The Amazing Spider-Man If you were to remake The Amazing Spiderman

[TheLastBlade]

If Sony gave you the chance to make a Director's Cut of The Amazing Spiderman, what would you change and keep in the "final cut?"

Even though I really liked the first movie, it did have flaws (and I can understand if people didn't like the movie). Now that the sequel came out, I think we can now have ideas what the first movie could've been. Yes, that means you can make fun of it too

Anyways, here's my two cents:

Things I would keep:

-The Cast: I don't care what anyone has to say, I LOVED the casting for this movie. Say what you will haters, but they were they were the Micheal Keatons of Spiderman..... Though, maybe Logan Lerman might be a good replacement for Peter
-The Setting/Atmosphere: I thought they did a really good job at creating the setting that feels comic bookey. Plus, it feels like a city.
-The Music: Even though I only liked about two of the musics and thought it was overall average, I think it did a decent job of fitting in the scenes when it played.
-The Action/Cinematography scenes: Loved it. It's amateur Spiderman and it shows.
-The overall story: I feel that for a reboot, this is a best place to start to tell the story of Spiderman.

As I said before, there were indeed flaws inside the movie. Some of the ones I will point out are things that several other people have stated. Here are my.... Penny on what I would change:

Things I would change:

-The way Peter gets his powers: You guys knows what I'm saying. I think it would be more compelling if Peter went to Oscop as a field trip with his classmates. Instead of Peter just happening to come across his dad's stuff... Yeah.
-The Peter and Gwen relationship: I think an interesting development is if Gwen and Peter didn't go to the same school together. It'd be different and give an interesting love story.
-Giving Connors a family: You know it, I know it, EVERYONE knows it. This movie is PERFECT for introducing the idea of Connors being divorced and having a son. His son SHOULD'VE appeared the moment Peter came to his house. An overall story arc of his son being bruised from bullying and Connors' studies made him realize how blind he was in a "world with weaknesses." Connors would've drive it home if he made a speech when Peter confronts him in his lab:

Connors: You know Peter, I have a feeling that this world will change for the better.... One without weaknesses.... And no one would be alone.... Not even you.

In fact, it'd be a really nice reference if that boy in The Amazing Spiderman 2 was Connors' son
-Design changes: I liked the first suit from the movie, but I would make it less complicated... Lizard on the other hand, just go ahead and look at the concept art in google. That would've infinitely been cooler to see on the big screen.
-The Lizard character: I think it would've more interesting if the Lizard was more instinctive and didn't say anything. Now when people say it here, some don't give much of a reason why. It is BECAUSE you can take away Lizard's dialogue that nothing would be at a loss. Only one of Lizard's lines was ever responded to. It's okay to try to make a complex villain for most movies. But in the case of certain Spiderman villains, let alone a Spiderman film, this wasn't the answer....
-Have the mysterious man appear more: What if HE was the one to convince Connors on what he did benefitted humanity? It would link up to the future sequels and give a better understanding to his character. It would've been very mysterious if he only spoke to Connors in voice in the sewer scene, rather than appearing in person. And it would make the prison scene very effective. You know, instead of the Jekyll and Hyde thing.... What Jekyll and Hyde thing?
-Add more scenes to connect: I think there were transitions that confused some people.... I can see why.
-Show the fate of a certain someone: Ratha. Should've killed him or have him appear in the sequel
-Have Peter and Gwen stay broken up: Not every hero stays in a relationship. I feel that Sony and everyone associated with the movie shot themselves in the foot with this. I haven't watched the sequel yet, but I heard that there's quite a bit of Peter breaking up and going back to Gwen. There's nothing wrong with love, but when you put the predecessor with the sequel, it's gonna be tedious. In fact, if some of it were cut, it would sound like we would've gotten better villain development and none of that Ghost Stacy Metal Gear Solid bull****...
-Have better connection to the sequel: This is cheating, but I'm gonna do it anyway Had Sony realize that it's Spiderman sooner, they probably would've taken more risks and probably the majority of what I've stated.

I think there were more, but I would like to get the ones that I feel would've benefited the movie big time.

So, what would you change?

