Kernel Rating (out of 5): 
MPAA Rating: PG-13 Length: 136 minutes
Age Appropriate for: 12+. Lots of violence, but it’s not graphic or gory; mostly involves bullying, fistfights, a monster throwing cars off the side of a bridge, lots of gunshots, etc. A few pivotal characters die in emotional, but not overly bloody, ways. Also some kissing and cursing.
Yes, yes, we all know the last Spider-Man movie came out only five years ago. But while ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ feels a bit repetitive, it’s more different than you’d think, an enjoyably youthful—but not immature—spin on the familiar story.
By Roxana Hadadi
It’s probably fair to say that very, very few people enjoyed 2007’s “Spider-Man 3,” the final installment in Sam Raimi’s mega-blockbuster trilogy. Seriously, no one was into Tobey Maguire’s emo spin on Peter Parker. No. One. Ever. So by ignoring that awful character development completely, “The Amazing Spider-Man” was already going to one-up its predecessor.
But lucky for us, the film sticks to the character’s roots with a fairly streamlined-but-still exciting plot, giving us an “Amazing Spider-Man” that is less clunky, more youthful, and ultimately more invigorating than you could have expected.
