EDITORIAL: Will 'The Amazing Spider-Man' actually be Amazing?

EDITORIAL: Will 'The Amazing Spider-Man' actually be Amazing?

With Marvel releasing a rebooted Spider-Man this July, could this actually be the real summer blockbuster? Hit the jump to find out...

Editorial Opinion
By hush - Jan 27, 2012 06:01 AM EST
Filed Under: Spider-Man



With 2012 upon us, there has been a lot of hype around comic book movies this year - and with good reason. Now is the best time to be a fan of comic book movies and are bringing our heroes and villains to a much wider audience.

With the release of the final installment of Chris Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy and Avengers assembling in May, the heat around the Marvel/Disney reboot of every ones favorite friendly neighborhood Spider-Man hasn't hit the headlines quite like Sam Rami's Spider-Man trilogy did upon it's release, and has also had some quite negative feedback already.

I, however, am anticipating this movie more than both the others, and here is why I am hoping I won't be disappointed.



Firstly, let's go back one year. We had DC fans donning their domino masks in preparation of Green Lantern. We had Marvels fanbase excited about Thor and Captain America. And then there was X-Men: First Class. The jokes about how poor this movie was going to be were there straight away. No decent X-Men? Set when exactly? Why is Emma Frost there and in Wolverine? No Ice Man? No Cyclops? No Jean Grey? No Angel? Oh wait... there is an Angel. But she's a stripper who grows wings and fires stuff from her mouth. And the outfits... man, did we all diss the outfits...

I think we can all agree Green Lantern was a massive miss. Thor and Captain America were both excellent, but for me, the best movie from last year was X-Men: First Class. I don't care if none of the original X-Men apart from Beast are there. The story was probably the best actual story for any X-Men movie. The effects were great, Emma Frost was ironically very hot, and Michael Fasbender and James McAvoy were brilliant as Magneto and Xavier respectively.



Now I am not suggesting The Dark Knight Rises or The Avengers will flop, I think they'll both be brilliant. But we doubted X-Men: First Class and it turned out to be a corker.

Let's also not forget Spider-Man has a massive following. He's up there with Batman and Superman for most well known comic book characters and the previous Spider-Man films were box office hits. He already has the fanbase to secure him another.


Now secondly, let's compare with Nolans Batman movies. I can see this Spider-Man following Batman Begins in having a movie that is more character focused. I think we will see a 'more real' take on Spider-Man (if such a thing is possible). Batman Begins also kept away from Joker - which turned out to be a wise move. Having Scarecrow and Ra's Al Ghul was a bit of a gamble, but it paid off so you aren't introducing Batmans arch nemesis in the first movie - you're introducing Batman. In the second film, we already know Batman so we can have fun with the arch enemy instead. I can't see the second film having Doctor Octopus simply because he was in the original trilogy's second movie - it would be a bit weird. I can see Goblin turning up in the second.




Thirdly - and I know this will upset people, so sorry in advance, but I didn't like Rami's movies. There, I've said it. They sucked. They were horrible to watch at points and they never did Spider-Man the justice he deserves. I couldn't stand Tobey MacGuire as Peter Parker, I thought Kirsten Dunst was a rubbish MJ. And Harry? Harry just didn't come across as very Harry to me. And the third film was an absolute mess. I - probably like a few of you guys - often re-watch comic book movies and Rami's Spider-Man trilogy is one I have only watched a few times. I've watched Fantastic 4 many more times than Spider-Man 3. Basically, they weren't as great as we remember.



Now, I like the look of Andrew Garfield, he looks like Peter Parker to me. Emma Stone looks like Gwen. Now going back to my previous point about Goblin turning up, wouldn't the second film be amazing if it was based around 'The Night Gwen Stacy Died'. Finishing a comic book movie on such a dark note? How very Empire Strikes Back.



Also, having grown up on DC Comics, I don't really know much about early Marvel comics. However, Lizard DOES look very much like Steve Ditko's Lizard (I know... everyone's been saying that - but there is a reason everyone is saying it, because it's true!) and I think it's going to work. Aren't we always saying stick to the comic book appearance. I bet we get a lab coat as well.



I'm not saying this movie will be the blockbuster, I'm not saying it will be the best movie ever. I am saying it will be brilliant and I think it will be a box office success.

