The Amazing Spider-Man Can High School and Serious Go Together?

[TheSlag]

The reboot will take Peter back to High School. The reboot has been reported (not confirmed) to be following the lines of USM, where the villains/fights took a back seat to the daily life in High School. There have been reports from Sony that they will be taking a more serious/realistic/gritty approach to the reboot.

So what does a more serious approach mean to you, the Spider-Man fans?

Do you think we will get something more along the lines of WB's Smallville, or do you think we will still get action like we had in Raimi's Spider-Man, but without all the She Loves me.. She Loves me Not?

What is "serious" to you?

 

[Rodrigo90]

Serious is not a Sam Raimi movie IMO,lol.

 

[chaseter]

Serious is not Smallville.

 

[TheSlag]

OK. Both good points (to a degree), but can you expound on the parts that were not serious enough about those two? Or give examples of what would be, or could of been, more serious about them?

 

[Deaths Head II]

I think it'll be extremely close to Ultimate Spider-Man in tone and style.

 

[david icke]

The best example I can think of with a superhero/highschool mix onscreen is in seasons 2 and 3 of Buffy TVS. They did some real serious plotlines there, and took it along the lines of telling the story of growing up into adult life through the means of fantasy.

I think that's what has to happen, we need to believe the emotional journey the kid goes through at that age, as he is growing up.
It's like that thing Ben says in Raimi1, 'These are the years when you decide what kind of man you want to be for the rest of your life.'(not exact quote)

So, we should be introduced to a nascent PP/Spider-man who is only just discovering who he is as a person, his potential, what he can do(his impact on people's lives as Spider-man), the responsilbility of his power(natch), and how to cope with the balance of normal day to day life and putting on the tights, and perhaps web-shooters.
While at the same time, going through all the normal developmental stuff a kid goes through at that age.
The spider-man story should tie into that somehow, they should be part and parcel of that for PP. That's what they did in Buffy anyway, and it worked very well.

 

[The Joker]

Do people find Peter's high school life in Stan Lee's era, or in the SSM cartoon serious? Or Buffy in her high school seasons in her TV series?

Yes, yes, and yes.

 

[david icke]

Let's just hope they do not throw out all the potential for the story of him growing up, by just having that play out through a focus on his love life. They could very well do that considering this is just a 2hr movie and not an ongoing cb or tv series.

 

[A&W]

it depends on how they do it. if they are targeting mainly a teenage audience than it would probably be corny.

 

[TheSlag]

I am hoping for a more serious approach, high school or not.

A couple of examples of what was not realistic or serious for me with Raimi's:

Pumpkin bomb in SM1 at the May Day Festival (or whatever it was), where the pumpkin bomb turned the exec's into skeletons and then disentegrated their skeletons. It felt like I was watching as one poster here put it best "Mars Attacks" or some other corny Sat Morning Matinee Movie.
(hoping) that they take more along the lines of how Joker killed in TDK (off screen no blood or guts, but the implication was there). And yes, the Goblin should kill.


Goblin Costume - Instead of giving us a gothic/erie representation of a Goblin, we got what we did. (hoping) we get a more gothic/sacry looking Goblin costume when the Goblin's time comes (I do not expect we will see the Goblin til the 3rd movie in this reboot.. hoping so also). But whoever the 1st Reboot movie villain is, I hope we get a more realistic version of their costume. That's going to be interesting to see how it turns out, based on who the villain is. I LOVED Doc Ock's look in SM2, where I did not like GG1 in SM1.

 

[TheSlag]

The best example I can think of with a superhero/highschool mix onscreen is in seasons 2 and 3 of Buffy TVS. They did some real serious plotlines there, and took it along the lines of telling the story of growing up into adult life through the means of fantasy.

I think that's what has to happen, we need to believe the emotional journey the kid goes through at that age, as he is growing up.
It's like that thing Ben says in Raimi1, 'These are the years when you decide what kind of man you want to be for the rest of your life.'(not exact quote)

So, we should be introduced to a nascent PP/Spider-man who is only just discovering who he is as a person, his potential, what he can do(his impact on people's lives as Spider-man), the responsilbility of his power(natch), and how to cope with the balance of normal day to day life and putting on the tights, and perhaps web-shooters.
While at the same time, going through all the normal developmental stuff a kid goes through at that age.
The spider-man story should tie into that somehow, they should be part and parcel of that for PP. That's what they did in Buffy anyway, and it worked very well.

I agree, after I looked up the definition of "nascent" lol. Man, I got to get a word a day calendar. t:

This is basically saying what the qoute from Mark Bagley stated in NinjCarm's thread that

"The angst of being Peter Parker shouldn't overpower the superhero adventure". Bagley goes on. "If there's any fault I can point to in the other books, it's that the emphasis seems to be too heavy on how screwed up Peter Parker is. That was never the main focus of the book in the old days; it was the background."

 

[TheSlag]

Do people find Peter's high school life in Stan Lee's era, or in the SSM cartoon serious? Or Buffy in her high school seasons in her TV series?

Yes, yes, and yes.

Exactly. High school or not, the stories were still the focus, and were still serious in nature. They were NOT like in Smallville episodes, where they were more than simply "background". (my new fave word)

 

[Silvermoth]

Re: Can High School and Serious Go Together?

It better!

