The Amazing Spider-Man - Talkback

[toranoko]

I totally missed out on attending the midnight showing, hadn't realized it was out until I was at lunch with co-workers and they were like - yeah, it came out last night!

:shakefist :shakefist I try to go to midnight showings just so I can be a zombie at work. Total fail.

I will have to try and catch a showing this weekend. The trailer and these comments make me think it's a Spider-Man movie that I'll actually want to own on DVD.

 

[Jacky392000]

Japan is awesome for having the earliest premiere in the entire world. (but at the same time, they also suck for only bringing in Avengers in August) while I enjoyed the old Spidey movies (except for 3 which was a piece of crap), I prefer this movie a whole lot more. it's interesting that they borrowed certain elements from the Ultimate Spiderman universe.

can I say that Andrew Garfield portrayed Peter Parker way better than Tobey McGuire ever did? especially scenes where he's awkward around Gwen and his nerdy fascination for science. not to mention the guy's 28 but still has the look of a teenager! oh and he's a total hottie! :wub: :laugh:

while I'm still more familiar with villains like Green Goblin, it's refreshing to see something new like The Lizard. for those who played the tied-in movie video game, which is set after the movie, it's interesting that The Lizard and Spiderman are both cross-species, but with the latter being the perfect type. if there's going to be movie sequels, I hope they keep this concept.

I might get this movie on DVD after all. really loved the acting, the humor, the action and the characters. though, I wonder if Peter will still meet some other familiar characters like Eddie Brock or Harry Osborn or MJ?

 

[Loghorn]

I agree with most of you. This reboot was very well done, & should've been the first Spider-Man movie back in 2002, especially as it was being much more faithful to the source material, like the review of the article said.

 

[urugoji]

I didn't like this movie when I first saw it, but the more I think about it, the better it is. Most of the characters were very interesting and were portrayed really well. For me, the standout was Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben. I was very surprised that such a well-known actor could disappear into a role like that. Also, as many others have said, the romance was a lot more realistic. A number of action scenes were top-notch, as well. It was nice having fights throughout the movie instead of jamming a 2 minute supervillain battle at the end, like a lot of Marvel movies sadly tend to do. I especially loved the part where Spider-Man sets up web trap for the Lizard in the sewer. Beautifully shot and an interesting use of his powers. Also, while the score is a bit lush for my taste and is nowhere near as good as Elfman's score, Horner actually has a recurring theme that isn't all too bad.

What hurts the movie is the organization. As I thought, retreading the origin story was a bad move. At times, the movie kind of drags while we're waiting for him to FINALLY become Spider-Man again. Not to mention, nothing in the first half of the movie is resolved. Peter tries to find out what his dad was working on that got him so spooked when he left for the last time, as well as searching for Uncle Ben's killer. But the very second that the Lizard shows up, they just stop doing anything with those plots and forget about it. The "big mystery" advertised in the trailers is never solved. And him fighting only criminals that fit the killer's description isn't justice, it's just revenge (which both Uncle Ben AND Captain Stacey call him out on, yet he never really learns his lesson).

Also, the Lizard was not very good. His humanoid face was slightly distracting, his voice was awkward given the design, and his evil plan made him out like a James Bond villain. The Lizard should have been primal and instinct-based, not a methodical mastermind. Also, his evil plan was the same as Magneto's from the first X-Men. And Kamen Rider Eternal's. And the Worms' from Kabuto.

It definitely wasn't bad, and again, the more I think about it, the more good stuff shines through, but I think if they do a sequel, it will certainly be better in terms of pace and organization.

 

[Bolt]

Not to mention, nothing in the first half of the movie is resolved. Peter tries to find out what his dad was working on that got him so spooked when he left for the last time, as well as searching for Uncle Ben's killer. But the very second that the Lizard shows up, they just stop doing anything with those plots and forget about it.

[...]

The "big mystery" advertised in the trailers is never solved. And him fighting only criminals that fit the killer's description isn't justice, it's just revenge (which both Uncle Ben AND Captain Stacey call him out on, yet he never really learns his lesson).

This was obviously intended to be just the first entry in a new series of Spider-Man films, all of which are focused on revealing the mystery of Peter's parents and the events that led to their deaths. It would've made very little sense to wrap all of that up in the first film. This was made even more explicit by the post-credits scene, in which [HIDE]a faceless, ominous visitor under Oscorp's employ asks him directly if Peter discovered the truth about his parents.[/HIDE] I don't think the promise of a sequel gets more clear than that.

As for Uncle Ben's killer remaining free, there are several sound reasons why that might have been done. One, as you mentioned, was the sudden appearance of the Lizard, which sort of trumps the minor threat of a convenience store thief. It also served to show growth in Peter's character, no longer consumed by the need for revenge but able to put aside his own selfish feelings (which he feels were responsible for Uncle Ben's death) in order to protect the citizens of New York. This is arguably the more important point, as it impresses on the viewer the idea of a kind of maturity through acceptance--Peter had already paid for his mistake, and catching Uncle Ben's killer wouldn't bring him back. All he was doing by stalking petty criminals through the dregs of the city was getting people hurt.

Also, if you note, Peter has the artist's rendering of the perp tacked on the bulletin board over his desk. Whether as a reminder of the lesson he'd learned or to keep the goal of finding him present in his mind, I doubt he'll be forgetting about him anytime soon.[/QUOTE]

 

[urugoji]

^
I know all that stuff was sequel bait. But it was the same problem as Prometheus, where it's advertised as "See this movie to find the answer to this huge mystery," then the mystery is nothing but a tease for a coming sequel. I don't mind things getting unresolved until a sequel, but the film just ignored these major elements for half the movie.

And you make a good point about Peter being more mature by focusing on stopping the Lizard instead of simply catching Uncle Ben's killer, but the film itself doesn't make that point. At least not clearly. There is no story event where he specifically learns that lesson the hard way. He just drops the search randomly and never thinks about it again. Even just a line of dialogue could have helped make that character progression clear.

And I did see the perp's sketch on Peter's bulletin board. I found it hilarious that right as the voicemail from Uncle Ben said, "...and I know some things have been left unresolved," the shot pans over the sketch and a photo of Peter's parents, the two plotlines that aren't resolved. Marc Webb knew what he did haha.

 

[mmartina]

Saw it on Tuesday night the theatre was pack but not sold out i loved the movie would not say it's better then spiderman 1 but it's better then 2 & 3, loved the Stan Lee Cameo, Andrew Garfield did a great job at playing Peter Parker Spiderman

 

[Dr Kain]

Saw it and all I am going to say is Sam who? I don't know of any other Spider-Man movies.

 

[netro32]

My biggest gripe about the movie, they should have waited to kill off Captain Stacey. Waited at least the 2nd movie to kill him, and then the 3rd to kill Gwen.

 

[Ryuutaros]

It also served to show growth in Peter's character, no longer consumed by the need for revenge but able to put aside his own selfish feelings (which he feels were responsible for Uncle Ben's death) in order to protect the citizens of New York.

His transformation was shown when Peter says...

"I'm Spider-man."

He has the power to help people and he accepts his responsibility.

Also the memorable quote from the comics and movies was always in this film even if it wasn't spoken.

Damn I love this film.