The Amazing Spider-Man The Amazing Spider-Man (First Reactions: Critics, Fans) (Spoiler Alert) - - - - - Part 14

[AbsractPo3tic]

I believe the bleacher scene came first. It was immediately before he goes to Connors' office, if I remember correctly.

The bleacher scene did come first. Immediately after they were on the bleachers, the next scene was Peter at Oscorp asking about tracking reptiles

 

[Eddie Brock]

The bleacher scene did come first. Immediately after they were on the bleachers, the next scene was Peter at Oscorp asking about tracking reptiles

I knew that the bleacher scene cut to an above shot of OsCorp, so I figured...

 

[AbsractPo3tic]

I knew that the bleacher scene cut to an above shot of OsCorp, so I figured...

Yup just backing you up in your argument my man

 

[Jexx]

How do you track a lizard?

 

[Eddie Brock]

How do you track a lizard?

You don't. Most reptiles are at the top of their respective food chains.

 

[Jexx]

...deja vu.

 

[AbsractPo3tic]

You don't. Most reptiles are at the top of their respective food chains.

But they gotta have weaknesses, right?

 

[Eddie Brock]

But they gotta have weaknesses, right?

Why the sudden interest in the cold-blooded?

 

[GENERAL RAAM582]

Biology Class.

 

[AbsractPo3tic]

Why the sudden interest in the cold-blooded?

It's for school, for biology. I've got profiles to do so...

 

[terry78]

LOL, I couldn't help but laugh at how obvious they were both being in that scene.

 

[Eddie Brock]

LOL, I couldn't help but laugh at how obvious they were both being in that scene.

Peter hasn't really mastered the art of subtlety. Between that, his interactions with Gwen, his conversation with Captain Stacy at the dinner table, and the fact that he makes no attempts to cover up his Spider-Man injuries (other than the occasional raised hood).

 

[AbsractPo3tic]

LOL, I couldn't help but laugh at how obvious they were both being in that scene.

It was definitely one of those Colombo scenes..when both Colombo and the guy he's after do the whole "I know that you know that I know that you know" thing.

 

[Jexx]

I can't delete posts? afadfa

 

[bosef982]

Bosef, I'm with you -- I think.

I definitely see things that could be improved. With about another 15 minutes, perhaps, they could have fixed much of the film's problems. However, I am confident that the film still works pretty well on the whole without any change.

Adding Billy Connors and giving him a life threatening illness (maybe too similar to Penny Marko in Spider-man 3) could have helped. This would give Connors a reason to want to "cure" the world and make him even more sympathetic and a father's desperation could explain irrational thought.

But -- Connors' own longing for his arm is played pitch perfect in this film and is beautiful in many parts and shots of the film.

If we could have kept and elaborated on the Doctor Ratha's character. However, I am fully confident (based on Ben's monologue at the end of the film) that the "things left open" will be closed in sequels.

The only scene I'd get rid of is the baseketball scene -- or at least play the dunk a little less for laughs and not make it SO over the top.

However, none of this changes the fact that the characterization of Peter Parker/Spider-man was tremendous. Gwen Stacy was lovable, Curt Connors was sympathetic, May was protective and concerned (and not played as an idiot. She clearly knows he's Spidey by film's end) and Ben was stern but loving.

As you said -- you like the film. I just got out of a second viewing and my opinion remains the same. As much as a I love Spider-man, much of it is nostalgia. And now, 10 years later I can see some of the flaws in that, still, great film. I'd rank The Amazing Spider-man up in the Spider-man 2 neighborhood. Both are tremendous Spider-man films -- both have little changes that could be made -- but both still stand up great.

(Note: I payed extra close attention and there is just the one flag when the construction worker walks past the screen in the ally and we see it painted on the brick wall. Yes, the camera lingers on it for about 1 second, but I wouldn't say it's gratuitous, lol).

Bottom line is -- this film could be perfected. But that's true of all films (except Inception, that film is perfect, lol). But I will say that The Amazing Spider-man proves that the franchise is in capable hands. People who love the character and who can make entertaining, faithful films. It has me excited and confident for a sequel.

-R

The principle I object to is this "in the sequels.". It pretty much admits this film doesn't stand on its own and that audiences were robbed from a complete story bc Sony still wants to cash in. This franchise is not in good hands. It's in greedy hands, and several sets of them too, all meddling creatively in a movie with the focus not being great story but higher profits.

They had the material shot. They cut it. Why? Who knows. But justifying flaws by saying that things didn't need to be resolved basically treats the film like a TV pilot. It's a film. The questions and arcs it raises should be answered in the film. Not the next one. I paid for this one. Not the next one. Anything else's a business model that rides on continued profits by bait and switching and stringing my wallet along in a teasing cinema going that has no end.

Fans like it and buy it bc they like comics and the ideas of more. Don't mistake that as this being a good movie. Some fans suggest that if you ignore the actors performing on screen and instead focus on a minute piece of production design of the killers sketch on peters wall, you'll see the uncle bens killer story was MEANT to be unresolved. What? Are you ****ing kidding me? ********. The story was dropped. If they'd intended to have it as a lingering question, there'd been a mention of it somewhere in the last hour of the film. There's not. And anyone claiming otherwise is contriving to a ridiculous degree. To expect your audience to catch that indulges a stupidity that I cannot even begin to reason with.

The film fails to give a whole story. It does nearly nothing. It poorly defines Spidey, nails Peter and Gwen, massacres Lizard, and backtracks on all it's marketing to deliver an okay reboot that, notwithstanding all those flaws, still was too early and too soon.