 

[TheSlag]

It better!

LOL.. Heard Dat! And Hopin Marc Webb and Sony HEARS it Too!

As in, WE DO NOT WANT A TWILIGHT Spider-Man. WE DO NOT WANT a Smallville Spider-Man. WE DO NOT want you to skimp on the effects in hopes of having a better bottom line, cause IT WILL come back to bite you.

 

[Venom'sDad]

So, we should be introduced to a nascent PP/Spider-man who is only just discovering who he is as a person, his potential, what he can do(his impact on people's lives as Spider-man), the responsilbility of his power(natch), and how to cope with the balance of normal day to day life and putting on the tights, and perhaps web-shooters. While at the same time, going through all the normal developmental stuff a kid goes through at that age. The spider-man story should tie into that somehow, they should be part and parcel of that for PP.

D.I., believe me, I understand what you are saying; and I agree with the overall theme you are trying to convey. Very close to Stan Lee original characterization. Anyway, I think Stan’s thing was that Peter Parker knows who he is, the expectation from his aunt/uncle, upbringing, and social status(with his fellow classmates). What he had to learn at his impressionable age was the great responsibility that comes when he acquired great power. That is what he has be wrestling with in the page presented by Stan Lee… as you have said in your post.
　
That’s one of the numerous things that Sam missed with his adaptation… both with Peter’s character and Spidey’s character. As it appears, Peter learn nothing and Spidey learn everything, skillfully, in the first moments of being endowed with his new found power.
　
Stan Lee’s Spiderman made numerous of mistakes and judgments with tactics, his abilities, the abilities of his adversary, and the level of intelligence with both his own and the villain. That’s the reason why in Stan Lee’s stories, Spidey constantly, “in bubbles of thought” talking/thinking to himself figuring things out, learning how to use his power, tactics, and limitations, while finding faults and holes, to exploit his adversary. Much like you said in your post, while balancing the daily situations and pressures of being a teen. Stan Lee was brilliant in capturing that essence and the reason why so many could relate to the character of Peter Parker.
　
I certainly hope the new franchise realize this and learn from past miscues. Great points D.I.

 

[TheSlag]

Bruises. I would love to see Peter after a big fight with a super villain have bruises/cuts on his face and body the next day at school, and see how he explains these bruised to his classmates, teachers and friends.

 

[ModestMr.Green]

A bicycle messenger clipped his arm.

 

[ModestMr.Green]

Double post.

 

[spider-neil]

Serious is not a Sam Raimi movie IMO,lol.

so there were no serious moments in the raimi spidey movies? whatever.

every superhero movie should be dark and bleak like the TDK, HOORAY! that would be freaking AWESOME!! in fact every movie FULL STOP should be dark and bleak.

 

[TheSlag]

A bicycle messenger clipped his arm.

True, there was that one time. But it would seem more realistic if Spider-Man was battling these super powered villains, Peter would should up with bruises on his face from time to time, along with other bruises/injuries (like the arm injury from the razor bat).

 

[spider-neil]

LOL.. Heard Dat! And Hopin Marc Webb and Sony HEARS it Too!

As in, WE DO NOT WANT A TWILIGHT Spider-Man. WE DO NOT WANT a Smallville Spider-Man. WE DO NOT want you to skimp on the effects in hopes of having a better bottom line, cause IT WILL come back to bite you.

character developement should always come first and foremost, effect are secondary as far as I'm concerned. if you don't care about the characters who cares if the effects are good or not? perfect example; TF2

 

[TheSlag]

character developement should always come first and foremost, effect are secondary as far as I'm concerned. if you don't care about the characters who cares if the effects are good or not? perfect example; TF2

I agree, but it seems the more worries with the reboot center around the effects, given the reported budget of 80 million.

And what is TF2? sorry, not picking up on the accroynm. FF2?

 

[spider-neil]

I agree, but it seems the more worries with the reboot center around the effects, given the reported budget of 80 million.

And what is TF2? sorry, not picking up on the accroynm. FF2?

transformers 2. FF2 works as well, as does TS (terminator salvation). soulless special effect FESTS that you couldn't care less if the main characters live or die.

think of all the best special effects movies, chances are you cared about the characters because they were developed in the movie so when those characters are put in danger you care and if you care the action will have more weight.

matrix
ESB
aliens
terminator 1 and 2

fantastic special effects but those effects are definately secondary to the characters.

 

[TheSlag]

Ahh.. gotcha... Transformers 2.. Don't know why I had such a brain lock there. Probably cause like you, I found that movie souless.

And I wholeheartedly agree with Terminator Salvation. Sooo Bad. : Not worthy of the name Terminaotr IMO.

 

[spider-neil]

Ahh.. gotcha... Transformers 2.. Don't know why I had such a brain lock there. Probably cause like you, I found that movie souless.

And I wholeheartedly agree with Terminator Salvation. Sooo Bad. : Not worthy of the name Terminaotr IMO.

when are directors/movie studios going to learn is you make a good story FIRST the special effects help tell that story. special effects should be a tool not a crutch.

in SM2 they show pete's life going down the toilet, you care about him, when he finally gets his powers back the train fight has much more weight.
the special effects in SM3 were definately more spectacular but because I didn't really care about the characters (harsh but its true) I didn't really get into the end sequence.