DirkH’s review published on Letterboxd:
I don't care what anyone says, this is my Spidey and I love it, warts and all.
Before I continue I feel the need to emphasise that I in no way factor in the debate about the necessity of a reboot this soon, nor will I compare them to Raimi's three films as I consider these factors irrelevant to my opinion of this film. Films should be judged in their own right, if they're good, they're good, if not, too bad.
This film has some problems that lie mainly within the script and the pacing. It tells the origin of Spider-Man well enough, but it skirts over some of the 'getting to know you power' bits too quickly. The focus on Parker's family life and school life felt a bit uneven to me, with the focus mainly on the first one. That's understandable, but also a shame as both make Parker what he is. There is a lot of silly exposition in the plot, which is in itself not very original as it is of the 'Spider-Man must save the city from villain' variety.
And I couldn't care less. Because I got to see Spidey.
Garfield is absolutely fantastic. As an actor he has the ability to show a wide variety of emotions, which serves the character of Peter Parker really well. He has the mood swings of a teenage boy, with all the uncertainties and strife that goes with that age. Garfield nails that part, but what he does even better is give us a Spider-Man that is cocky, has a big mouth and is often a tad over-confident. And that's just how I like him. The fact that this film managed to put a huge grin on my face is mainly due to Garfield's interpretation of the character.
As faulty as the script is there are some wonderful scenes in it. I loved the scene with Peter and Gwen on the rooftop, especially the look in his eyes when he turns his back to her and hears the sirens. That look shows the realization of a kid who senses that something serious is going on, which is followed by the very strong bridge scene where he saves the boy. I loved it. It fits and it works.
A hero is often only as good as the villain and the Lizard is both a formidable and rather scary opponent. Sure, he doesn't really look like the Lizard from the comics, but it still works. Again, the main reason why he works as a character is because of a strong performance. Ifans manages to give him the right amount of humanity and insanity to make it convincing, without turning him into a pantomime villain.
How can you not completely fall for Emma Stone? It doesn't matter what she plays, her charisma is devastating. She matches really well with Garfield and their crush is entirely believable. I just cannot fault her I'm afraid.
Finally, a lot of credits have to go to Webb. His was a daunting task, but he pulled it off beautifully. His action sequences are absolutely fantastic. He manages to make the web slinging look convincing (loved the first person perspective!), he directs the fights really well (hello, Mr. Bay, yet another film with action where we can see what's going on!) and is obviously passionate about the source material as he has given this film the look that it needs and more importantly the feel that this character deserves. One of exuberance and adventure.
Welcome back, Spidey. Welcome back.