THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN - marc webb - 4.9 / 10

As a character, Peter Parker / Spider-Man is fascinating.  The story of an unpopular, picked-on science geek orphan suddenly acquiring superpowers can go lots of interesting places.  When the story is told well, as in the Sam Raimi / Tobey Maguire version from a decade ago, it can be pretty powerful (enough so to overcome nonsense like the Green Goblin in an old lady's sweater cradling Spider-Man in his arms).  But when told poorly, as it is here, it's just one more story about a superhero with a tragic past and loads of daddy issues (and seriously, enough with the superheros with dead parents already).