And this is a whole fresh start for Spider-Man. Although we've never seen The Avengers together, we have seen them all in their own movies. The Dark Knight Rises will finish off the trilogy, but we've all seen Bale as Batman. There will be surprises in both, but there will also be a lot of what we've already seen. Spider-Man is a completely fresh and new take on ol' Web Head, and this makes it interesting.

I think The Amazing Spider-Man will be the Batman Begins for Spider-Man. Which can only mean Spider-Man's 'Dark Knight' will follow. I hope.

Has WWE's Liv Morgan Landed A Major Superhero Role? Here's What We Know So Far
Related:

Has WWE's Liv Morgan Landed A Major Superhero Role? Here's What We Know So Far
SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY - J.K. Simmons Reportedly Set To Return As J. Jonah Jameson
Recommended For You:

SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY - J.K. Simmons Reportedly Set To Return As J. Jonah Jameson

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?
Want to contribute?
kylum616
kylum616 - 1/27/2012, 7:04 AM
good points mate i agree but rember x men:first class kinda bomed it made less than all the other x men movies in the usa and only just ahead of the first x men worldwide all in all great article
EddieOsborn
EddieOsborn - 1/27/2012, 8:46 AM
I like the idea of Spiderman pulling a 'Batman Begins' sort of approach. Definitely gives room to ante up more of it in the sequel. Tbh, i didn't like Tobey. He was a cry baby and Raimi protrayed him poorly
Zelikee1
Zelikee1 - 1/27/2012, 9:11 AM
I agree on many of your points. I believe this movie will present a much more grounded, realistic take on the characters and overall idea of Spider-man. There seems to be a considerable amount of emphasis being placed on the psychological exploration and evolution of Peter Parker. I think audiences will have a chance to watch the character grow from a quiet, self-conscious and bullied teenager to a young man with sudden power (and I think it will be interesting to see his reaction to this power, for revenge, for fun, for careless and selfish reasons that ultimately cause the death of his uncle) and ultimately into the hero who understands his place and purpose and responsibility. I really do get the feeling that this movie will have powerful drama, more so than the previous series, in that I think the relationships between characters will be explored thoroughly and therefore have real significance. Uncle Ben, for instance, is a pivotal character in the story of Peter Parker, yet in the first movie he was seen, by me at least, to be little more than a nice old man. Now don’t get me wrong, I loved Cliff Robertson’s portrayal and his moment in the car trying to explain responsibility to Peter was very moving and I believed Peter’s anguish over the loss of his uncle, I just didn’t get to see why he was so important to Peter. The Spider-man comics have benefitted from years of development and exploration into Peter’s relationship with his uncle. Many writers have approached this fundamental relationship from many directions over the years so that uncle Ben is no longer perceived as just a nice old man who happens to be Peter’s uncle and ended up dying because of Peter’s inaction (which is pretty much what he was at the very beginning). Uncle Ben raised Peter. He didn’t have the kid over for a couple of weeks in summer while the parents were away. He raised him. Like a father. One of my favourite stories about Uncle Ben was the one where Peter goes to a baseball game on the anniversary of his uncle’s death and reminisces about his childhood. There were some really touching scenes involving Ben and Peter playing practical jokes on each other. I liked that because it kind of explained where Peter developed his natural inclination for sarcasm and humour in general. I’ve read other stories from both amazing and ultimate spider-man that really breaks down what ‘great power, great responsibility’ means on a much deeper level than the simple catchphrase. Uncle Ben teaches Peter accountability, respect and shows him love. Without Uncle Ben, Peter Parker would not have the moral strength he needs to be Spider-man. And that’s the key right there. Spider-man is not the hero. Peter Parker is. It’s not the powers or the costume that make him a hero. It’s the fact that underneath that suit is a skinny sixteen-year-old kid who, because of the good people in his life – people like Uncle Ben – knows what is right and what is wrong and he has the strength of character to choose to do good. And I think that’s what this whole movie is about. Peter Parker. Not some superficial ‘hero must stop villain’ plot. When you say this movie is like the Batman Begins of Spider-man I think you are spot on. In Batman Begins we knew Bruce Wayne we watched him grow and cope with trauma, we watched him train and plan and slowly become the character we know and love. That’s why that movie was so damn good. It was not a case of, ‘ok, lets hurry up and get through all this origin crap and get Batman off fighting the villains’. I think that’s what we got with the first Spider-man movie. I loved it when it came out and it will always hold a special place in my heart but I think this movie and its sequels have the potential to be far, far superior. In the first Sam Raimi movie we saw a couple scenes of Peter as a bullied nerd – the psychological impact of this was not really explored, we saw Peter get bit by the spider and physically transform, we saw sweet old Aunt May and Uncle Ben talking kindly to Peter but not really connecting as a parent, we see Peter wrestle and get a bit cocky and then he becomes Spider-man and we rush on to see him take down the Green Goblin. If viewers understand the significance of Peter and the people he loves, then they will care a great deal more when one of them is having a heart attack or being thrown off a bridge, they won’t just think: oh that’s the nice old lady/pretty girl I’m supposed to care about.
Zelikee1
Zelikee1 - 1/27/2012, 9:29 AM
Ultimately, I think If they can get the characters right (which seems to be the case) and if the plot is both intellectually intriguing and emotionally compelling (I think the mystery of Peter’s parents presents excellent opportunity for such a plot) and if the action and special effects pull us into Spider-man’s world of visceral combat, high-flying acrobatics and the exhilarating rush of web slinging (which seems to be the goal behind Marc Webb’s use of pioneering 3D technology and first person shots) and if the character of Peter Parker remains present while under the costume through the use of dialogue – witty one-liners please – and internal narration via voice over(something the first series couldn’t seem to pull off)... If the film can pull off all of that, then I think it will easily beat out The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises.
Darkhaven
Darkhaven - 1/27/2012, 9:38 AM
Before I get started...

