The Amazing Spider-Man / (Columbia Pictures)

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Back in 2002, Spider-Man was a phenomenal interpretation of the classic superhero origin story with well-developed characters, tightly-plotted storyline and exciting action. So why reboot it 10 years after the fact?

One good reason would be that 2007’s Spider-Man 3 received so much backlash from fans and critics, the series needed to restart from scratch by remaking the origin story to give it a fresh spin. The end result for The Amazing Spider-Man might surprise you.

The biggest question remains 'is it too soon to reboot the Spider-Man movies?' Honestly, it’s interesting how they took the classic origin story and gave it a realistic 21st century update. Garfield’s performance is more teenage-angst than the fun nerdy personality of Tobey Maguire from the other films.

Garfield is able to inject different levels of emotion to his character in a well-balanced performance. There’s also plenty of emotion to the origin story, which equals that of the first film. Credit goes to the screenwriters and their collaborative talents for being true to the original comics.

The rest of the cast also give good performances. Stone gives her character a good amount of humor and emotion that blends with her beauty. Though Field may look too young to play Aunt May, she still did a solid job, as does Sheen who replaces the late Cliff Robertson as Uncle Ben. The movie does a great job balancing between fun action and scenes of tender moments between the characters. Some people may not find the 3D necessary, but the movie uses it to the best extent – the 3D Spidey POV (that makes you feel like you’re like Spider-Man swinging from building to building) is particularly good.

While the Sam Raimi trilogy is more fun to watch, The Amazing Spider-Man manages to restart the series in a great way that’ll make you anticipate future installments. If you’re a big fan of the character and curious about the reboot, it will satisfy your web-slinging needs. With the huge blockbuster success of Marvel’s The Avengers and the high anticipation of The Dark Knight Rises, this summer is becoming the season of the superhero movie.

THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG-13 (for sequences of action and violence)

THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.5 Stars (Out of Four)