Success is an equivocal word. Its definition is not clear as it will be interpreted differently among different people. Some people define success as relevance, impact, or even one's revenue. But, whatever your definition of the word may be, I think that the Sam Raimi Spider-man films have met enough of this criteria to be generally considered in some manner or form, as "successful". I mean the series has brought in nearly $2.5 billion in revenue and with the exception of a disappointing 3rd film, it was critically praised. These are impressive feats, not only for Spider-Man but any movie in general. With these facts, it is hard to say the the movies (including the 3rd one) were not a success, otherwise you'd be lying. However,due to the mistakes made in the 3rd movie and a horrible sequel idea, a reboot has been introduced to rectify these problems. Through this editorial, you will see in a clever mix of opinions and facts; what leads me to believe how not only might The Amazing Spider-Man be "successful" in many forms, but also how it can possibly be the biggest movie of 2012.
First of all, Marc Webb's specialty in relationships is highly evident. The movie contains a lot of spidey's most popular characters but uses them in a different way. Rather than have Curt Connors just be Peter's science teacher, he has a close relation to his dad, Richard Parker. Instead of having George Stacy be a supporter of Spider-Man, he is now hunting him down.The relationships are noticeably more personal, even from the beginning. Due to the more connected character nexus, there are deeper repercussions for the characters and a larger area of effect. This also eliminates the a lot of the coincidence of the villains seeming to gain their powers only after they meet Peter, that force us to suspend our disbelief.
The approach to the story is also really interesting and in my opinion sets the stage for a connected deeper and bigger sequel. The movie is marketed as "The Untold Story" and it involves Peter's parents and their possible relation to Oscorp. Again, while we may not see Norman Osborn, the characters' connection with each other (and Norman Osborn!!!) give Peter a longer history with him and also a bigger score to settle if there is a conspiracy involved or if Gwen is killed.
Another thing interesting that the story does, is make it seem that it was Peter's destiny to be a hero. Peter's father's has a knack for involving himself with all of these people who will someday become his foes. There are also many hints in the trailer which lead us to believe that spiders were a big part of the Parkers even when Peter was a kid.
Peter Parker's character shines out and seems to be very faithful to the comics. Marc Webb seems to capture the nerdy aspect of Peter, but rather than stereotyping it, he modernizes it to make it more realistic. Instead of making Peter the captain of the chess club with his shirt tucked in, he makes Peter a smart and socially awkward teenager who can skate and who's life pretty much sucks. This seems to fit the modern world properly without overdoing it.
The humor is one element that was noticeably lacking in the Sam Raimi movies. In this movie, though it grittier, there seems to be a good amount of humor that somehow blend with darker tone. When you think about it, adding humor to the Spider-Man persona adds a deeper layer to the character. Peter Parker's life sucks but he feels a sense of escape and "completeness" when he's Spider-Man. It somehow acts his outlet for his feelings and undiscovered wit.
The last thing that may make the film more successful is the casting. On a purely cosmetic level, I'd say that Andrew Garfield fits the bill for the role of Peter Parker. What's even better is that based on the trailer, he seems to portray Peter perfectly as the modern day awkward teenager with a New York Accent. I also think that if they decide to age Peter a bit like what they did in the comics, Andrew Garfield will still fit the part. Also, it seems as if Garfield may have widened the demographic for the movie. I mean look at him and his hair. He is an actor who appeals to many pubescent girls. His presence means a higher amount of female attendance, and I say that without trying to sound gay (which is not bad by the way). Oh and let's not forget about Emma Stone and her probably great performance as Gwen Stacy. I guarantee many guys too will be watching the movie just for her.
So that is my insight on how The Amazing Spider-Man will be successful. I hope that I have not let my lifelong fanboy state of mind cloud my judgement and say all of this out of pure bias. Please comment on what you think and feedback would be really nice since this is my first article ever. Thanks for reading guys!