Finally watched Amazing Spider-Man

[MIB41]

*Someone clear this up for me, why does "T-Bone" the cashier even think to ask Peter for help with the robber? In wrestler scene he was asked to help because he was a wrestler who just won a match - here, Peter's just a wimpy kid who was trying to buy chocolate milk. A more minor point, is "T-Bone" the owner of the store? Why else would he care that much about the robbery? He doesn't seem to care about the customers - so I just assumed he was a disgruntled worker.

T-Bone makes reference to the owner when he is dismissing Peter, so I believe he is just as you said, a disgruntled worker. And I agree. That was a vague scene. They were trying to establish Parker as being "irresponsible" or "selfish" for witnessing (and not helping) someone who had just been robbed. Yes this worker had dismissed Parker, but Parker not only didn't chase after the robber, but also took the milk without paying for it! And that was not the only place where situational values were applied. He also stole the web cartridges from Oscorp to help design his web-shooters. Then he dismisses Capt Stacy's death wish to "Keep Gwen out of it." There just seem to be a real lack of consideration for the principle of his actions so much as a means to justify the end result. Those tendencies typically build a villain, not a hero. I took issue with that. In the comics and Raimi's origin, the transformational moment IS when Uncle Ben dies and you see Peter bolt down the alleyway after the perpetrator. THAT is his moment of change. In this version, that is immensely watered down. So you never really see that transformational moment inside him. Critical miss.

[Brazoo]

T-Bone makes reference to the owner when he is dismissing Peter, so I believe he is just as you said, a disgruntled worker. And I agree. That was a vague scene. They were trying to establish Parker as being "irresponsible" or "selfish" for witnessing (and not helping) someone who had just been robbed. Yes this worker had dismissed Parker, but Parker not only didn't chase after the robber, but also took the milk without paying for it! And that was not the only place where situational values were applied. He also stole the web cartridges from Oscorp to help design his web-shooters. Then he dismisses Capt Stacy's death wish to "Keep Gwen out of it." There just seem to be a real lack of consideration for the principle of his actions so much as a means to justify the end result. Those tendencies typically build a villain, not a hero. I took issue with that. In the comics and Raimi's origin, the transformational moment IS when Uncle Ben dies and you see Peter bolt down the alleyway after the perpetrator. THAT is his moment of change. In this version, that is immensely watered down. So you never really see that transformational moment inside him. Critical miss.

Very good points, and I agree with you. It also bugged me that he only modified the web shooters and stole the web fluid. (It also makes me wonder how he is suppose to make more.)

The original story is more dramatically effective to me: Peter Parker has big ideas about using his powers to take control of his future - using them for fame and fortune - and I think most people identify with him for that.

When you talk about that moment of change I totally agree. The moment he realizes his powers don't allow him to have more freedom, but more responsibility we're right with him. It's dramatically effective in the Raimi version and I think we identify with Peter more because of it - here, not as much.

In this version Peter's apathetic about his powers. He doesn't try to find a use for them - other than doing crazy skateboard stunts to amuse himself and get revenge with Flash. I don't care about Peter the same way because he's not much of a dreamer. He's squandering his powers and then he doesn't learn anything from Ben's death. Maybe that's the point in this version - maybe they plan to win me over in the sequels as Peter changes.

Maybe this is all part of their plan for the new series - and all these things you mentioned will lead to becoming a hero. We know he's going to face Gwen's death - so there are still consequences for him to deal with - so maybe they're making Peter less nobel now so he has more room to change later.

On one hand I agree - people don't learn lessons and change right away in real life - but this is also a movie, not real life - and to me it's a lot less exciting this way.

[bigphill]

I liked the amazing spiderman, but I prefer the raimi films ( I feel that spiderman 3 gets a bad rap). I will say this I never liked MJ in the Raimi versions. And I don't understand why people say that Aunt May and Uncle Ben were better in the reboot....I just didn't feel that connection to them. It woul dhave been nice to have just made this number 4, being that raimi was setting up the Lizard story for the past two movies

[Apositive]

I turned the film off after a bit....the whole movie seems redundant. Way too early for another Spider-man origin film. This film reeked of the Sony boardroom calling all the shots......

[Figuremod73]

I dont have the dvd yet. How much time does the origin take, anyways?

[babycyclops]

I dont have the dvd yet. How much time does the origin take, anyways?

I think it's something like 50 minutes into the movie that Uncle Ben is shot.

[ctc]

>Maybe this is all part of their plan for the new series

....or just sloppy writing? I could swee them changing it to make the film more "grounded," which is the trend for superhero films.... but yeah, it does take away from things.

'Course, HOW MUCH do we REALLY need to see Spidey's origin AGAIN? Is it neccessary for the films? Not really.... unless you're gonna keep tying more of the mythos into it. (Which I don't care for 'cos it ensmallens the setting. But again, it' seen as "grounding" by a lot of folks.)

>We know he's going to face Gwen's death

Do we? One of these days someone's gonna make a major shunt from the established story, and it's possible for the audience to go for it. The Gwen Stacey thing from the comics is a LONG time ago and it's possible newer fans might not be familiar with it. So they won't miss it. And if the current movie crowd LIKES Gwen the studio's not likely to do away with her.

