Over the past couple of months, new information has been emerging, regarding The Amazing Spider-Man. Following this there has been mixed reactions from fans. Some fans are excited whilst others predict this film will be a huge flop. I am here to tell you why, you should be excited for The Amazing Spider-Man.
1) The introduction of the web-shooters:
The introduction of the web-shooters will provide new viewers with an insight, into just how intelligent Peter Parker is. I liked the Raimi films and they did show snippets of his intelligence but they never really went into depth with it. You have to understand, that, whilst the fans who have followed the comic books and various animated series, will know Peter is a scientific prodigy, not all fans will. Especially if they were introduced to the character through the Raimi films. The web-shooters for me are the physical embodiment of Peter's intelligence and skill. They will help new viewers to see how clever he really is, whilst giving them something fresh.
2) The web swinging is done for real:
In this film, director Marc Webb has stated in various interviews, his intent to make everything in this movie, more grounded. As a result a large majority of the web-swinging is done by practical stunts. When the Raimi films were released, I was so impressed with how far CGI had come. Nothing was more exhilarating then seeing Spider-Man, soaring across the screen at break neck speed. It was a real "wow" moment for me and I am sure many others. However after watching these films, recently, you can see the essence of gravity seems to be missing from these scenes. It is almost like Spider-Man is floating rather than leaping from web-line to web-line. The second trailer for TASM was released about a month ago and it showed us the first few clips of Spider-Man's new swinging in action. I personally was very impressed and feel this is the kind of direction they needed to take the film in. Seeing him jump from web to web looks real and it gives the audience that sense, that this could indeed, be possible in our world. It gives off the dimension of gravity and I feel it will be a great way to draw the audience in.
3) Gwen Stacy
As many of you know Gwen became Peter's first love. She fell in love with Peter and not Spider-Man, which makes the interaction between the two much more believable. Gwen plays a big part into the character development of both Peter and Spider-Man, so I am very curious to see where they go with this character. What is also great about Gwen, is the fact she is just as gifted as Peter is, in terms of scientific studies. I believe if they handle her character with justice, she may become a role model for younger girls and could potentially pull in a whole new audience. What became rather irritating for me during the Raimi films, was the fact that MJ, was always the victim. This made her character extremely stereotypical and one-dimensional. Hopefully they will not make the same mistake in this film, by giving Gwen's character more depth and personality.
4) The Lizard:
The Lizard is a great choice for Peter's first villain. Dr Curt Connors is a friend to Peter in the animated series and comics, so it will be interesting to see how their relationship will play out during the course of this film. There has been a large amount of criticism, in regards, to the design of the Lizard. I am not too bothered about what he looks like. It doesn't matter if he lacks a snout and to be honest it doesn't matter whether he has a lab coat. What matters is the portrayal and the story behind this character. In my view the reason why they decided on this design was because it keeps the audience still invested in the character. If he had been given a snout, we would not be able to tell what emotions he was experiencing and unfortunately it would detach us from him. It would make it nearly impossible, to tell if the character is happy, sad or in an absolute state of rage. With the addition of this humanoid face, I feel we will be able to see these emotions play out and it will give the character a great depth, rather than being another soulless, shallow creature with a snout.
5) Andrew Garfield is Spider-Man:
When Andrew Garfield was first announced to play Spider-Man, I had not seen him in much, so I became rather skeptical about the entire project. I then decided to watch the films he had done and from what I have seen, he is more than capable of pulling off this character. If you have seen him in the likes of The Social Network, Boy A and Never Let Me Go, this guy has a great emotional range for his age. From what I have seen from the trailer, he not only knows how to act like Spider-Man but he also understands his body language. His movements look like they have come from the pages of the comic book. What also left a big impression on me in this trailer, was the inclusion of Spidey's trademark sarcasm and wit. There was sarcasm in the Raimi films but I feel Tobey never really captured the tone of it. I think by adding humour into the film, it will help to lighten things up because some of people's biggest complaints are, it is way too dark. My argument to these people, is that, Peter Parker is a tragic character, he does experience some pretty dark moments. It is Spider-Man that is the lighter side of him. When he puts on the mask he becomes nearly a different person, it is the embodiment of his confidence. That is why Spider-Man is such a compelling character. If they manage to portray these contrasts of personality within the film, we could be in for a real treat this summer.
My Final Thoughts:
I think it is pretty obvious to see, this film, is being viewed by many as an underdog. In a way though, this is not a bad position for the film to be in. If expectations are lowered, then it will be considerably easier to surpass them. I have seen various different people say " well it won't be as good, as number two' which, in my view is not a very fair statement to make. You have to understand Spider-Man 2 had an entire film before it, to build on the character development, which helped the film reach it's critically acclaimed status. The same goes for The Dark Knight. If you are going to compare this film to anything, it should be Spider-Man 1. That in my view, is a much more level playing ground.
This is a new start for Spider-Man and being a long time time fan, I can only hope, that it is, not only a success but a great film. All I can say to the people who are skeptical, is, go in with an open mind, a clean slate as it were. If it does turn out to be a train wreck, at least you can say you gave it a chance and I think at the very least, it deserves a chance.