen this story. And, more or less, they have."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 574 words, 06/29/12
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: MODERATE(cg) "...soulless... Garfield makes for a sullen, sour Peter... Director Marc Webb, of the indie charmer '(500) Days of Summer,' seems overwhelmed by the unoriginality of it all."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 375 words, 07/03/12
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: VERY GOOD "...for all its underlying cynicism, the new Spidey picture is pretty damn good.... has more self-empowering messages than there are placards at a Maoist convention."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 649 words, 07/02/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a remake of Sam Raimi's 'Spider-Man' (2002)... This is a more thoughtful film, and its action scenes are easier to follow in space and time."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 700 words, 06/29/12
Chris Packham, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "...an inexcusably good reboot-thing... celebrates the heartwarming arachno-genetic bar mitzvah in which a boy becomes a spider, and a spider becomes a man..."(See all of Chris Packham's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 770 words, 06/30/12
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...isn't half bad... If you haven't seen the earlier blockbuster franchise, or have somehow forgotten it, you might well enjoy this webslinger redux."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 632 words, 07/03/12
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...reinventing stories is a common practice in the comic book world, where retroactive continuity, or 'retcon,' is a handy way to tie up loose ends and set up new sequels."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 809 words, 07/03/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...it mostly works.... Marc Webb, who made '(500) Days Of Summer,' gives the big 3-D web-swinging set pieces a thrilling, vertiginous energy..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 292 words, 06/28/12
KEY CITIES (13 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Garfield and Stone whip up a warm, convincing froth... Webb handles the action sequences with clarity and graceful pacing..."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 635 words, 07/03/12
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...competent, though entirely unnecessary... Audiences will probably respond to it, but this one was made to please a more select demographic: Sony shareholders."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 812 words, 07/03/12
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a downshift from the Tobey Maguire-Sam Raimi trilogy. It has less action, humor, imagination and vitality, no Danny Elfman music, no classic lines..."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 560 words, 07/03/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "...outstanding.... watching Garfield swinging through New York or toying with criminals after he captures them is reason enough to welcome another telling of the tale."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 727 words, 07/03/12
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: WEAK(cg) "The producers obviously think they only have to make a new 'Spider-Man' and we'll show up... That's still no excuse... it isn't a movie, it's a mugging."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 868 words, 07/03/12
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: VERY GOOD(cg) "...so shiny, so spectacular, so literally 'Amazing'.... Like 'The Avengers,' it's the creation of a new model for the next generation."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 623 words, 07/03/12
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "His girlfriend used to be Kirsten Dunst. Now it's Emma Stone. He used to be shorter and have lighter hair. Now he's Andrew Garfield. He's doing well."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 755 words, 07/03/12
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: GOOD(cg) "Webb's pretty good with the human stuff, but little here is as vitally alive as the action that Raimi, a poet of kinetics, whipped up.... It's not a dud, but it is a headscratcher..."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 790 words, 07/03/12
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...not just a reboot -- it's a rejuvenation.... it pulses with the warm blood of a very human hero.... more than amazing, it's heroic."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 443 words, 07/03/12
Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...left me feeling the same as Raimi's version; that groundwork has been dutifully laid for a winning franchise in need of a few surprises."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 460 words, 07/03/12
Tom Long, Detroit News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...improved in some ways, worse in others.... passable. But this is Spider-Man, and audiences expect more than passable."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 514 words, 07/03/12
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "Part of the reason 'The Amazing Spider-Man' feels so fresh and invigorating is that its story is so simple... its protagonist so relatable."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 689 words, 06/29/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (11 Reviews)
Chris Packham, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "...an inexcusably good reboot-thing... celebrates the heartwarming arachno-genetic bar mitzvah in which a boy becomes a spider, and a spider becomes a man..."(See all of Chris Packham's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 770 words, 06/30/12
Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "It must be said how good Andrew Garfield is as Peter Parker... the movie jumps every required hurdle for a superhero blockbuster, but just barely, and with no flair."(See all of Katey Rich's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 736 words, 06/27/12
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: MODERATE(cg) "...undergoes many mutations, with variations on 'The Fly,' 'Gorgo,' 'Iron Man,' 'Batman,' and director Marc Webb's own '(500) Days of Summer.' "(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 155 words, 07/05/12