@Zelikee1: Dude. God created the spacebar and paragraph structures for a reason >.<

@hush: I get your analogy on Spider-Man pulling a Batman Begins. And I hope that isn't the case at all. I say this because in the trailer, it's taking too much of the Batman formula to heart. As an avid Spider-Man fan and 25 year reader of his comics, I can truly say that the Amazing Spider-Man is coming across FAR too dark.

Spider-Man has his dark times, granted, but his usual pacing is of an upbeat nerd just trying to figure his way out in the world. The trailer for ASM makes him out to be brooding and overly serious. At heart, Spider-Man is the empowered geek several of us here are. And, he's an utter smartass to boot! Tobey Mcguire had a few quips, but until they craft up a Peter Parker in both heart and in looks, Sony won't give Spider-Man the presentation he deserves.

And fyi: Imma let you finish, but Spider-Man 2 is the greatest CBM of ALL TIME :D Beyond the Nolan Batman, beyond the X-Men, even the current Marvel movies. Spider-Man 2 was straight up taken from comic pages: quips, action, comedy, villain presence, Parker drama, Parker curse, the works.
golden123
golden123 - 1/27/2012, 10:19 AM
@Zelikee1: You teachers/professors must (of) love(d) you.
er101
er101 - 1/27/2012, 10:23 AM
The film will be good but I still don't like the Lizard design, it may look like Ditko's design but most people prefer the more animalistic design of the Lizard, there's a time for realism and giant man Lizards isn't it. Also how can you dislike the Raimi films, admittidly spider-man 3 was crap but spider man 1 and spider man 2 were both brilliant!
headlopper
headlopper - 1/27/2012, 11:55 AM
NO.
MarsivNayr
MarsivNayr - 1/27/2012, 1:09 PM
I think I can agree with most of this. I wasn't a huge fan of Raimi's trilogy, especially after watching them over again.
I'm hoping this film turns out exactly the way I, and everyone else who's anticipating it, want it to.
mrexcellent
mrexcellent - 1/27/2012, 1:34 PM
@Zilekee1:

Well said dude, spoken like a bonefied Spider-man fan! I've read that Uncle Ben story you're talking about, where they go to the baseball game and Peter gets "beaned" with the baseball. It was one of the best Peter Parker moments I've read, and you're totally right about the Uncle Ben thing. I think that people fail to realize that the concepts can be taken further than what we've seen in the films thus far, and while I enjoyed the first Spider-man especially, we never did get to see that much parenting beyond Uncle Ben's chat with Peter in the car (or that special scene in Spider-man 2 where Peter has that talk with his Uncle in his mind also sitting in the car).

