Marc Webb/Andrew Garfield's 2012 Spider-Man movie megathread

[David Walton]

Is it an action film, a drama, a comic book film or a horror movie? My movie sense is saying that at least the marketers don't know what it is.

That's the impression I'm getting, too.

The one thing that's never come across yet is 'power and responsibility,' and that's a troubling sign.

But hey, the commercials for John Carter suuuuuccked, and the movie rocked.

[Kevinroc]

Looking more and more similar to USM, where Jonah isn't that big of a deal and Peter Parker is alot cooler. Thats the good news, because I think the USM version of Spidey and his world has alot to recommend it. The special effects also look very nice and I like that we are getting mechanical webshooters and science.

Now for the bad news. That scene with the kid in the car made me cringe a little, it was very schmaltzy. Based on the trailers I have seen, the movie seems to have a kind of confused identity. Is it an action film, a drama, a comic book film or a horror movie? My movie sense is saying that at least the marketers don't know what it is.

Kind of indifferent to GwenJ's presence and the Captain Stacy character. But part of me really is hoping Captain Stacy will be on Spidey's side.

It's interesting you say this because Gwen is essentially Ultimate Mary Jane, but without Ultimate MJ's uncertainty with what she wanted out of life.

That's the impression I'm getting, too.

The one thing that's never come across yet is 'power and responsibility,' and that's a troubling sign.

But hey, the commercials for John Carter suuuuuccked, and the movie rocked.

John Carter did have a more established director in Andrew Stanton. (He directed Finding Nemo and Wall-E.)

[David Walton]

"You know a surefire formula for success? Peter Parker's parents! Every time they show up in the comics, fans love it!"

[Scott Taylor]

It's interesting you say this because Gwen is essentially Ultimate Mary Jane, but without Ultimate MJ's uncertainty with what she wanted out of life.

Right you are, Kevin. And even more interesting is that Ultimate MJ is really a sort of boring character. She was just a normal teenage girl with a normal family and a pretty normal response to Peter's shenanigans. She's been gone essentially since Peter's death, and hardly gotten a mention in the books. Gwen has gotten more play and has continued to be more relevant. If they are patterning this movie Gwen after Ultimate MJ, I am thinking it will be a movie MJ that is more like Ultimate Gwen that ends up stealing the show eventually.

Ok now my head is spinning.

[Chuckles]

MJ-1610 has always been very much a Gwen-like character. I think she's more to the essence of Gwen than MJ, so similarities between her and movie-Gwen don't surprise me.

[Kevinroc]

Right you are, Kevin. And even more interesting is that Ultimate MJ is really a sort of boring character. She was just a normal teenage girl with a normal family and a pretty normal response to Peter's shenanigans. She's been gone essentially since Peter's death, and hardly gotten a mention in the books. Gwen has gotten more play and has continued to be more relevant. If they are patterning this movie Gwen after Ultimate MJ, I am thinking it will be a movie MJ that is more like Ultimate Gwen that ends up stealing the show eventually.

Ok now my head is spinning.

It's simple really.

Ultimate-MJ was a lot more like 616-Gwen while Ultimate Gwen was a lot more like 616-MJ. Now Movie-Gwen is Ultimate-MJ who is 616-Gwen. So Movie-MJ should be Ultimate-Gwen who is 616-MJ.

[Scott Taylor]

Wow, its like the Reflexive Property of Congruency, except for Spider-Man.

[Chuckles]

Awesome. You should get a no-prize or something. Now if they can just cast an actress for MJ that will scrub Kirsten Dunst from my brain...

[pinkfloydsound17]

You really shouldn't attack people for having different opinions. Though the fact you use open-minded while raging about people having different opinions than you is kind of funny though.

I am willing to listen to different opinions. I was just saying some people seem overly picky and continue to beat a dead horse with certain comments about the flick is all. I just think a little more optimism can and should be had. After all, everyone thinks they could come up with the perfect, true to form Spider-Man story but at the end of the day you are always going to make someone unhappy. I'm just saying people should set aside minor details and look at the bigger picture.

Like the guy who brought up the lack of "power and responsibility". Now there is a pretty central theme/idea that Spidey revolves around. I really hope it makes its way into the story somehow, otherwise I will be rather unhappy. It will also be interesting how the whole Uncle Ben death thing plays out and how long they take with the origin stuff...

[manymade1]

Which also means you have to come up with in-story reasons why he has to take the mask off without it coming across as being contrived. And, to be fair, the scene they showed in that "one minute of footage plus remixed trailer footage" did at least provide a good enough reason why. Heck, I thought Spider-Man 2 gave a good enough reason for it during the elevated train scene. Although, I do have to ask why is Peter swinging to the bridge and only THEN is changing into his Spidey costume?

Well they are taking alot from Ultimate Spider-Man, where Peter revealed his identity to everyone except Aunt May.

