'Amazing Spider-Man' Review: Family Film Guide

[Ubiquitous]

"The Amazing Spider-Man"

Director: Marc Webb
Common Sense Media rating: 13+


Moviefone Says: Marc Webb's take on Spider-Man is an even more
family-friendly adaptation of the origin story than Sam Raimi's
critically acclaimed films. Webb cleverly returns Peter Parker's
transformation to a high-school setting, and offers up a funnier, more
relationship-oriented Spidey. Teens and mature tweens will delight in
Parker triumphing over a bully and falling for the lovely Gwen, while
fans of the comic-book series will appreciate how much of a
wise-cracking jokester the new Spider-Man is, in this fresh -- if not
perfect -- interpretation of the beloved Marvel superhero.

Parent Concerns: Although most of the violence doesn't involve gruesome
amounts of blood, there are two character deaths that may disturb
younger viewers, as will the Lizard, who shreds into Peter, (leaving a
nasty gash on his chest), and terrorizes hundreds of drivers on the
Williamsburg Bridge. There's also some schoolyard bullying and
widespread mayhem. But overall, the violence feels pretty standard for a
comic-book movie. If you took your kid to "The Avengers," "Spider-Man"
is considerably less aggressive.

Here are five tips/talking points to extend your movie-going experience:

1. Get Into Comic Books: If your kid wants to know how closely the movie
follows the comic-book storylines, don't just look it up on Wikipedia.
Instead, invest in checking out the source material (unless your brother
is a walking Marvel encyclopedia like yours truly); comic books and
graphic novels are a form of reading, no matter what your mother told
you. As long as they're age-appropriate, they make an excellent addition
to your family bookshelf -- particularly for reluctant readers.

2. Watch Sam Raimi's Trilogy: There are plenty of differences between
Raimi-Maguire's take on Spidey and this new Webb-Garfield edition. The
best way to have kids form nuanced opinions about adaptations is to
watch both versions and then compare and contrast the director (and
actors') interpretations. Look beyond the obvious (Maguire's Parker is
in college, is already friends with Harry Osborn, and falls for Mary
Jane, not Gwen), and discuss which Web Crawler you prefer and why.

3. Discuss Bullying: At the beginning of the movie, Peter deals with his
bully of a classmate, class-A jerk Flash Thompson. Flash, a popular
jock, thinks it's funny to pick on a smaller kid and punch Peter in the
face. Later Peter gets his revenge, but Uncle Ben is ashamed that he
acted vengefully. What would you want your kids to do in the face of
bullying? Remind them that striking back (especially without
superpowers) is rarely a good idea.

4. Peter vs. Spidey: Like all good superhero stories, "The Amazing
Spider-Man" depicts the differences between Peter Parker and his
web-slinging alter ego. There's something about putting on the mask that
transforms Peter, and he's no longer the shy loner he is at school. He's
funny, sarcastic -- cocky even. Are there any parallels between the
"mask" and, say, the Internet for real-life teens? How does the Web
provide adolescents with a way to try out a fierce, funny, fearless
persona?

5. Comic(s) Violence: How does the violence in "Spider-Man" compare to
other superhero films? Is it realistic, like in Christopher Nolan's
"Batman" adaptation, or is it tamer, like in 'The Fantastic Four'? Does
violence feel different when it's committed in a movie with imaginary
superheroes than in war films, crime dramas or other believable
scenarios? And does knowing there's a hero who will probably save the
day change the impact of the violence?



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