State your unpopular film related opinion - - - - - - - - - Part 18

[JJJ's Ulcer]

As for Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield. When you see Maguire's Peter Parker and how he acts, how he interacts with his supporting cast, his overall personality, there is no way on this earth the wise cracking Spidey is held within him, that aspect of his personality just isn't there (as Peter Parker). So when Maguire throws out a quip (as Spidey) it is because that is what the script is telling him to do rather than what is within him or shown to be within him. Watch Maguire's performance as PP in SM2 leading up to the bank fight with Doc Ock and then as Spidey he makes the quip 'here's your change' what aspect of Peter Parker's personality prior to that is shown to be jokey and quipy? It would be like Like Bruce Wayne acting the way he does and then throwing out a quip as Batman.

Wow. That actually hit the nail on the head. Very good analysis. Like you said it's not within his version of Parker, so hence it seems very forced and stilted.

Here's another example. Start at the one minute mark of this clip from the first Spider-Man when he's confronting the Green Goblin, who's proposing they work together.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GAXZDl0WKA

GG: "Are you in or are you out?"

SM: "It's you who's out, "Gobby"…. out of your mind."

Ugh. I get embarrassed for Maguire just watching it.

In retrospect, Tobey Maguire was miscast. His Parker was *okay* (let's be honest, it wasn't iconic or pitch-perfect like Hugh Jackman's Wolverine or RDJ's Iron-Man), but his Spidey was woefully dull and colorless. And with half the equation of the character lacking, he fails as a Spider-Man. Andrew Garfield isn't pitch-perfect either, but he is an improvement, even if the movies he's in still aren't the best.

 

[spider-neil]

Wow. That actually hit the nail on the head. Very good analysis. Like you said it's not within his version of Parker, so hence it seems very forced and stilted.

Here's another example. Start at the one minute mark of this clip from the first Spider-Man when he's confronting the Green Goblin, who's proposing they work together.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GAXZDl0WKA

GG: "Are you in or are you out?"

SM: "It's you who's out, "Gobby"…. out of your mind."

Ugh. I get embarrassed for Maguire just watching it.

In retrospect, Tobey Maguire was miscast. His Parker was *okay* (let's be honest, it wasn't iconic or pitch-perfect like Hugh Jackman's Wolverine or RDJ's Iron-Man), but his Spidey was woefully dull and colorless. And with half the equation of the character lacking, he fails as a Spider-Man. Andrew Garfield isn't pitch-perfect either, but he is an improvement, even if the movies he's in still aren't the best.

People come out with stuff like, 'Spidey makes quips as a defense mechanism', or 'the quips are wish fulfillment' i.e. he puts on the costume and disappears into a different persona and these are valid points but the quips still have to come from 'somewhere'. If you have a character who is dour and flat and then becomes Chris Rock when he puts on a mask, I'm sorry but that just not buying it.

You have the example of bumbling Clark Kent and the suave Superman, totally different characters played by the same person but the performance that Reeve gives is he is 'PLAYING' bumbling. There is that incredible scene where he is in front of the mirror and he is stuttering and then he takes off his glasses and stands straight and seems to grow two inches and talks confidently and the hunches down again when Lois calls him. Difference between Maguire's nerdy Peter and Reeve's nerdy Kent is Reeve is playing Clark is 'PLAYING' a nerd but he 'IS' a confident hero, he isn't a bumbling idiot playing as a hero when he puts the costume on.

So for me, Toby as Peter Parker doesn't work because there is no aspect of a cocky wise arse in his personality and I mean EVER so why should I buy it when he turns into that character when he puts on a costume?

Look at what Garfield does to Flash on the Basketball court after he gets powers, remember he hasn't put on the costume yet. He absolutely humiliates him, he does it because that is in him, that is in his character. Now I am thinking of Raimi movies and of an instance where Maguire is cocky or a wise arse and I'm struggling. Maybe when Maguire is wearing the black suit (SM3) you get a cocky vibe from him, but I never get 'funny' or 'wise arse'.

 

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