Since movie reviewing is subjective and based mostly on personal tastes, I tend to stay away from it when I can. I understand that it’s difficult since my job requires me to review movies, but usually I’ll turn in an edition of everyone’s favourite weekly segment of me talking to myself in question and answer form, Should I See This Movie?, or a feature explaining something that I’ve noticed about a particular movie.

Personally, I think that movie reviews are a thing of the past and that if you want to see a movie, you should see it. Aside from that, aggregate sites like Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic give everyone a clear idea of which movies are surprisingly good and which movies you should avoid at all costs. But a movie that scores anywhere from 20% to 90% is usually a grey area for most people. Since The Amazing Spider-Man is currently sitting at a 73% — well within the Rotten Tomatoes grey area — and since Scene Creek’s very own first review of the film was an overwhelmingly negative one, I decided that this is a film I need to review.

So, all that being said, remember that movie reviews are subjective and that the person who should ultimately decide whether or not you should see a movie is you. And of course, Scene Creek’s regular feature dedicated entirely to telling you if you should see a movie. Which, again, is called Should I See This Movie? But without any further delay, I present you with Scene Creek’s first ever counter-review. Enjoy.

It’s been a little over 5 years since Spider-Man 3 came out, and around 10 years since the first Spider-Man film kicked off the current superhero film phenomenon. But here we are with this week’s release of The Amazing Spider-Man, a brand new reboot of the Spider-Man franchise with a new director, new cast, and supposedly new storyline. The Amazing Spider-Man is being billed as “the untold story” of Spider-Man, but how untold is it really?

If Sony, the studio behind the Spider-Man films, got its way, Spiderman 4 would have came out last year and broke all box office records in the world. Instead, the trilogy’s previous director Sam Raimi felt that he needed more time to make a good film, and the whole original plan was scrapped. Instead, Sony opted to reboot the franchise and start over. So after two years of planning and a year of marketing, The Amazing Spider-Man, starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, is finally in theatres. And it tells the exact same story that we heard a decade ago. Peter Parker gets bit by a spider. He gets superpowers. He fights crime. He battles an evil villain. Everyone goes home at the end.

But, the reality is, none of that matters. Sure it’s the same story we were told 10 years ago, but it’s also the same story we were told with the cartoon in the 90s, the cartoon in the 80s, the live action versions of Spider-Man on TV, the cartoon in the 60s, and the comic books. It’s the same story we all know because it’s the story of Spider-Man; and it never gets old. Though the plot points are the same, The Amazing Spider-Man tells the story with more comedy, more style, more charm, and more visuals than any version that came before it. Sure we all know how Peter Parker turns into Spider-Man, but we’ve never seen it happen like this before.

Director Marc Webb, who’s only other feature film is the great (500) Days of Summer, knows exactly what he’s doing with The Amazing Spider-Man. The changes that he’s made from the original trilogy — including Spider-Man’s self-made web shooters, a more sarcastic, wisecracking Spidey, and the brand new suit — all come off as perfection on screen and lead you to wonder how you could have ever enjoyed the previous three films. With the shooting style and 3D, when Spider-Man is swinging above New York, it feels like you are swinging above New York. With every bad guy he beats and citizen that cheers him on, you can’t help but want to clap for him even though he can’t hear you. Every punch dished out, every emotion expressed, and every witty remark expressed all helps to draw you into the film and make you feel what the characters feel and experience the film in a way that is more than just disposable entertainment.

When the film is over you should be left not with the feeling of being ripped off for seeing yet another Spider-Man origin story, but instead with the feeling of excitement for having just seen the best Spider-Man movie yet. Yes, The Amazing Spider-Man is better than the first three films. It’s got a perfect cast turning in perfect performances, an amazing score and soundtrack, incredible visual effects, and a story that while somewhat familiar is still entirely worth telling.

But after the credits roll and the epilogue comes up, setting the film up for the sequel which is set to hit theatres in two years, the one bad part about this new franchise truly starts to sink in. We’re going to have to wait two more years to see another one.

[star v=5]