Seeing as this is my first review on this site, I figured that I would handle a topic that I love: Friggin' Spider-man! Yes, I love Spidey. I remember watching the animated series as a kid and growing up on a healthy diet of both the mainstream and the ultimate versions of the character. So, as you can imagine, I was excited about the new film when it was announced what seems like eons ago. I just got back from the movie, so it hasn't had a lot of time to sink in yet...but I want to get some stuff of off my chest. I won't really look at plot or do super deep analysis, as just like I said: just saw it. And honestly, the plot is really like what you would expect: Peter is a nice nerdy guy, gets bitten, tries to understand his powers, runs into BOOOONNNEESAWWWWW (nah, just kidding. There's no wrestling involved, and I swear it's the only spoiler I'll give out) realizes he needs to be a hero, gets the girl, and fights the villain.
Then there's tons of action to keep you excited. So it's your average superhero induction movie plot. So, here are some critiques common complaints of the movie that annoy me and That I want to address. 1)it's a reboot, therefore it's inferior to the original. Usually, I would agree. Just look at the string of 80's slasher movie remakes that have blown. Look at the mediocrity of such remakes as the day the earth stood still and the pompous ness and stupidity of Clash of the titans and it's miserable sequel. Sometimes, a good reboot comes along, like the Nolan batman trilogy. While I do usually agree that reboots suck and just are an excuse for money (most movies are, but Im in terms ofTalking quality over money making), T.A.S. is a good reboot, as it strives to be different from the original, and has a pretty good story and great acting.
This film had none of those Raimi moments where you cringed (Ex. Harry's butler and the campy dialogue). No, this a great movie and I'm excited to see more. 2) it copies the original too much. Isn't that why those other remakes suck? Well, yes and no... There are a lot of plot elements revisited, like peter getting bullied, getting his powers, etc. just watch Raimi's first film and I think you'll get what I mean. Be aware that there are things that youll see and make you feel déjà vu, but I don't think it's because of poor writing or laziness. Spider-man, unlike batman, has to start from the same place. Where you can make a convincing Batman movie and skip the origin story, I don't think you can do that with spider-man. It's important to see what drives him, and unlike batman, where it's one simple event that drives Bruce Wayne down the path of the hero, Spider-man has multiple events that drive him to heroism. Peter has to deal with alienation, loneliness, being an average teen, the loss of his parents...you can't really skip that in a movie. Sure, it will work in the comics or a tv show, but I think it'll be easier to relate to Peter when you witness what happened versus your own knowledge of the character. It does the same as Batman Begins, where it takes the origin story we know and alters it.
While Batman Begins went on and on with the origin story, it's acceptable because that had never been done on film before. Marc Webb, director of T.A.S., does the same with the origin story, and while it's not as long as B.B., it's acceptable because Raimi was like "poof! He's spider-man!" Ten minutes in. Webb covers more ground, showing us how Peter tries to figure out what's wrong with him and the effect the bite has on his life in greater detail. Aside from that (and I apologize for the length on this one) it's a totally different beast from the first film. So, yes, it borrows things, but it also expands on many others. , 3) it's way too soon for a reboot. Yeah, I kinda agree...it's only been, like, 5 years since 3? But I do understand this desicion, and I like it. After all, Raimi's films were released before the dark knight, and the majority of them before b.b. those movies changed the playing field for superhero movies, and now Raimi's films are kinda antiquated. Don't get me wrong, I love raimi's flicks, even three, (I only hate the venom suit, how they handled venom, and the confused tone: goofy or serious? I'll get into that in a later review, though, this is getting out of hand), but I'm trying to justify why they made T.A.S. so fast. It's great because it has an adult tone to it, and while it isn't made for an adult audience, it's a neutral tone, much like the avengers.
Plus, Marvel seems to want some kind of continuity between their films now, and even though they're owned by different properties, it seems like they're headed this way, with rumored Daredevil remakes and fantastic four reboots. So, yeah, it's fast, but Spidey needed a fast update after the animosity towards three. , 4) writing isn't as good as other superhero movies. This will be brief: I don't know why people picked on this one so much...it's trying to be realistic and under the top (don't even know if that's a phrase) compared to the first 3 Spidey pics. I felt that the dialogue was natural and realistic, but funny and serious at the same time. Finally, 5) The Lizard's kinda lame... Again, another one that baffles me. Many complain he's "not as good doc ock". REALLY???? Spider-man 2 was good, but what do you people (i.e. critics) want?! Connors was very well developed and sympathetic. You easily understand why he does the things he does, even though they are the wrong way to go about things. He was scary as the lizard, as he has an inter monologue scene that will make your hair stand on end. It's a lot like willem Dafoe in the first spider-man, onlY less campy and more down to earth. It's just frightening, trust me. So, I thought he was a good, consistent villain.
Wow. That was much longer than I originally thought...so, overall. Thi movie is better than a lot of people say it is. And while I didn't fall in love with it like I wanted, it was worth waiting a year for. Garfield and Stone were absolutely adorable, and you can tell Garfield put everything he had into this role. And Dennis Leary blew my expectations straight out of the water. Overall, a good reboot and a great summer film. In the immortal words of a southern guy on late night tv show, "I give four stars, check it out."