 

[bosef982]

LOL, I couldn't help but laugh at how obvious they were both being in that scene.

Don't worry. Their obviousness will be explained in the sequel!

 

[Eddie Brock]

To expect your audience to catch that indulges a stupidity that I cannot even begin to reason with.

Are you kidding? They didn't have to include a shot of the wanted poster at the end of the movie. They showed it, which means they had a reason for showing it. Not that hard to figure out.

 

[Eddie Brock]

Don't worry. Their obviousness will be explained in the sequel!

Oh, boy. I'm looking forward to this pointless crusade already.

 

[Jexx]

If this film was made with only the purpose of making more money, then why does this film not seem to appeal to children more than the Raimi trilogy? This film doesn't outright explain everything about it..

 

[flickchick85]

Actually, I think it was quite clear that Peter was reacting to the police sirens picking up the Captain, not some advance Spider sense.

The spider-sense is basically a sound effect in this film, and it definitely goes off when the police sirens start coming in. That's why Peter looks straight-up transfixed by the sirens - because it's not your usual NYC sirens, and something BIG is going down.

 

[spider-neil]

With great power there must come great responsibility.

I've long believed Spider-Man's origin as told in AF#15 is damn near perfect. Start to mess with it, tinker around with its elements, and all that ends up happening is that you undermine the central message. These elements ought to be sacrosanct:

1. It must be Spider-Man, in costume, who fails to act to stop the burglar, not Peter, the civilian. Peter must connect his failure to use his powers responsibly to the tragedy that befalls him. If he is in civvies, I argue this gets undermined as Peter doesn't use his powers in his civilian garb, nor would any bystanders expect that he has the power to (easily!) stop the burglar.
2. The burglar must kill Ben.
3. Spider-Man must realize that Ben's killer is the same burglar he let escape; this hammers home his failure to use his powers responsibly.
4. Spider-Man must bring the killer to justice, and not succumb to the temptation for revenge; this is the first truly responsible use of his powers and marks his acceptance of the lesson.

AF#15 emphasized #1 by having a policeman order Spider-Man to stop the burglar, but Spider-Man arrogantly brushes him off (Raimi downgrades the cop to a security guard, and also gives Spidey a reason beyond arrogance to let the burglar go). It also uses #3 to reinforce #4; the shock at recognizing Ben's killer's face is what drains Spider-Man's wish for revenge.

The Ultimate comics were the first to screw up item #1, and now Webb has followed suit, by having the civilian Peter be the one who fails to act (Raimi straddled the line by having the early-costumed but unmasked Spider-Man let the burglar go; a fair adaptation). Nobody has dared mess with #2 or #3. Raimi again straddled the line with #4 by having the burglar fall to his death accidentally; Spectacular corrected this flaw by having Spidey save the burglar. Webb has now chosen to all but eliminate #4 and instead has Peter accept the lesson through a much longer - and I'd argue less satisfying - route.

tl;dr version: Spidey's origin has never needed updating. Spidey adaptations that do so tend to weaken it, not enhance it.

I disagree with this. (For me) the most important thing is Peter could have stopped the thief but chose not to and it comes back to bite him.
THE most important thing is under no circumstances should Spider-man be stopping crime BEFORE this happens. This has to be ice water in the face that turns Peter/Spidey to crime fighting.

I will add that I prefer (but isn't a deal breaker) that Peter letting the buglar go is down to pure happenstance rather than failing to act because he feels he has been wronged. This has happened in two movies now that Peter has been wronged so he is like 'you wronged me so I'm not going to lift a finger to help you' and let's be honest here who wouldn't do the same thing?

What makes the AF15 have so much weight is it's just so RANDOM, out of no where a thief is running towards him and he is like 'not my problem, what the heck has it got to do me?' and it comes back to bite him BIG TIME.

 

[roach]

I disagree with this. (For me) the most important thing is Peter could have stopped the thief but chose not to and it comes back to bite him.
THE most important thing is under no circumstances should Spider-man be stopping crime BEFORE this happens. This has to be ice water in the face that turns Peter/Spidey to crime fighting.

I will add that I prefer (but isn't a deal breaker) that Peter letting the buglar go is down to pure happenstance rather than failing to act because he feels he has been wronged. This has happened in two movies now that Peter has been wronged so he is like 'you wronged me so I'm not going to lift a finger to help you' and let's be honest here who wouldn't do the same thing?

What makes the AF15 have so much weight is it's just so RANDOM, out of no where a thief is running towards him and he is like 'not my problem, what the heck has it got to do me?' and it comes back to bite him BIG TIME.

but the thing is in this movie its not the ice water to the face that turns him fighting crime. He goes out looking for the man who shot his uncle.

 

[chaseter]

The spider-sense is basically a sound effect in this film, and it definitely goes off when the police sirens start coming in. That's why Peter looks straight-up transfixed by the sirens - because it's not your usual NYC sirens, and something BIG is going down.

They don't even explain it or what it means. They think the audience has to see the origin again to explain everything but they miss little stuff like that.

 

[cryptic name]

That sound goes off and then something happens, like someone trying to punch him from behind on the subway. That's all the explanation anyone should really need. Raimi's effect for the spider sense was really cool but I feel like they used it twice (once in the first and once in the second) and then kind of forgot about it.

 

[OP84CC82]

I bet you any money that if the Raimi films didn't exist and that this was all we had, it'd be getting better reviews than The Avengers.