I really love the human sensibilities that Marc Webb demonstrated in (500) Days of Summer, and I honestly feel that if he can make Peter feel just as real, then the character will be done justice. Hopefully Sony Image Works can hold their end up. I'm not their biggest fan.
mrexcellent
mrexcellent - 1/27/2012, 1:39 PM
I should say that the teaser trailer didn't really show off Marc Webb's human sensibilities. It did it's job at making the franchise feel different, but it still didn't feel like Peter Parker. I hope to get a different vibe from the next trailer, and hopefully all those interviews that make it sound like Peter Parker will be a smart, witty, good kid will be more than just hot air.
Zelikee1
Zelikee1 - 1/27/2012, 5:06 PM
@Darkhaven oops, you're right. I honestly didn't realise that it looked like that. Sorry about that.

@Golden123 There's this one guy whose stares linger a little long if I'm being honest. Uncomfortably long. lol.

@mrexcellent Dude,it takes one to know one :P Now, I think you are right about the importance of this next trailer. The first one showed how the tone would be different -- darker, more serious -- but we need to see more than that to fully trust that this movie will deliver. We need to see Peter in the suit, in action, running, jumping, swinging, and talking trash. I understand why they showed us the POV sequence they did. The first half of the trailer was very dark and moody and heavy and when the POV sequence came in it became bright and kinetic and positive.

That sequence represented the positive impact the Spider-man persona has on Peter's life. He can literally rise above all the crap. But you are right, we need to hear him rising above it. We need to hear the confidence in his voice. We should hear how much fun he is having. He was the bullied kid with no strength, no power to defend himself and now he can do anything. WOOHOO!

But we need to see the lizard too. He should come across as huge and powerful and terrifying. We should get another little glimpse at this Parker parent mystery and we should see a little more of Gwen and aunt May and uncle Ben.

There are already so many people lined up to hate on this movie and if they mess up this second trailer. If they don't follow through with those comments you cited about Peter Parker's intelligence and hilarious and playful immaturity and his heroic determination. If they put the focus once again on how depressed Peter is and they ignore these other key aspects then they are telling the fans that they can pull off the whole Spider-man package.

Bottom line: whatever they do with this next trailer it better turn heads.
Zelikee1
Zelikee1 - 1/27/2012, 10:36 PM
* if they limit their focus to how sad Peter Parker is in the next trailer, then they are telling the fans that they CAN'T pull off the WHOLE Spider-man package, only part of it.
bgharcourt
bgharcourt - 1/28/2012, 1:57 AM
One thing I'm hoping for with TASM is the development of Parker as a fighter. I know most(if not all)of you recall that early in his career as a crime fighter, Spiderman lost almost all his fights. Not just to super-powered villains, but 2 bit hoods and thugs. It was something I never liked in Rami's first Spiderman, he went from getting his powers to being awesome without showing him struggle.
EdgyOutsider
EdgyOutsider - 1/28/2012, 7:58 AM
I don't understand why you guys hate on Sam Rami's Spider-Man films, sure the first one wasn't that great but that was more the studio and Avi Arad than Rami. The original trilogy was overall excellent and I can't wait for the remake, I'm hoping it turns out good and they do The Lizard justice because he's my favorite super villain of them all. To be honest the original
X-MEN film and the first Spider-Man films are the reasons I fell in love with superhero's. I kinda like the dark approach but at the same time I don't because their trying to make CBM's these days too much like Nolan's Batman trilogy (which btw I'm not rlly looking forward to TDKR cuz people are overhyping it). I hope for this Spider-Man (hopeful) trilogy they put Venom back in and do him justice cuz they didn't do him any good in SM3. Ya know everyone talks about TASM and TDKR and The Avengers cuz their big movies and rlly anticipated. I understand people didn't like the first Ghost Rider film and I understand why but I feel people should give the underdog a chance because Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance I garuntee will surprise people. Getting off topic but back to what I was saying,
Sam Rami's Spider-Man film's were excellent for what they were and the new Spidey film's will hopefully be as good if not better. If they go the Batman route though too far, I won't pay my money for the third. P.S: Sony, you [frick] with The Lizard, I swear you'll never see me pick up another Spider-Man anything or go see another Spidey film again, sincerely your worst [frick]ing nightmare
ULTIMOSPIDER
ULTIMOSPIDER - 1/28/2012, 12:09 PM
You doubters will see.....I went to Comic Con....Lizard will look just fine with CG additions and touch ups (Look at any Ironman behind the scenes, the suit looks plastic until the final product onscreen with CG ) <<< For you doubters......Even though it doesn't have the classic design this spider suit still has the look and i believe Andrew Garfield's look overall as PP/Spider-man is dead on.

