The Amazing Spider-Man (PG-13) ★★

The Amazing Spider-Man would prefer if you didn't call it the fourth Spider-Man movie. See, this ain't the Spider-Man your older brother knew from ten years ago — it's a reboot. The latest adventure to feature the comic book webslinger throws three movies worth of established mythology straight out the window, swapping the original cast with an ensemble of fresh faces and resetting the franchise with a spiffy new origin story. "New" in the loosest sense of the word — the highlights of ASM, mainly a sleek new design and spunky reinterpretation of Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) and gal pal Gwen Stacey (Emma Stone), are weighed down by overpowering sense of familiarity. Nearly a beat for beat replica of the 2002 original with some irksome twists of mystery thrown in, Amazing Spider-Man fails to evolve its hero or his quarrels. The film has a great sense of cinematic power, but little responsibility in making it interesting.

We're first introduced to Peter Parker as a young boy, watching as his parents rush out of the house in response to a hidden danger. Mr. and Mrs. Parker leave their son in the care of his Aunt May (Sally Fields) and Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen), who raise him into Andrew Garfield's geeky cool spin on the character. Parker's a science whiz but faces the challenges of every day life — passing classes, talking to girls, the occasional jock with aggression issues — but all of life's woes are put on hold when the teen discovers a new clue in the mystery behind his parents' disappearance. The discovery of his dad's old briefcase and notes leads Peter to Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), a scientist working for mega-conglomerate Oscorp and his Dad's old partner. When they cross paths, Connors instantly takes a liking to the wunderkind, and loops him into the work he started with his father: replicating the regeneration abilities of lizards in amputee humans (Connors is driven to reform his own missing arm). But when Parker wanders into Oscorp's room full of spiders (a sloppily explained this-needs-to-be-here-for-this-to-happen device), he receives his legendary spider bite that transforms him into the hero we know.

Director Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) desperately wants Amazing Spider-Man to work as a high school relationship movie, but with the burden of massive amounts of plot and mythology to introduce, the movie sags under the sheer volume of stuff. Stone turns Parker's object of affection, Gwen Stacey, into a three-dimensional character. Whenever they happen upon each other, an awkward exchange in the hallway, a flirtatious back-and-forth in the Oscorp lab (where Stacey is head…intern), or when the two finally begin a romantic relationship, the two stars shine. They're vivid characters chopped to bits in the editing room, diluted by boring, franchise-building plot threads and routine action sequences. Seriously, Amazing Spider-Man, another mad scientist villain who uses himself as a test subject only to become a monster? And another bridge rescue scene? Amazing Spider-Man desperately wants to disconnect from the original trilogy, but it's trapped in an inescapable shadow and does nothing radical to shake things up. Instead, it settles for the same old same old while preparing for inevitable sequels instead of investing in its dynamic duo.

There's a sweet spot where the film really hits his stride. After discovering his spider-abilities, Peter hits the streets for the first time. He's superhuman, but still a headstrong teen, full of obnoxious quips and close calls with shiv-wielding thugs. The action is slick, small and playful, Webb showing us something new by melding his indie sensibilities with big scale action. If only it lasted — the introduction of Ifans reptilian half, The Lizard, implodes Amazing Spider-Man into incomprehensible blockbuster chaos. A gargantuan beast wreaking havoc around New York City promises King Kong-like escapades for the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, but the lizard man has other plans: to rule the world! Or something. Whatever it takes to get Lizard and Spider-Man fighting on the top of a skyscraper over a doomsday machine — logic be damned.

Amazing Spider-Man peppers its banal foundation with great talent, from Denis Leary as Gwen's wickedly funny dad and the police captain hunting down Spider-Man, to Fields and Sheen as two loving adults in Peter's life, to Garfield and Stone, whose chemistry demands a follow-up for the sake of seeing them reunited. But it's all at the cost of putting on the most expensive recreation of all time with new demands imposed by the success Marvel's other properties (except, that franchise teasing worked). Amazing Spider-Man introduces too many ideas that go nowhere, undermining the actual threat at hand. No one wants to be unfulfilled, but that's the overriding difference between the original movie and the update. You need to pay for the sequel to know what the heck is going on in this one.