[CrazyOldHermit]

After rewatching Spider-Man 2 recently I'm so looking forward to a new Director's take on the character. It was almost painful to rewatch what I considered the best Spider-Man movie. The dialouge, the unconvincing love triangle, the silly musical interlude, and Doc Ock made out to be controlled by his mechanical arms. I know Raimi claims to love the Lee & Ditko Spidey stories but wow, was he reading the same stories I was? When was MJ repeatedly made out to be the damsel in distress? When did Spidey become unfunny? And rewatch this film and tell me that the constant screaming by women doesn't annoy you. I know Raimi has a horror film background but I'm a million percent confident he cast Dunst mainly because, of her screaming ability.

After seeing the latest footage I'm very much looking forward to a new take on the character that will more than likely not feature a love triangle, a sympathetic villain, and the love interest getting kidnapped. Yes all those things happened in every Raimi Spidey movie, I guess it was his formula for box office success. his long time Spidey fan is looking forward to something new and not so predictable.

I rewatched the movie today. My thoughts mostly echo yours.

I liked what they did with Doc Ock and thought he was the best part of the movie (well, aside from JJJ) but my sweet God did MJ ruin the damn movie. I honestly can't see what Peter saw in her, other than the fact that he is a loser and she was his best shot at getting some poon. He should have run off with Gwen Stacy in SM3 and forgotten about MJ, at least he'd be with someone with a shared interest (science) and who isn't a total bag.

[Oni Squirrel]

Kind of glad Jamenson's missing from this. The reboot is clearly trying to separate itself from the Raimi trilogy, and if they'd kept Jonah the might be tempted to recast the role to keep that separation. You cannot take that role from J.K. Simmons so I'd rather they let him not show up in the first movie of this line so they could give the film a chance to define itself then have someone else try and play Jonah.

Can't wait for this movie, and that preview looked awesome. I don't hate the Raimi films, but their was always for me a feeling that "this wasn't Spider-man" while I watched them. Conversely, watching the trailers for this everything about Garfield just sort of makes me think this is Spidey. The costumes odd, but it's grown on me pretty quickly.

[charlesthehammer]

I am willing to listen to different opinions. I was just saying some people seem overly picky and continue to beat a dead horse with certain comments about the flick is all. I just think a little more optimism can and should be had. After all, everyone thinks they could come up with the perfect, true to form Spider-Man story but at the end of the day you are always going to make someone unhappy. I'm just saying people should set aside minor details and look at the bigger picture.

Like the guy who brought up the lack of "power and responsibility". Now there is a pretty central theme/idea that Spidey revolves around. I really hope it makes its way into the story somehow, otherwise I will be rather unhappy. It will also be interesting how the whole Uncle Ben death thing plays out and how long they take with the origin stuff...

If you feel that way cool, but if others don't there is no need to get so upset. They are both valid ways to look, at the movie.

[Aziz Abbasi]

Looking more and more similar to USM, where Jonah isn't that big of a deal and Peter Parker is alot cooler. Thats the good news, because I think the USM version of Spidey and his world has alot to recommend it. The special effects also look very nice and I like that we are getting mechanical webshooters and science.

Which is a good thing, I wanted this movie even before Spider-Man 3 gets released

Now for the bad news. That scene with the kid in the car made me cringe a little, it was very schmaltzy.

Batman Beyond, Batman saving the kid from the burning building. And Peter's idea came with positive result

Kind of indifferent to GwenJ's presence

GwenJ? That's Gwen in her best mixed together from both classic & Ultimate, I support that

I rewatched the movie today. My thoughts mostly echo yours.

I liked what they did with Doc Ock and thought he was the best part of the movie (well, aside from JJJ) but my sweet God did MJ ruin the damn movie. I honestly can't see what Peter saw in her, other than the fact that he is a loser and she was his best shot at getting some poon. He should have run off with Gwen Stacy in SM3 and forgotten about MJ, at least he'd be with someone with a shared interest (science) and who isn't a total bag.

I watch the three movies for laughs and action more than anything else

[ZephonInAZ]

New poster, long time lurker. Spider-man is my favorite fictional character, and i was really disappointed in the Raimi films. (mind you, I saw them all in theaters on opening day/night) Spidey was flat, unfunny, not smart, and had no web shooters(my fav superhero gadget). Kirsten Dunst was nothing like MJ in the comics. She was boring, and didn't have the pizzaz of MJ in the comics. And although it has been said, green goblin's costume was flat wrong(all though dafoe did play ol' norman pretty well). The only thing i can say Raimi got right with the first film was JJJ and the look of spider-man's costume. the chemistry between the actors, the plot and dialogue all sucked. All though it was entertaining, and not really all that bad of a film, as a spider-man fan it felt wrong.

the second one was better, but they got a lot wrong. Ock's motivation was all wrong, and he lost what made ock, ock. His arrogance. Dr octopus is supposed to be a twisted mirror of the scientist in spider-man. Since spidey was never scientific in the raimi's film, that was lost. Instead, Octavius is made into a teacher, and his arms are what made him bad.

let's not really get into the third one, but the whole thing was f'd up. only thing done right was sandman, and they managed to screw him up by shoehorning him into the origin. The completely screwed up the black costume, eddie brock, and venom.

This film, although they are playing with the origin a bit, seems to be the right direction. although a part of me would love for the movie to be god awful so the rights will go back to marvel, i think this could be the best spider-man film yet.