It is only the non spider fans that don't have a clue about why this movie had to be made that seem to hate, and the ones who just want to "Settle" with the Raimi films.

Just you wait until you see this costume up close and in full view in the 2nd trailer in a few weeks...

Again you will see............Damn nukka, look at that fine ass Supergirl pic below...oh yeah...anyway....YOU ALL WILL SEE!!
Hush2010
Hush2010 - 1/28/2012, 6:09 PM
Im of two minds on the subject.

Yes they didn't do spiderman/ Parker justice. The whole franchise was a little watered down. This new movie has the chance to change that.

On the other hand I remember when there weren't blockbuster superhero movies coming out every summer and we thought spiderman on screen was impossible. The first two Raimi movies showed us that superheroes could be translated to screen in the first place.

I like the first two spidey movies for what they did for CBMs.
ULTIMOSPIDER
ULTIMOSPIDER - 1/29/2012, 3:42 PM
Well as a real Spider-man fan i understand what the Raimi films were lacking....Sure i at the time loved the fact that they were made...until Part 3 , UGH

But i also know there were many issues, many done with Part 3, UGH

I always will have issue with the Organic Webs, and it seems the non Spidey fans who just know the Raimi films don't know how important creating Mech. Webshooters is to showing what Peter Parker truly is....a genius.

Secondly we never truly got a taste of a witty Spider-man, Raimi and Mcguire never really let that part of Spidey take hold of the audience.

Now there are some minor issues as well , Villains that shouldn't know who Peter Parker is (Doctor Octopus and Sandman), MJ before Gwen, No irony of Flash Thompson bullying/hating Peter Parker yet loving and idolizing Spider-man while everyone else sees him as a menace, Aunt Mays famous Wheatcakes. etc

But my main concern and issue and utter distaste for the Raimi movies do indeed stem from Part 3...UGH....not only was how Raimi used Venom , the convenient way the symbiotic lands next to Peter and MJ in a Park, Venom not even stating at one time "We are Venom" and a basic overall watered down Venom .

But the kicker was the absolute bastardization of the Uncle Ben death...by having it be a accident and having Sandman minority involved was too much to swallow for a true Spider-man fan, and the whole forgiveness angle at the end was just utter SHIT.
Truly taking out the fabric of what makes Spidey and what makes Peter do what he does is the guilt and absolute wrong of what happened to Uncle Ben. And Raimi basically shat on that and twisted it in his own way. And that my friends is why this Reboot is absolutely fine with me. So deal with it and enjoy a superior Spidey franchise....NUFF SAID
buttercup
buttercup - 1/30/2012, 4:30 AM
When a bunch of my friends saw the 1st trailer, one of them blurted out that they made the Twilight version of Spider-Man.

I want the movie to be good, but this does not look like good translation of Spidey. I really doubt this Peter Parker will be particularly quippy and smart-mouthed; Andrew Garfield (in Boy A and The Social Network) does big-eyed angst very well, not sarcasm and wit. Plus, more high school angst, ugh.

I'm getting a strong stinker vibe from this. I liked Raimi's movies, mostly the 2nd one, and they were light and brightly colored COMIC BOOK MOVIES. Spider-Man in a dark and overly realistic world ala Nolan's Batman is just not right.
sonofsamadams
sonofsamadams - 1/30/2012, 2:55 PM
Wow, never realized that Comic book fans hated Rami. Him. Makes them apart of the small percent.
The Amazing Spider-man is growing on me, but I doubt it'll be as good as the First Spider-man was. I mean, i found the Rami's spider-man (excluding the third) highly entertaining and a good representative of their source material.
The public is interested because they are curious to see if it'll surprise them, or be a sack of shit.
My expectations for this more aren't shit like Ghost Rider 2, but they're mediocre. I'm just impressed. Hope it surprises me though, but doubt it will.
Zaxspeers
Zaxspeers - 2/5/2012, 11:05 PM
I agree. I think it will be dark. I have a theory that oscorp and his parents will tie into things much bigger than the lizard.If it is a take on the ultimate spider-man, then logic tells us that not only will green goblin make an appearance, but venom as well.
Related Headlines
Latest Headlines

Hot Headlines Hot Headlines

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Anime & Manga

Gaming

Horror

Cartoons & Animated Features

Action Movies & TV

Pro Wrestling & MMA News
View Recorder