 

[Zantera]

The main thing I would change is the stupid plot of the giant lizard trying to spray gas all over the city. Honestly I think the main problem would be the tone. TASM2 achieves that better IMO, because a lot of the movie is more comic book-y and so the "silly" things doesn't stick out as much. In TASM1 the tone is darker and more realistic, and it makes a giant lizard stick out so much more.

 

[Leenie]

I think the more grounded tone that the movie was going for isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I would try my best to keep that tone to breathe some new life into Spidey (after the previous trilogy). If Sony was going to do a reboot after the Raimi films so soon, then I'd say that the more "grounded" tone would be the best way to go. It makes the movies different from the previous ones!

You know what I would change, though? Almost everything else. I'd do away with the parents plot, I'd do away with Peter being unlikable, and I'd give the Lizard much more of a backstory so that the audience could connect with him (I'd also change his motivations, as that has become a big criticism towards the first TASM). I would also change that god-awful character design he had.

Actually, with the Lizard, I would have not made him talk while in the monster form. Make him more animal-like, in my opinion. I think that The Spectacular Spider-Man did this extremely well, and I would handle that character in a very similar way in a movie.

 

[TheLastBlade]

I'd give the Lizard much more of a backstory so that the audience could connect with him (I'd also change his motivations, as that has become a big criticism towards the first TASM).

I feel like the Connors character had a lot going for him.... But also not having much going on... I don't know how movie developers screwed that up :/

 

[Par Avion]

Pretty much everything. There were some bright spots to be sure- the cast is fantastic (not always utilized to their full potential but fantastic nonetheless), also the practical effects in the chase sequences (Peter fighting the thugs and the car thief chase).

 

[Dominikkus]

I wouldn't. I love how the movie turned out. Maybe fix the suit like they did in TASM2 but that would be all. I loved it. Plain and simple.

 

[JJJ]

I would have liked to see Connors' son or his family dynamic. However, like Dominikkus said, I loved this movie and I'm content with it as it stands. I loved the ASM2 costume however I liked the ASM1 design also, it worked for this film IMO.

 

[NewYorkSpider]

Change the Lizards design and give him more of a family story. Would have made his downfall much more sympathetic.


There's also a few other scenes I would have done away with. Like the football scene where he bends the goal post.

 

[Sterling Archer]

-Get rid of the mystery around Peter's parents. They left and died in a plane crash and he doesn't know why. That's it.
-Have the kid Peter saves from Flash in the beginning be Connors son, who then starts looking up to Peter and treats him like an older brother.
-Peter meets Connors through his son and gets a job as his intern, where he gets bitten by sneaking into the secret cross species experiments he's told not to go into. He also meets Gwen at the lab and they begin to date.
-Connors is aware of his son being bullied and this is what motivates him to try and regrow his arm, to be a strong example for his son.
-Instead of being with Connors, Peter is late to pick up Aunt May because he was figuring out his powers.
-Play up the dynamic of Uncle Ben, Connors and Captain Stacey all being competing surrogate fathers to Peter.
-After the dinner with Gwen's parents, have a scene where he has to choose between hunting down Uncle Ben's killer and saving people from the Lizard who is rampaging due to the shock of his first transformation. This reinforces the idea of him having to choose between being a hero and being a vigilante.
-Curt's wife finds out about his experiments so leaves him and takes their son with her.
-The Lizard attacks the high school to get his son, not because of Peter. After Peter fights him off, the son sees him transform back and becomes horrified that it's his father. Peter reveals his identity as Spider-man to calm him down. They bond over their weird lives.
-The Lizard decides he has to turn his son and wife for them to understand him.
-Peter gets a call from Curt's son who says that they are in danger. Curt takes them to Oscorp to get more of the lizard formula.
-Gwen sees them and calls her father for help.
-Peter comes to rescue the family but is severely beaten by the lizard. He is saved by Captain Stacey who is then killed in the process.
-Peter beats the Lizard and cures Connors, who is horrified at how scared of him his family have become.
-Peter leaves just as the cops come to arrest Connors.

