The Amazing Spider-Man is Sony Pictures Entertainment's 2012 live-action feature film, starting a new series of movies based on the Marvel Comics character.
Andrew Garfield steps into the role of Peter Parker in yet another retelling of the web-slinger's origin story. A high-school age Parker, once again, encounters a genetically-altered spider while touring Oscorp research facilities. This time around Peter is smitten with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), also a science nerd. The villain here is Oscorp researcher Dr. Curt Conners (Rhys Ifans) whose tissue-regeneration experiments transform him into the Lizard. Driven mad, Conners hopes to unleash his transmogrifying formula on all of New York City to cure humanity of its weaknesses. Also cast in this film are Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben, Sally Field as Aunt May, Denis Leary as George Stacy. The movie also attempted to delve into the mystery of Peter's orphan status, casting Campbell Scott as father Richard Parker, seen in flashback.
Marc Webb directed from a script by James Venderbilt, Alvin Sargent and Steve Kloves. The film was a moderate hit at the box office and did reasonably well with critics. There was a sense that the movie was just retreading ground already crawled by the Sam Raimi films, and did little to strike a new direction. It spawned a sequel in 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2