Keith Phipps, AV Club: MODERATE(cg) "...nothing covers up the absence of any real visual flair or a unique take on the material. It's the most anonymous superhero film since 'Green Lantern.' "(See all of Keith Phipps's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 396 words, 07/03/12
Cynthia Fuchs, Pop Matters: WEAK(cg) "...a movie determined to revisit and double down, not to challenge expectations, but to reinforce them.... no one is going to be surprised by anything..."(See all of Cynthia Fuchs's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 962 words, 07/02/12
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: VERY GOOD(cg) "...probably not as good as you hoped or as bad as you feared... what 'The Amazing Spider-Man' does have is a pair of extremely charismatic leads in Garfield and Stone."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,014 words, 07/02/12
Nick Schager, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "...plays like a feeble photocopy of Spider-Man's evocation of New York's post-9/11 unity -- in the process making Webb's do-over feel an uninspired idea short."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 627 words, 06/29/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...it mostly works.... Marc Webb, who made '(500) Days Of Summer,' gives the big 3-D web-swinging set pieces a thrilling, vertiginous energy..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 292 words, 06/28/12
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: MODERATE(cg) "The whole shebang isn't awful, but awfully slick and awfully emotionally simplistic. It's enough to make you wish they had just left well enough alone."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 954 words, 07/02/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (7 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: FAIR "There's a sense of filling time with lame contrivance... the mystery that sets the plot in motion -- what happened to Peter's parents after they disappeared -- is never resolved."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 758 words, 07/03/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: MODERATE "Mr. Webb's 'Spider-Man' movie works only because he keeps the whole package, at least until the requisite final blowout, tethered to his two appealing leads."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,041 words, 07/03/12
Bob Mondello, NPR: VERY GOOD "Garfield and Emma Stone are terrific together, and they're surrounded by performers with the acting chops to root a comic-book narrative in the real world..."(See all of Bob Mondello's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 435 words, 07/03/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...feels less directed with a consistent vision than simply cobbled together. What especially falls through the cracks are the nonromantic, nonaction parts of the story..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 845 words, 07/02/12
Dana Stevens, Slate: GOOD "Perfunctory as this film's gestures toward originality may be, 'The Amazing Spider-Man' does what it does pretty well.... it moves along at a reasonable clip."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 867 words, 07/03/12
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...generally agreeable and occasionally exciting... but with major plot holes, hit-and-miss effects and a dedication to pleasing everybody and alienating nobody."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,351 words, 07/02/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Boyd Van Hoeij, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "...emotionally involving.... more of a drama-with-action than a nonstop assault on the senses... Benefiting enormously from the perfect chemistry of leads Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone..."(See all of Boyd Van Hoeij's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 870 words, 06/21/12
Jordan Mintzer, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "...altogether satisfying... Directed with emotional depth and plenty of comedic touches by Marc Webb... well-served by a terrific supporting cast..."(See all of Jordan Mintzer's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 875 words, 06/21/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...feels less directed with a consistent vision than simply cobbled together. What especially falls through the cracks are the nonromantic, nonaction parts of the story..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 845 words, 07/02/12
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD(cg) "...benefits from its secondary cast... Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, and two vet screen performers, Martin Sheen and Sally Field."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 935 words, 07/02/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: MODERATE "Mr. Webb's 'Spider-Man' movie works only because he keeps the whole package, at least until the requisite final blowout, tethered to his two appealing leads."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,041 words, 07/03/12
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: FAIR "There's a sense of filling time with lame contrivance... the mystery that sets the plot in motion -- what happened to Peter's parents after they disappeared -- is never resolved."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 758 words, 07/03/12
16.5 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Amazing Spider-Man's reviews are separated by an average 16.5 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Amazing Spider-Man (52 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Amazing Spider-Man's reviews cover 100.0% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 36,309 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 698 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 19.5 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Amazing Spider-Man's reviews on average broke 19.5 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Amazing Spider-Man's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Amazing Spider-Man (52 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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