I love the Amazing Spider-man movie, this is just how I would fix the problems with Curt Connors being under-developed and the movie being too much about Peter's parents. The majority of my version would be the same but I changed the Lizard's motivations and plot to be more personal. I like the idea of more superhero movies having smaller scale and more minimalist third acts compared to every superhero movie having the world threatened and big destruction set pieces. I'm no writer so my version needs a lot of polishing for structure and character development. I really want Spider-man movies to be character based rather than big epic blockbusters. I think that suits the character better. But of course no studio would do that.

 

[Spider2099]

Well here are a few things I would have done differently:

1. I like the parents storyline. I was so intrigued by it and so disappointed that it was left unresolved by the end of the movie. I would have closed up any mysteries regarding Richard and Mary Parker by the end. The remaining story/mystery for the sequel would be Norman Osborn.

2. Uncle Ben would have said, "with great power, comes great responsibility."

3. Peter would have caught Uncle Ben's killer by the end of the film, after becoming Spider-Man. Instead of harming him, he would think back on Uncle Ben's words about responsibility and take this criminal to the police instead of killing him.

4. Mary Jane and Harry Osborn would have been introduced as minor characters in Peter's high school. I think "the gang" is an important part of the Spider-Man mythos and made TASM1 feel a bit empty. It is also a good idea to establish these friendships early on in the franchise to avoid "last minute" introductions in the sequel (I'm looking at you, TASM2!!)

5. The Lizard would have been the main villain, but his family would have actually appeared in the film. Instead of trying to turn everyone into Lizards, the villain would have tried to attack his family and turn them into Lizards as well (similar to the 90s animated series), which would be the premise of the final battle.

6. More daytime Spider-Man! We had only one sequence of Spider-Man swinging around during the daytime. This isn't Batman, this is Spider-Man.

7. The man in the shadows would be Norman Osborn, NOT the Gentleman. I thought it was really clever to mention Norman a few times in the film without ever showing him. It gave the film this creepy "ambiance", and Normal Osborn almost felt God-like. And in the comics, the Green Goblin's identity was never revealed until much later on. Norman Osborn was always "hiding" in the shadows in a trench coat and hat, making him so mysterious. I would have went with that and cast Michael Masse as Norman Osborn. Did anyone else think that the silhouette of Norman looked more like him than Chris Cooper?

 

[PeterBenParker]

Well here are a few things I would have done differently:

1. I like the parents storyline. I was so intrigued by it and so disappointed that it was left unresolved by the end of the movie. I would have closed up any mysteries regarding Richard and Mary Parker by the end. The remaining story/mystery for the sequel would be Norman Osborn. Agreed.

2. Uncle Ben would have said, "with great power, comes great responsibility." This didn't bother me at all. He said it, just reworded it.

3. Peter would have caught Uncle Ben's killer by the end of the film, after becoming Spider-Man. Instead of harming him, he would think back on Uncle Ben's words about responsibility and take this criminal to the police instead of killing him. Agreed.

4. Mary Jane and Harry Osborn would have been introduced as minor characters in Peter's high school. I think "the gang" is an important part of the Spider-Man mythos and made TASM1 feel a bit empty. It is also a good idea to establish these friendships early on in the franchise to avoid "last minute" introductions in the sequel (I'm looking at you, TASM2!!) Harry, yes. MJ could've waited, IMO.

5. The Lizard would have been the main villain, but his family would have actually appeared in the film. Instead of trying to turn everyone into Lizards, the villain would have tried to attack his family and turn them into Lizards as well (similar to the 90s animated series), which would be the premise of the final battle. Family, yes. Changing them into Lizards? No. I would've had The Lizard pretty much be The Wolfman, going as far as to almost kill his family which Spidey would stop. Adding Connor's family into the story would've added a level of empathy to Dr. Connors and made the audience connect with him more.

6. More daytime Spider-Man! We had only one sequence of Spider-Man swinging around during the daytime. This isn't Batman, this is Spider-Man. I didn't find it was a big deal. Peter was in high school, so his activities as Spider-Man reflected that.

7. The man in the shadows would be Norman Osborn, NOT the Gentleman. I thought it was really clever to mention Norman a few times in the film without ever showing him. It gave the film this creepy "ambiance", and Normal Osborn almost felt God-like. And in the comics, the Green Goblin's identity was never revealed until much later on. Norman Osborn was always "hiding" in the shadows in a trench coat and hat, making him so mysterious. I would have went with that and cast Michael Masse as Norman Osborn. Did anyone else think that the silhouette of Norman looked more like him than Chris Cooper? ALL OF THIS! It still annoys me to this day that they wasted Michael Massee when he would've been the perfect Norman Osborn and Green Goblin (in TASM Universe, anyway)

My thoughts are in bold.

