The Amazing Spider-Man

If you know me, you know I wasn’t exactly hyped for this movie. I thought it was a completely unnecessary reboot in a year of mostly good movies (screw you, Ghost Rider). But perhaps I’m being far too cynical. It could very well be a good movie. I even thought that Abraham Lincoln was going to suck, and I was wrong (see my review). Could it be that… that I’m losing my touch? Perhaps I can’t judge movies simply by trailers or by my own feelings prior to viewing.

Well let’s see.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Boy meets spider, spider bites boy, boy gets powers, boy’s uncle dies, boy learns lesson and becomes a superhero, boy fights villain he has a tie to, boy gets girl, boy continues his adventure for future sequels.

Oh I’m sorry. That was the plot of the original Spider-Man movie. My mistake.

*ahem*

Boy meets spider, spider bites boy, boy gets powers, boy’s uncle dies, boy learns…

Hey, wait a second! It’s the exact same plot!

Now I, like most of you do as well, know the story of Spider-Man quite well. It’s a rather simple tale that has been shown in the movies, shows, comics… which begs the question as to why it needs to be told again, but that’s for later. The problem is that the story is extremely similar to the first movie and not just the comics. Let’s count:

1. Boy creepily takes pictures of his love interest (… although… gah, later…)
2. The villain has a tie to the hero.
3. Both villains have that whole Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde thing going on.
4. Both have a moment where our hero is saving someone dangling from a bridge.
5. Both movies show NY residents helping our hero (get to that soon…)

It would also be remiss of me to not mention this: the moments where the Lizard is tossing his gas canisters is a direct rip-off of last year’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes (which, while I haven’t reviewed it and I don’t know if I will, I highly recommend). I have a hard time believing it wasn’t intentional. The camera angles were suspiciously similar.

Before I continue, let me address this really, really horrible point:

The construction crew helping Spider-Man.

Hated. This. Scene. SO. MUCH. I liked the scene in the first Spider-Man on the bridge, but there are some factors here:

1. The people on the bridge were in danger as well. And it kinda makes sense for them to all gather together to fight a common threat.
2. The people of New York had time to get to know Spider-Man. In this movie, he was mostly just an internet sensation. Previously, we at least got a montage that implied a good deal of time had passed – we even had people singing in the streets about him!

I think the second one bothers me more. They almost went for a Batman Begins sort of thing, where Spider-Man “inspires them.” That’s not bad, but again, they didn’t have time to really love Spider-Man in this movie. He was just some guy.

Also, they hinted at some juicy detail into Peter’s parents. Well… WE GET NOTHING. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. You may think we did, but we did not. Know what we got? Bait. Bait for a new movie to expand on this grand revelation, when in reality, it’s still just as much a mystery as before,

Uncle Ben… oh Uncle Ben. They had the Illusive Man play you? Oh for shame…

Actually, no, Martin Sheen did a fine job. Unfortunately, the character was not developed very well and we never got a chance to really care when the inevitable death came. And we had no sad moments after. Everybody seemed to just carry on. No funeral, no real sad moments. When Parker goes after his uncle’s killer, it’s… anticlimactic. Extremely, especially since he fails the first time. I should also point out that the “with great power comes great responsibility” speech was completely botched and poorly done. HE DIDN’T EVEN SAY THE WORDS! I’m sorry, but… no.

And the robbery scene. It was horrible, just horrible. In every presentation of the robbery scene prior, Peter had a chance to stop the guy. This time, the robber was running away from where he was, meaning he’d have to actively chase the robber. Maybe they were trying to show that you should be good and help… but doesn’t this thought process encourage vigilantism? It’s one thing to stop somebody when you have the chance; it’s completely another to chase somebody down.

Gwen Stacy was a bit too smart. She was intelligent, yes, but I have a hard time believing a high school student can quickly create an antidote to a virus that took quite some time to create. Not only that, but to be able to access the tech in Oscorp. That was just stupid.

As for our protagonist: The whole “geek” thing never quite came through. At all. Not in his choice of clothing, not in his mannerisms, and not how he was treated by others – yes, I know these are all stereotypes, but Peter Parker is and has always been the stereotypical geek / nerd before gaining his powers. He just came across as somewhat of a reclusive stalker in this movie (yes, he’s a stalker. Which… yeah, that was just weird). He was never bullied because he was Peter Parker; the only time Flash hit him was when he himself intervened. And… no glasses? Why? It… it makes no sense. Yeah, I know he wears glasses later because of his dad, but… no, it’s stupid. It’s a part of the character and I, for one, am rather insulted that he went for contacts (as someone who actually does wear glasses).

