Spiderman Reboot

[KingIsaacLinksr]

Couldnt care less about it being in 3D but that costume has me in goose bumps. great title for the film as well. I wonder if this spidey will be in the Avengers film?

Nope! Sony has the rights to Spiderman and they would have lost them if they didn't release a movie next year. So they put out a movie to keep the rights and thus Spidey can't play in the Avengers universe.

Uhh.....uhhh.......ok.....That's a weird arrangement, so Sony has to make movies or lose rights to Spiderman?  Ugh.

King

[Jobydrone]

I've been thinking more and more about this reboot and decided I'd watch the original three movies again back to back, since it's been quite a while now.  These were a deeply flawed series of films, each one with many redeeming qualities but flawed none the less.  I'm going to start with my thoughts on my viewing of the first movie.

The original Spiderman told the origin story very well, arguably better than any superhero movie has ever done tackling the origins of the main character.  Tobey Macguire did a really good job with the early sequences discovering his newfound powers and abilities.  Especially memorable were the sequences in the cafeteria with MJ and the confrontation with Flash.  I think the audience can really feel and relate to the exhilaration Peter Parker felt from his overnight transformation from 90 pound weakling to super powered hero.  The portrayal of Peter's relationship with his Aunt & Uncle is pitch perfect, and this is an absolutely critical element of the character.

The critical misstep in the first movie, which almost completely kills the whole thing for me, was the portrayal of the Green Goblin.  As great an actor as Willem Dafoe is, he was not great in this film.  Not all of it was the actor's fault: he was completely hamstrung by the horrible decision made with his Green Goblin costume.  Honestly i'm not sure what a better solution would have been, maybe CGI, but the route they took with the frozen mask just destroyed any chance of menace or emotion from the actor.  Dafoe's over the top chewing of the scenery in his scenes alone in the mansion were laughable at best.  The Goblin is one of comics greatest villains of all time, and he came across as a joke in this picture.  

Finally, i believe it was a mistake to combine MJ and Gwen Stacy's character into one for this movie.  The drama that was missing from the scenes with the Goblin & Peter could have been so much more compelling with Gwen's story and eventual death in the mix.  It's possible that it would be simply too much story for one movie, I'm not certain, but in my opinion the death of Gwen Stacy is a classic story that should have been completely told, maybe over the course of two films, rather than just barely evoked using the images of MJ on the bridge and the death of the Goblin at the end.

Overall, i think the first Spiderman movie would have seriously benefitted from another pass or two over the screenplay.  Much of the unnecessary exposition, especially surrounding Normsn Osborn and his problems with his company and the military contract, should have hit the cutting room floor.

The more I think about the idea of this reboot, the more excited I get.  The filmmakers have a real opportunity to learn from the mistakes of the first three films and make the Spiderman movies that should have been made in the first place.  A good first step will be keeping Peter in high school.  They also need to inject more of the humor, the quips and one liners Spiderman is famous for.  This was sorely lacking from the first series.  More on all this later...

[KingIsaacLinksr]

Actually watched The Nostalgia Critic talk about the 11 worst moments in Spiderman.  Kinda opened my eyes that while the trilogy was ok, it was not as high quality as we all like to make it out to be.  Which would probably explain why I haven't watched the trilogy in a while now.  Spiderman 3 was not that bad of a movie to me, never did understand a lot of the ppl disliking it.  Sure, there are deep flaws with it, but don't they all have them? 

As such, I am now very excited for this reboot, maybe they'll fix it up and put it in the same area that The Dark Knight hit.  One can hope!

King

[Rico]

Joby - I don't quite agree with your views of the first Spidey film.  I think like you said it's one of the best - maybe the best ever done comic book origin stories told in a film.  Tobey was excellent I thought as Peter/Spidey.  I think the reason they didn't put Gwen in this first film along with MJ, is like you said Gwen dies in the comics.  For a movie series, I think they wanted to try and stay focused on one romantic interest and keep her around.  While I agree the death of Gwen is an awesome story in the comics, I can see their reasons for going in this direction.  Peter has always belonged with MJ.  Just as Clark goes with Lois, etc.  And who could forget the hanging upside down kiss!  Maybe the best comic book movie romantic moment ever!  Anyway, I really love the first film and enjoy the second.  But I'll agree the third movie goes off-course too much - they lost focus.  It will be interesting to see how the next Spidey film turns out.

