The Amazing Spider-Man It's official! Andrew Garfield to play Spider-Man! - Part 2

[Ajendo]

In fact, I think it would have been great if Peter had listened to the voicemail after Stacy's rant and after he saved the kid from the car. I would have believed that Spider-Man was embracing the whole hero thing and realzing the guilt after all that, and I feel that Uncle Ben's words would have had a lot more weight than they actually did.

Why? Peter's not stupid. Look at the speech Ben gave him before Peter stormed off. You don't think that would have registered with Peter before listening to the entirety of the voicemail?? Of course it would have. Furthermore, after the lecturing George gives Peter, when spidey shows up at the bridge he has two choices deal with the kid trapped in the car or go after the lizard. Now, by this time Peter has Ben's words of obligation and responsibility embedded in his head as well as what George told him moments before. So naturally, he lets the lizard go and goes after the kid and returns the kid to his father (which has more than enough symbolism and parallels to Peter's own life)

Instead, the movie drops the vengeance angle after Peter listens to Captain Stacy's rant, just like that. It felt too brief, it felt lazy, and it didn't feel believable.

I disagree. By this point, after George's lecture resonates with Peter, it echoes and provides clarity to two discussions that Ben had with Peter earlier. It's not so much about forgetting Ben's killer altogether but more to do with not acting out in revenge and instead acting and fulfilling a greater sense of justice. Ben's killer will be caught but Peter can't and has stopped using it as a means to hunt look-alike bad guys and to serve his own agenda.

In fact, the Lizard just felt like he distracted Spider-Man from seeking revenge rather than Spider-Man deciding to stop it.

Again, I disagree because even before Spidey met or even knew of the lizard, Peter's understanding of what his role is as someone in a position with a great power to do great things had already resonated with him and this was marvelously depicted at the Stacey household, both at the dinner table and then on the balcony with Gwen. Hell, you can even see how he feels ashamed when he's trying to tell Gwen his secret because he knows George was mostly right.

 

[Leenie]

Abusing his powers to having responsibility and using his powers accordingly.

Ain't character development amazing?

But that's the thing: I didn't BELIEVE that his character changed. He was still a jerk by the end of the movie by making a really irresponsible and selfish decision:

Spoiler

Going against a dying man's last request with an extremely *****ey line. It was like he tried to do something responsible, but then immediately put it on the backburner. Seemed selfish to me. It also made the whole conflict about the last request completely and utterly pointless to have in the movie. It was like "Ok, that movie just wasted 5 minutes ..."

 

[Ajendo]

But that's the thing: I didn't BELIEVE that his character changed. He was still a jerk by the end of the movie by making a really irresponsible and selfish decision:

Spoiler

Going against a dying man's last request with an extremely *****ey line. It was like he tried to do something responsible, but then immediately put it on the backburner. Seemed selfish to me. It also made the whole conflict about the last request completely and utterly pointless to have in the movie. It was like "Ok, that movie just wasted 5 minutes ..."

Interesting point but the reality of it just isn't practical. So Peter should be alone for the rest of his life? He can't ever get close to anyone? Say he does dump Gwen and becomes involved with someone else, is this new chick not going to be in the same position?

If anything Gwen and Peter maintaining their relationship is probably the better outcome. She knows his secret, she's not stupid nor is she helpless and she at least seems to be understanding of the dynamic peter being spider-man has on their relationship. She herself told Peter about her Dad putting the badge on and not knowing if he'll come home and yet despite that actually happening the very night she tells Peter this, she's not running away from him. She knows the risks because she's lived with it her whole life. Whereas George was just a man with a gun and a badge, Peter is freakin' spider-man. It probably makes little to no difference to Gwen in that regard(safety). Gwen is a big girl and very different from Raimi's MJ. She's a much stronger character and is exactly the sort of person Peter realistically needs in his life.

 

[Leenie]

Interesting point but the reality of it just isn't practical. So Peter should be alone for the rest of his life? He can't ever get close to anyone? Say he does dump Gwen and becomes involved with someone else, is this new chick not going to be in the same position?

If anything Gwen and Peter maintaining their relationship is probably the better outcome. She knows his secret, she's not stupid nor is she helpless and she at least seems to be understanding of the dynamic peter being spider-man has on their relationship. She herself told Peter about her Dad putting the badge on and not knowing if he'll come home and yet despite that actually happening the very night she tells Peter this, she's not running away from him. She knows the risks because she's lived with it her whole life. Whereas George was just a man with a gun and a badge, Peter is freakin' spider-man. It probably makes little to no difference to Gwen in that regard(safety). Gwen is a big girl and very different from Raimi's MJ. She's a much stronger character and is exactly the sort of person Peter realistically needs in his life.

Again, this is a case where I understand the idea behind it, but I don't think it was executed well at all. The movie has some serious pacing, screenplay, and script issues, in my opinion. They are going for something, but it doesn't connect in the way the movie wants it to connect for me.

Your explanation is probably what the movie was going for. The execution, however, makes Peter look like a *****e, and it makes the conflict pointless (again, in my opinion).

