The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

The film is shot entirely in 3D.

The Amazing Spider-Man is a reboot of the Spider-Man film franchise, portraying the character's origin story and his development into a superhero while still a high school student.

Is a Spider-Man reboot too soon? That is the question on everyone's lips. The answer is yes, but nobody minds if it is good enough to satisfy. And indeed it is. The Amazing Spider-Man is one of the year's best blockbusters, an action-packed visual extravaganza with something that is sorely lacking in most other blockbusters: An excellent, focused, and well-told story.

Directed by Marc Webb, who last helmed the critically-acclaimed and extremely lovable (500) Days of Summer (2009), but now spins his own web in a fresh new take on one of the superhero genre's most identifiable characters, The Amazing Spider-Man is every bit as good and entertaining as The Avengers (2012).

Perhaps a "fresh new take" is slightly misleading as Webb's film is a mixture of the new and old, a combination of elements that are both original and familiar, yet the end result is as satisfying as it gets, and I daresay, cooler than Sam Raimi's Spider-Man (2002).  Webb goes deeper into the history of Peter Parker (who would become Spider-Man), but still this is no character study, neither is it a pure origin story.

Speaking of which, despite more character backstory, Peter (who is played by Andrew Garfield) is only adequately developed, and unfortunately not awesomely developed. The character doesn't quite come into his own in the film; instead it feels like he is riding on the success of Raimi's trilogy while at the same time trying to reinvent himself, albeit with mixed results, for a (slightly) newer generation.

Still, Garfield's performance is above expectations. His chemistry with co-star Emma Stone (who plays Peter's would-be girlfriend Gwen Stacy) is near-perfect. Well, they have the advantage of being a real-life couple, but still, much credit is due to director Webb who knows a thing or two about that nervous, fleeting human feeling of being in love, after making it so fun to watch Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel get on with each other in (500) Days of Summer.

The villain Dr. Kurt Connors (Rhys Ifans), who convincingly turns into The Lizard, is ruthless yet we feel a tinge of sympathy for him as he tries to grapple with nefarious thoughts that threaten to overwhelm his genuine concern for humanity.

Action fans will dig this film. Although the film is set up a tad slower than expected with the emergence of The Lizard only past the hour mark, The Amazing Spider-Man calls attention to itself with some stunning web work. Shot using RED 3D cameras, it is quite an experience to see Spider-Man swing from one building to another in another dimension. Webb knows this, and he tries his very best to insert as many shots of Spider-Man demonstrating his newly-acquired web fu skills as he possibly can.

There are lighter moments in store for the two leads, and being primarily set in a high-school setting, there is that spontaneous, energetic vibe to the film that Raimi's films lack. Ultimately, The Amazing Spider-Man is not so much a film about Spider-Man, but Peter's blossoming romance with Gwen. That is the youthful heartbeat of the entire film. That is the promise of something greater to come in the inevitable sequel. And that is one inevitability I am actually very looking forward to.

There simply isn't another superhero quite as iconic as the Amazing Spider-Man. Those who grew up on a regular staple of comic books would know all about Peter Parker. Not as perfect as Superman, certainly not as rich as Batman, but the true reason why so many were attracted to Spiderman was because of his realness. His flaws. His troubled life, filled with a less-than ideal family, trying to stay one step ahead of the bullies at school - all these were problems readers could empathise with.

And that is the reason why many will flock to the cinemas to watch their webbed superhero in action all over again, even if the story does repeat itself in many familiar ways. Parker being bitten: check. Parker trashing bullies: check. Parker learning the now famous adage of great responsibility accompanying great power through the hard way: check. Such repetitive scenes may seem detrimental to the film, but in this case they are not. Explored in a much subtler, nuanced way than the original film, director Mark Webb (of (500) Days of Summer fame) ensures that such scenes stay fresh. One example of this is the classic moment where Parker uses his newfound powers to exact vengeance on his bully, Flash Thompson (Chris Zylka), who does not seem quite threatening nor villainous as before.

The film's running time of 136 minutes may seem long, but it feels far more compact than all the other Spider-Man movies. It is clear from the start that Webb has grand intentions for his webbed hero and thankfully, he manages to pull it off with great effect. The action-heavy second half of the movie is coherent - and though the entire show was filmed in 3D, it never seems intrusive, with the long-held shots weaved seamlessly amongst fast paced action scenes.

While the Amazing Spider-Man ticks all the boxes in the action department, what really makes it stand out from the recent glut of superhero movies is its deep emotional undercurrent. One particular set-piece involves Spider-Man's rescue of a small boy, who is trapped in a burning car that has toppled over a bridge and is suspended only by a strand of his web. Spider-Man has just fought off the Lizard (Rhys Ifans), who has scuttled somewhere else. You expect the Lizard to come roaring out from nowhere, ready to rip Parker to shreds as he is distracted with the rescue - but this, surprisingly, never happens. Instead, Webb chooses the focus on the rescue itself, which resonates far more than any potential confrontations with the villain.

It is this sensitivity that makes the Amazing Spider-Man far more than a simple reboot of a classic franchise. The focus on the stellar rapport between Garfield and Emma Stone, who plays Gwen Stacy, also wows more than the climactic web slinging action near the end. While superhero films are never superhero films without the action, it is this attention to emotion that will surely placate the fans, please the casual movie-goer and top the blockbuster charts for a long time to come.