The Amazing Spider-Man (2012, dir. Marc Webb) **.5/****

Not to be confused with the Sam Raimi-Tobey Maguire Spiderman trilogy, Marc Webb has directed a new adaptation of the Stan Lee-Steve Ditko comic book.  Was it necessary?   It stars Andrew Garfield as the new Peter Parker and Emma Stone as his love interest.  This time Peter is trying to find out the reason for the disappearance of his parents.  He finds clues that lead him to Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) his father's former partner.  Along the way he is of course bitten by the spider which gives him superhuman strength and the ability to climb up walls.  I didn't like the film much, not because I have allegiances to any older Spiderman films but because there were too many moments that I found phoney, cliched or predictable.  The relationship between Garfield and Stone is somewhat forced and unbelievable.  The scientific gadgetry in Connor's laboratory is confusing.  I hope the new Superman film is better than this.