 

[Anno_Domini]

But that's the thing: I didn't BELIEVE that his character changed. He was still a jerk by the end of the movie by making a really irresponsible and selfish decision:

Spoiler

Going against a dying man's last request with an extremely *****ey line. It was like he tried to do something responsible, but then immediately put it on the backburner. Seemed selfish to me. It also made the whole conflict about the last request completely and utterly pointless to have in the movie. It was like "Ok, that movie just wasted 5 minutes ..."

I definitely believe the development. Captain Stacy told him what's up during that dinner and once he went after Lizard on the bridge and saved that kid, it showed Peter that he needed to be more than someone going out for vengeance.

What Raimi tried to tell in his third movie, Webb dealt with that idea in the first one.

Spoiler

His aunt said he was good enough for Gwen and that's all the explanation I need for Peter to once again want to let Gwen back in and not keep her away. Although, we know how this all ends as Gwen will be dying and going back against Captain Stacy's promise will hit him hard in the end. It's all for a purpose.

 

[Leenie]

I definitely believe the development. Captain Stacy told him what's up during that dinner and once he went after Lizard on the bridge and saved that kid, it showed Peter that he needed to be more than someone going out for vengeance.

What Raimi tried to tell in his third movie, Webb dealt with that idea in the first one.

Spoiler

His aunt said he was good enough for Gwen and that's all the explanation I need for Peter to once again want to let Gwen back in and not keep her away. Although, we know how this all ends as Gwen will be dying and going back against Captain Stacy's promise will hit him hard in the end. It's all for a purpose.

I know it will eventually have a purpose, but I really dislike the way it was handled in this movie. Again, I think it makes Peter look like an irresponsible jerk.

I would have preferred a more subtle speech from Captain Stacy about how "This will be tough, lots of people will get hurt, even some of the ones closest to you, but I understand what you do and I stand by it now." That would have been better than a straightforward request, in my opinion. Maybe the movie should have let Peter come to the conclusion himself that being with Gwen might not be the best thing for her, but without a "breakup scene" like in SM1. Maybe just have the two talk it out, accept the risks, and move on together. The way it was handled was melodramatic for the sake of being melodramatic, and I felt it was 5 unnecessary minutes of conflict.

The way it was done really did not work for me. I think it made Peter look bad, and I think it made Gwen look really desperate- desperate in a sense that "I'm more upset that my boyfriend didn't go to my father's funeral instead of my father dying. Oh wait, he's interested again? Ok, I'm happy now."

I thought it was really awkward, personally.

 

[Anno_Domini]

I know it will eventually have a purpose, but I really dislike the way it was handled in this movie. Again, I think it makes Peter look like an irresponsible jerk.

I would have preferred a more subtle speech from Captain Stacy about how "This will be tough, lots of people will get hurt, even some of the ones closest to you, but I understand what you do and I stand by it now." That would have been better than a straightforward request, in my opinion. Maybe the movie should have let Peter come to the conclusion himself that being with Gwen might not be the best thing for her, but without a "breakup scene" like in SM1. Maybe just have the two talk it out, accept the risks, and move on together. The way it was handled was melodramatic for the sake of being melodramatic, and I felt it was 5 unnecessary minutes of conflict.

The way it was done really did not work for me. I think it made Peter look bad, and I think it made Gwen look really desperate- desperate in a sense that "I'm more upset that my boyfriend didn't go to my father's funeral instead of my father dying. Oh wait, he's interested again? Ok, I'm happy now."

I thought it was really awkward, personally.

I didn't see it for both of the characters at all. Firstly, as I said, Peter did promise to keep Captain Stacy's promise until Aunt May said he was good enough for Gwen. Was it being irresponsible to not uphold George's words? Not one bit, imo. I mean, there was a reason May said those things and she is even aware that Peter is Spider-Man.

And with Gwen; we're not aware of how long the timeframe is between that day in class and the funeral. You saw how upset Gwen was during that entire time. I mean, when it comes to love, any sort of reasoning can not be understood and Gwen just wanted to be with Peter and of course the other way around. Gwen is saddened that her father is dead, but in this version she doesn't blame Peter.

I definitely liked how it was handled, personally. It could've been explored more in the sequel, but I'm totally fine if Webb wanted Peter and Gwen together at the end of the film as it differs from Raimi's series where Peter stayed away from MJ.

 

[Scarlettess]

Yeah and the other thing is, as an ending to a movie needs to be somewhat satisfying to the audience, so that last line is also a way of providing comfort to the audience that they will happily get back together, but of course that won't happen because we all know what happens to Gwen except the GA.

 

[Jexx]

I'm trying so hard not to tell my non-comic book fan friends that Gwen will die.

 

[Eddie Brock]

I'm trying so hard not to tell my non-comic book fan friends that Gwen will die.

My buddy went home after the TASM premiere and read the entire Wikipedia page for The Night Gwen Stacy Died. He's simultaneously pumped and bummed to see it.