2012's release of "The Amazing Spider-Man" marked the beginning of a new Spider-Man cannon. Despite the unfavourable fact that it was released too soon, the reboot's possible blessing was the clean slate it had provided. It was a chance to breathe new life into the character - a chance to improve upon whatever shortcomings the previous franchise may have had. This film was supposed to kick start the new series with a bang but sadly, that is what it failed to do.
The new Spider-Man film was not a bad movie by any means - at least not in my opinion as I did enjoy it. While it never truly ventured into bad or terrible, it surely failed to impress or break new ground. Granted, no movie is perfect, but while they did improve upon some of Sam Raimi's mistakes; they made some faults of their own, and they can be quite the problem. With the sequel filming in a few weeks, I deemed it appropriate to list possible changes that may be beneficial in making the more "Amazing" Spider-Man film.
Marc Webb surely didn't fail in giving the audience an endearing teenage relationship between Peter and Gwen Stacy. The dynamic between the two was well directed and had a very natural feel to it that it almost accurately captures real high school love. It was very innocent and bubblegum-y, much like how young love should be.
However, while we did get the idea that the two were somewhat COMPATIBLE, I didn't get the idea that their relationship may be able to withstand hardships. A teenage romance, as most people would say, is rarely the basis of a long lasting relationship. Teenagers are often criticized for their fleeting sense of love that is mostly result of physical attraction. What we got in the movie, as I said earlier, was almost like that - a typical teenage romance.
I'd like to see the two go through a more mature relationship with difficulties and struggles. But I also do want to see them face those problems together. I think that it's high time that they upgrade their relationship from puppy love to true love, or else that is what it will forever be treated as: a short lived teen romance.
2. A different and developed Peter Parker
Much to the dismay of many fans, we did get a different Peter Parker than the one we saw in the Raimi trilogy. This portrayal was a departure from the amiable and kind-hearted P.P. that we all know and love, and was instead an edgy and flawed teenager. And guess what? He stayed that way for most of the movie. Even at the end, after all the hell and life change that the character went through, Peter was frustratingly similar to how he was in the beginning. Although, I did try to justify the portrayal of the character on numerous occasions, I do admit that it was out of bias then, as it is now.
You could argue that Peter acted impulsively and carelessly because that is similar to how a teenager would act in this day and age. While that may be true, those aren't exactly the traits we'd want out of our hero and they often can take away from the sympathetic appeal of the character - one which is crucial in capturing the essence of Spider-Man. After the numerous humbling events that transpired in his life in the first movie, It's almost compulsory that Peter changes in such a way that he is more mature and good natured.
Thankfully, there are implications at the end of the film that (sort of?) reveal that Peter understands his calling and he is getting his act together. I did see Peter develop somewhat in TASM and I don't think any of it should be forgone. Especially since so many people say that the "those are the best kinds line" negated a lot of Peter's development in the first movie, I think that it is even more imperative that they show the character's maturation even if it has to happen between the lines of the first and second movie.
Oh and Peter... Lighten up damn it.
3. Better Action
Spider-Man is surely one of those characters whom you can use to deliver some of the best action sequences ever. His graceful acrobatics, formidable athleticism, and unique abilities are key ingredients in the concoction of breathtaking fight scenes. Couple that with a visually interesting villain and you have one hell of a fight scene.
Sadly, this is a department Marc Webb didn't deliver too well in. The subway fight, though funny, was incomprehensible; the sewer fight may have been nifty, but it was also really short and nothing truly happened; the Oscorp Tower fight was supposed to be a grand finale, but it ended up being disappointing. The most noteworthy fights, in my opinion, were already the very short-lived Spidey vs Swat scene and the high school fight scene - and even those weren't anything special. Fortunately, though lacking, the webslinging was a lot fun to watch.
What I've always liked about Raimi's Spider-Man film franchise was the fight scenes. They always flowed smoothly and often took place in multi-leveled environments. Each combatant in the fight scenes would always have the chance to showcase his skill set and depending on the circumstances they are placed in, one will be better adapted and that person will get the better of the other. If I am not conveying my message well enough, watch the bank and train fight scenes from Spider-Man 2. Doc Ock and Spidey try and constantly use their abilities to one up another in an exchange of blows - all while taking the fight around town.
