New Spider-Man is a success

In Theaters:

The Amazing Spider-Man

It doesn't seem like very long ago that Sam Raimi was putting his spin on the Spider-Man character. With the three movie franchise being one of the largest earning in history, it was almost surprising to hear that a reboot was in the works.

But five years later, after the disappointing conclusion to Toby Maguire's webbed hero, Marvel and Columbia Pictures have graced us once again with the loveable loser Peter Parker.

Peter Parker is just a small loser in his high school, living with his aunt and uncle and haunted by the memory, or lack thereof, of an absent set of parents.

With the discovery of his father's briefcase and the research it contains, Parker sets off on a quest of discovery in hopes of finding answers to the questions he has been searching for his entire life.

What he finds instead is a scientific project so dangerous that his father risked everything to keep it under wraps.

The storyline is much the same as the Raimi version, you can't change most things when dealing with a comic book origin after all.

What is different, though, are good things. Andrew Garfield (Social Network) plays a much darker and more edgy Parker, while his love interest Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone, The Help), is so much more likable than the previous Kirsten Dunst.

One good thing about the changes, not one musical number in sight, which seemed to be a theme in Raimi's. One bad thing with the departure of the previous director, no Bruce Campbell either.

For showtimes visit www.fortcinema.com

Also In Theaters:

Ted

Although this feature isn't shown in your local Fort Scott theater, I feel the need to address one of the funniest movies I have seen in recent memory. Seth MacFarlane is well known for his draw-the-line-and-cross-it humor with his unmatched television series Family Guy.

There is nothing that he leaves untouched and no subject he is afraid to poke fun at. In his first live action attempt, MacFarlane scores huge by taking the same fearlessness and bringing it to the big screen.

John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg, Shooter) is an 8-year-old boy having trouble fitting in to his hometown. With no friends and no siblings, his loneliness sparks a desperation that culminates in a magical Christmas wish that brings his teddy bear to life.

Twenty-seven years later, John is a rental car salesman going nowhere with a four-year girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis, Friends With Benefits) and his little buddy Ted sitting firmly in the middle.

With the crude and wildly inappropriate humor of Seth MacFarlane shedding the constraints that television keep on him, his venture onto the big screen is bound to be racy and not for young children. With MacFarlane himself lending his voice to Ted, it sounded much like an unrestricted Peter Griffin letting loose for two hours.

On DVD:

The Hunter

It has been a long time since we have seen Willem DeFoe as a leading man in a big-budget movie. Not since the Spider-Man franchise where he donned a campy looking Green Goblin costume and terrorized New York City. It has been even longer since we have seen Sam Neill as a leading man. Take us back to Jurassic Park! The Hunter is exactly what they have done individually for the last few years. It is a low-budget movie that is more focused on writing and acting than on budget and special effects.

Martin David (DeFoe) is a mercenary sent to Tasmania on a mission to find the last Tasmanian tiger, which holds a special toxin desired by a mysterious biotech company. The tiger, believed to be extinct by the majority of the world, has eluded all who have hunted it, and is considered a lost cause.

However, the undeterred biotech company believes that if the toxin is found it will give them sole possession of the market, a perk worth billions.

David, however, finds the alluring wilderness of Tasmania to be the enemy of everything he does and begins to have second thoughts about hunting the elusive tiger. With the biotech company growing impatient, the locals growing suspicious and rival hunters looking to move in, Martin David finds himself in a place where he must choose between his life and his soul.

The acting in the movie is superb. The talent of DeFoe and Neill are unparalleled and even with no special effects and no big budget, these two can put together a movie that will keep you enthralled. The storyline is one that is refreshingly original and thought provoking, although it doesn't end the way it is expected. This is a surprising enjoyment on a week that didn't have many releases to speak of.

Releasing Next Week:

American Reunion

How many times during the 2000s did we reference back to the American Pie franchise? The hated and at same time loved character of Stifler was enough to ride this franchise to the big box office three times in a row.

However, after countless spin-offs and side projects, the franchise is going back to the beginning, bringing all of the originals back and doing one final blowout. The kids of American Pie are back for their 10-year high school reunion, and this time, anything goes.