....or maybe they'll move right into the "Clone Saga." My buddy Rob hypothesized that one of the reasons you see so mnay superhero flicks these days is 'cos the execs are of an age that back in their youth they read all these comics. That's why the films tend to be *******ized versions of storylines from the late 70's/early 80's. But time passes on, and soon we'll see folks who came of age reading stuff from the late 80's and early 90's come to power; and their tastes will come with them. EVERY generation thinks "their" version of the character is the best. Maybe this is why Bane has become a regular in the Batman mythos?

....as an aside to another post; that's why OUR parents would be lukewarm on superheroes and Star Wars, but okay with westerns and cowboys; those were the stories of THEIR youth. Hence the semi-comeback of the western in the early 70's.... a time when the kids of the 50's would be parents. (AND the popularity of stuff like the Eastwood "spaghetti western;" dark, gritty cowboys for older members of the Roy Rodgers generation. Like the Miller Batman for the older "BOP! POW!" era Bat-kids....

Don C.

[GHVersion12]

I finally got a chance to see this today and I enjoyed it. I don't think it was better then the Raimi films but I also do not think it was worse. I actually liked the lizard in this when I thought I would not but of course I do like the classic look better but this version worked for me.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I watched it again last night, and I still think the overall tone of the film is more consistent than Raimi's which tend to jerk around between high drama, humor and a bit of horror.

I get the point that this Peter Parker doesn't have that transforming moment, but I think that was probably by design. Since this movie was targeted more toward a younger teen audience, that part of the story was toned down, probably to match many teen's general ambivalence. For this reason, the romance angle was heightened, and I felt that aspect worked much better than in the Raimi films. MJ just seemed to suddenly like Peter in the first film. Here the attraction seems much more organic. It doesn't hurt that Stone's Gwen is a much more likable, strong character either.

Oddly enough, while they tone down the more obvious heart-string pulling moments for this film in most places, the skyscrapper crane scene is more over-the-top than anything Raimi ever filmed. I felt that whole scene was kind of forced and seemed like a challenge to outdo the famous elevated train rescue from Spidey 2. It didn't, in my book. Why didn't Spidey just web a police chopper and have them fly over? One even pointed the way for him to use the cranes!?!

But overall, I liked the film. I need to rewatch the Raimi films (well, at least 1 & 2) before officially making my decision. Right now, I'd say the first film and this one are neck and neck, with Spidey 2 in the lead. But I may think differently tomorrow.

Chris

[HardyGirl]

OK, I just watched this for the first time, and overall, I enjoyed it. I do think they spent way too much time w/ the origin. I don't like that Gwen knew his identity. I don't really like the whole "I don't know my own strength, and pullling off ladies tops b/c my hands are too sticky" thing. But overall, I liked this one better than the Tobey flicks. Tobey was good as Peter Parker, but oh, such a winpy Spider-man.

[Bruce Banner]

I like Garfield in the role of Parker more than Maguire. The suit looks better, too. Good vibrant red & blue, and black weblines.
And of course, it's awesome that he has webshooters this time around.

But they tried to cram so much into it, that it inevitably suffers to some degree.
(Having both Uncle Ben's and Captain Stacy's deaths in the movie tends to lessen the emotional impact of both tragedies somewhat. Captain Stacy's demise should have been kept until the sequel.)

I liked Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy so much that it'll truly be a tragedy when she meets her ultimate fate.
But I'm not so sure about Peter revealing his secret to her so readily. That could have waited until the next movie, at least... if at all.

A lot of the action takes place at night in the movie. Hopefully the sequel will show Spidey in action swinging through the cityscape during the daylight... which would give it more of that iconic Spidey comic vibe.

[Earth 2 Chris]

A lot of the action takes place at night in the movie. Hopefully the sequel will show Spidey in action swinging through the cityscape during the daylight... which would give it more of that iconic Spidey comic vibe.

I would bet money that was intentional, to differentiate it from the sun-drenched, golden Raimi feel, and to capture a bit of that Nolanesque quality we all know they were after.

Chris

[Bruce Banner]

and to capture a bit of that Nolanesque quality we all know they were after.

That's what I thought, too.
And as a result, it made me worry that they were potentially mishandling the character from the outset.
There's room for a certain amount of that darker element in the Spidey saga, but if they try to make him too moody, brooding, sombre and nocturnal, they'll just be doing a disservice to the essence of the iconic character we love.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see how they handle the sequel.



__

[clemso]

I watched it again last night and thought Garfield made a great contemporary geek Parker and I liked that he wasn't afraid to stand up to Flash, he wasn't a wimp. There is only one point that i don't get with the mechanical web shooters. Did Parker steal the web technology from Oscorp? If so, how is he reproducing this? The Lizard with-out snout and lab coat was still hard to get past. I really wish they hadn't messed with that.

[Brue]

I can't remember how they played out the web shooters.

As far as teh lab coat goes - I thought he had it on at some point. typical of movies - hulk held purple pants once, thor wore helmet once, etc

the snout is correct
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