 Jordan <unk> of The Hollywood Reporter felt that the film was satisfying , explaining that Webb directed with emotional and comedic touches and provided a darker depiction and a stronger romance than the original . Boyd Van <unk> of Variety described the film as a " mostly slick , entertaining and emotionally involving recombination of fresh and familiar elements " . A columnist of The Village Voice , Chris <unk> felt that the film was faithful to the comics and that " Garfield 's spindly physicality evokes the Marvel illustrations of the 1960s . " Conversely , Lou <unk> of the New York Post wrote that the film was dull and uninspiring and felt that it did not compare to Batman Begins and was " a pointless rehash in the mode of Superman Returns . " New Yorker critic Anthony Lane described the film as " running out of nimbleness and fun , and the promise contained in its title seems ever more tendentious . " Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times called the film " memorable in pieces but not as a whole " and said that its best element is the relationship between Peter and Gwen , while the Lizard " is not quite an opponent for the ages . " 