Also, a little fist fight between the hero and villain never hurts anyone...Go ask the Superman fans.
4. Aunt May
Marc Webb went a different direction and introduced Peter Parker's parents as people whose missing status have had ramifications on their child. With that in mind, I was hoping that Peter would regard Aunt May and Uncle Ben as his important mother and father figures who filled the parental void that his actual parents created . Even better, I was hoping that after Ben's death, Peter would recognize the need to take care of his vulnerable Aunt considering that they were the only kin left. That, unfortunately, didn't happen. Instead, we got a sort of emotional disconnect between the two.
Aunt May should be more than an obligatory cameo. In the comics and Raimi series, Aunt May served the very important role of Spider-Man's moral compass through appealing to Peter. She would (though unknowingly) be the one who directly influenced Spider-Man's decisions. Though the new franchise doesn't need to follow this formula, Aunt May shouldn't just be the person who owns the house Peter comes home to. She is one of Spider-Man's most crucial driving forces. Besides, Sally Field gave a great performance, why not use her more?
5. Peter Parker not living in the past
The Amazing Spider-Man ended without tying up loose ends neatly. The audience (and Peter for that matter) never really gets closure a few dropped subplots. Not only did finding Uncle Ben's killer seem essentially unimportant halfway through the film, they also dropped the parents subplot -which was built up to be the constitution of "The Untold Story" - with the intentions of carrying the story over to the sequel. The failure to act on these unfinished storylines may have consequences on the next film and if it does, it's sure to be annoying.
We can't have Peter looking for his Uncle's killer again to get closure from the first film; his mission was apparently changed when the Lizard and Captain Stacy came along. To have him return on a manhunt in the name of vengeance would not only make it seem as if Peter cannot cope or move on from grief, but it also won't hold the same emotional weight considering the death of Uncle Ben happened a movie before. It would also be better if Peter didn't fret about not finding the truth about his parents to the same degree that he did in the first film. By the end of the film, Peter Parker is mostly a self-made man who had discovered his purpose on his own. This realization can be undone if he has another crisis of where he comes from.
And by not living in the past, I also mean that we shouldn't keep Peter Parker in high school anymore! There seems to be a prevalent thought among certain people that we should keep our heroes in adolescence. This idea may be attributed as the reason as to why Spider-Man's continuity in the comics had to be undone by Brand New Day even when good storylines were being released, and it may also account for putting Peter Parker back in high school in this new franchise of films. I want to see the character evolve. We can't keep having Spider-Man back in high school. Though there are certainly other great high school stories to be explored, Peter Parker can't be limited to a relatively short range of experience. He needs to explore the real world and see what life is about and quite frankly, high school won't be able to provide that. Being a high school student all throughout would limit the potential for development into a man and it's retreading old ground that we've seen in Raimi's films and numerous other adaptations of the character
6. LESS INTERRUPTION FROM SONY
Though I do think Marc Webb should own up to and correct the numerous mistakes he has made, there are a few things that he shouldn't really be blamed for in the first place. Do you still remember the mess that was Spider-Man 3? I'm pretty sure most of you recognize that the whole rushed Venom shenanigan was a result of Sony hastily delivering fan service - in effect, jeopardizing the movie. Sam Raimi is a good director and I don't think he should be put to charge for something that he didn't even do. The same can be said about Marc Webb.
Maybe I'm being unreasonable, but is it really too much to ask that they trust the director that they chose? The director is in charge for what happens in the film and therefore, if the suits at Sony do something to endanger the movie like cutting a huge sub plot, the weight is going to be on Marc Webb's shoulders.
All signs point toward the Sony executives making the decision to cut the "Untold Story" portion of the film. When creative conflict like that occurs, it can often mess up the movie. Though you could say that the people at Sony know what's better, such decisions could hold Marc Webb back form potentially creating a truly "amazing" Spider-Man sequel
If you think I didn't elaborate enough or if you think I completely missed a point, please share your thoughts below! If you liked the article please give a thumbs up and comment to generate discussion! Thanks for reading!