 

[PeterBenParker]

What I would've done:

-Scrap the origin story. Have it be featured in the opening credits and nothing more.

-Scrap high school and use college, especially since Andrew Garfield was portraying Peter Parker/Spider-Man and was 28-29 around the time.

-Keep the original cast/characters in tact, with addition of The Bugle characters and The Osborns.

-Have The Lizard and Kraven The Hunter as the villains.

-Have Connors family.

-Influenced by TSSM cartoon for characterization and premise and S-M3 game for intertwining villains story.

 

[Spider2099]

I really agree with what you said about Michael Massee as Norman Osborn. It's a waste that they used him on a character like the Gentleman. I do really like that villain from the Sinister Six novels but any aging actor could really portray him. Oh well.

Skipping the origin would have been smart. It would give us more time to focus on the Lizard and perhaps use Kraven the Hunter as a secondary villain as well. Spider-Man has to fight the Lizard while protecting him from Kraven as well. Such a cool dynamic.

 

[PeterBenParker]

I really agree with what you said about Michael Massee as Norman Osborn. It's a waste that they used him on a character like the Gentleman. I do really like that villain from the Sinister Six novels but any aging actor could really portray him. Oh well.

Skipping the origin would have been smart. It would give us more time to focus on the Lizard and perhaps use Kraven the Hunter as a secondary villain as well. Spider-Man has to fight the Lizard while protecting him from Kraven as well. Such a cool dynamic.

 

[Venom75]

Honestly,I'm not a huge fan of this film. I think the main reason is the tone. It feels too dark,gritty and realistic. Doesn't feel like a Spider-man movie to me. So,that would be my main change.
I see what they tried to do with Peter and his parents,but I just wasn't interested at all. Plus,the Lizard is one of my favorites villains and I like what was already suggested,about having the Lizard/Connors involved with his family and just skip the whole turning people into lizards storyline.

 

[Spider2099]

I was fine with the movie being more serious than the Raimi films but it could have been a little bit lighter in tone. I was interested in the parents storyline but it was sort of ruined by the fact that they left it unresolved by the end of the movie. When it was concluded in the second film it felt very "meh."

 

[W/ Great Power]

I was fine with the movie being more serious than the Raimi films but it could have been a little bit lighter in tone. I was interested in the parents storyline but it was sort of ruined by the fact that they left it unresolved by the end of the movie. When it was concluded in the second film it felt very "meh."

I think I'm one of the few Raimi fans that actually liked the tone of this series, but only in TASM1.

I only started to have a problem with the tone when it started going all over the place in TASM2.

 

[Spider2099]

It feels like TASM1 and TASM2 don't even exist in the same universe.

 

[W/ Great Power]

It feels like TASM1 and TASM2 don't even exist in the same universe.

Exactly. I was taken back by it, to be honest.

I've also tried to imagine if it would have worked better the other way around: a lighter tone with Peter first attaining his powers, gradually getting darker with the death of Captain Stacy and carrying into TASM2.

 

[UltimateWebhead]

* Keep Peter in High School longer (I know he was still in HS during ASM, but I mean I'd make him a Junior in this movie and then a Senior in the sequel)
* No parents subplot
* Introduce more minor characters, both allies/enemies and make them relevant. Build upon them in upcoming movies.
* Develop the human side of Connors. Introduce his family and bring about a personal connection with the audience. Show what is really at stake for him and his family as he 'loses' himself by becoming the Lizard.
* Rewrite the death of Uncle Ben.
* Get rid of the gold lenses
* Make Peter more likeable

 

[Spider2099]

Exactly. I was taken back by it, to be honest.

I've also tried to imagine if it would have worked better the other way around: a lighter tone with Peter first attaining his powers, gradually getting darker with the death of Captain Stacy and carrying into TASM2.

If TASM2 ended up being really, really good then maybe I would forgive it for feeling too different from the first movie. But it felt like a huge downgrade.