[Jobydrone]

I agree with every one of your points Rico.  There's alot to love about every one of the Spidey films.  I'll try to cover more of the positives in my review of Spidey 2.1, which I finished watching last night, and I believe is by far the best of the series.

Obviously we're going to see the Gwen Stacy story take shape on screen with this new film next year.  Personally I can't wait.  Nothing wrong with a superhero having two hot girls fighting over him.

[Jobydrone]

Don't forget too, that rewatching these movies again after ten years or so bears the burden of the series of truly great comic book movies that have come after:  Batman Begins, Dark Knight, and especially Iron Man owe a great deal to the doors that Spiderman kicked open by making a modern retelling of classic superhero stories critically and financially viable.

[Rico]

Yep - agree!  I think I've said before, but of all the comic book superheroes out there, Peter Parker is the one I've always identified with the most.  I was the science geek/nerd in school, kind of shy and slightly awkward.  A long way from the smooth talking Rico Suave I am now - LOL!  Anyway, we'll see what they do with this reboot.

[WillEagle]

I enjoyed the first 3 movies but it has been awhile since I watched them so I can't really pick my favorite but it would probably be 1 or 2. I wasn't aware of the Gwen Stacey storyline having not been a regular Spiderman comic reader. Just recently I have been catching up on the graphic novels from the library and I seen some mention of her in ones I haven't read. Rico, mentioned about catching up with the comics by going to your library in his pocast #107 about comics from 2007. I just finished it. And I have been going to the library for the past few months before I even heard that. But it is good advice.

[Meds]

Actually you are all wrong, I take my spiderman bible from the greatest spiderman seen on screen.    

[Jobydrone]

lol the guy is like a foot off the ground in that pic :rotfl:

[Meds]

Check this out. I just love the climbing lol

The Amazing Spider-Man - 1970

[Geekyfanboy]

LOL.. I remember watching this in my youth

[Dangelus]

I remember this well! Almost as cheesy as the Batman TV Show!

[WillEagle]

Speaking of the Batman tv show they just re-aired the Adam West Biography today.

[Geekyfanboy]

Actor accidentally reveals villain in new Spider-Man film

The identity of the villain in The Amazing Spider-Man has been both the subject of rumors and a closely guarded secret for months. But now Spidey's nemesis in the reboot has been accidentally revealed by an actor in the film.

Speaking in an interview with the Retro Radio podcast, actor C. Thomas Howell accidentally let slip that Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) will go up against the Lizard, a.k.a. Dr. Curt Connors, in the film. Here's what Howell said: "Sony wants us to be hush-hush right now. I play a relatively small role. I play a construction worker whose son is caught in the middle of a battle between the Lizard and Spider-Man on the Manhattan Bridge. Spider-Man helps me get my son back from this perilous situation."

So much for being "hush-hush."

Ever since Rhys Ifans was cast but not identified as the villain last year, the betting money has been on the Lizard to finally make his appearance in the Spider-Man movies. Dr. Connors was played by Dylan Baker in the previous set of Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire films, but never got his chance to turn all green and scaly.

Now it looks like Ifans will go full reptile in The Amazing Spider-Man, which is due out July 3rd, 2012 from director Marc Webb. The cast also includes Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben, Sally Field as Aunt May and Denis Leary as George Stacy.

Howell helpfully added that his character has a crucial scene late in the story, explaining, "Spider-Man is kind of hurting. I help him when all of the other people won't. Part of the story is, the nation thinks he might be a bad guy. They don't know what to think. Because of my experience on the bridge with my kid, I know he is a good guy. I pitch in and help out at the end. That is the best way."

So now that it's pretty much confirmed, are you pleased to see the Lizard show up at last to face off against The Amazing Spider-Man?