The Spider-Man franchise did right by its fans when they chose Andrew Garfield for the series reboot, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” which premiered May 2 in the U.S. and earned about $92 million in its opening weekend. Though our superheroes have been and will be portrayed by many actors, we should appreciate when one performance so completely captures what we love about a familiar character.
Garfield appears to understand the character’s duality and expertly renders the angsty Peter Parker, who has been the champion of discombobulated youths everywhere for decades. He plays the part with a nuanced, methodical physicality. It’s rare to find Garfield looking at the person he’s having a serious conversation with, rather than down at the railing he’s climbing over or the stone he’s skipping, accurately portraying a young man with secrets and insecurities. He balances these insecurities with Spider-Man’s confidence and melds the two into one cohesive, intriguing character.
Garfield’s Spider-Man most distinguishes himself from Tobey Maguire’s incarnation during his interaction with others. The dialogue of Maguire’s days had a tendency toward forced monologues. Parker’s interactions with his close friend, Harry Osborn, and his love interest, Mary Jane Watson, in the Maguire franchise was consistently serious and morose, with few smiles thrown in here and there.
Garfield’s Parker is spontaneous and funny, and for this, a tip of the hat is owed to director Marc Webb, whose experience with romance gave the action thriller an intimate, charming feel. Webb directed the 2009 film, “(500) Days of Summer.”
However, Webb’s pacing of “The Amazing Spider-Man” is anything but slow and sappy. The film lasts 142 minutes, none of which drags. He directs Garfield so that Parker’s retains his classical sensitivity while still remaining active. This bit of agency moves the story along and saves us from too many “Peter Parker sits on his bed brooding’ scenes” – like those we got from Maguire’s pouty performance.
Garfield’s Spider-Man is just how we like him: swaggering, mischievous and accident-prone. The hero’s harmless naughtiness is one of his most enduring attributes. Sure, as one of Marvel’s most empathetic, thoughtful characters, Peter Parker struggles with the desire to do right and defend those in need, but as Spider-Man, he relishes his unique position as the one and only web slinger.
[A version of this story ran on page 14 on 5/15/2014 under the headline "Who’s the Spidey-est Spider-Man?"]