Also… a skateboard? Really? Sorry, Parker, but… *snicker* you just ain’t pulling that off, buddy.

I will say that I kind of liked the portrayal of Spider-Man here as a jokester. That was good. What I did not like, however, is that he did not invent the webbing, but merely ripped off / “improved upon” tech that Oscorp was already using. Yes, he invented the shooters. But it’s… it’s just not the same.

Also… TOO MANY PEOPLE KNOW HE’S SPIDER-MAN! Not just the obvious ones (though that annoyed me too), but the many many scenes where he interacted with other people utilizing his spider powers. Yes, that happened in the first Spider-Man movie by Raimi, but only briefly and not quite as… obvious. The fight in school I can handle. But the subway scene? The basketball scene? Sorry. Too much to swallow.

And now for the antagonist:

I had a really hard to empathizing with this guy. Mostly because he was, quite frankly, Hitler. Yes, he went for Nazi ideology that weakness must be purged and everybody must be the same (lizard people = master race). I felt bad for him due to the arm, but beyond that I really just… didn’t care. The sudden shift from nice doctor to psychopath was just way too fast and poorly developed.

CGI was… okay, I guess. Web slinging, for some reason, looked… of. I don’t know why. It just didn’t look nearly as impressive as it did in previous movies. And the Lizard was just… weird.

Acting: the actors did not do badly for what they had. The problems I have with the characters don’t reflect on the actors. They did a fine job for what they were doing. I just didn’t like what they were doing, simple as that.

In the end, I wasn’t just completely right, but this movie was worse than I thought it would be. I even saw Spider-Man 2 on TV and was reminded of how good it was. This movie was completely unnecessary, poorly done, and frankly, it sickens me that it’s getting so much unwarranted praise and attention. No, I don’t think you should see it and I don’t like that I contributed to the movie’s box office gross. But you will.. unfortunately.

Before you comment (… and I can feel hate mail coming. I can smell it), I pose a question to you all: are my reviews too… bland? Not in writing, but do you think some pictures would be a nice addition? Let me know, and suggest stuff for me to review (comics, books, movies, games, etc).

I love your reviews JXM they are really insightful and helpful even when rage-filled (like TFU) because they really came from inside. I recommend posting some score (A to F, stars, 0/10) to show us the extent you liked it.

As for the movie, I think it was meh. I didn't like very much and but also didn't hate it. I didn't like how they ommited the Daily Bungle and J. Jonah Jameson completely (I would love to see J.K. Simmons back he was one of the undeniably good parts in the original Spider-Man trilogy). They really wasted a good opportunity with him didn't know what to do with the Lizard, they tried to make him sympathetic but they just turned him into Dastardly Whiplash.

I think Martin Sheen was really good as Uncle Ben and to my surprise they gave character development to Flash Thompson of all people when he tries to confort Peter when Uncle Ben * spoiler * dies.

The post-credit scene was bland and unimpressive in my opinion, I was like "whatever" when I saw it.

@CaioTrubat said:

I love your reviews JXM they are really insightful and helpful even when rage-filled (like TFU) because they really came from inside. I recommend posting some score (A to F, stars, 0/10) to show us the extent you liked it.

Much appreciated.

I actually did consider giving some sort of score. I'd probably do A through F, because for some reason 0-10 just doesn't work for me (even though they're essentially the same)

I like your review, kinda confirms what i was already thinking (without seeing it myself). But some pictures in your review wouldn't go amiss. Always nice to have a break sometimes ;)

@CaioTrubat: I didn't like how they ommited the Daily Bungle

The Daily Bugle was seen twice in the film. First, when Pete looked at the newspaper that had a cover about a reward for proof of the Lizard and a second time on TV (I guess they have a news network in this universe).

@k4tzm4n said:

@CaioTrubat: I didn't like how they ommited the Daily Bungle

The Daily Bugle was seen twice in the film. First, when Pete looked at the newspaper that had a cover about a reward for proof of the Lizard and a second time on TV (I guess they have a news network in this universe).

What I meant is that it didn't have a bigger role in the movie. Beyond these cameos they might as well not be in the movie. Then again I think they are saving it for the sequel.

@k4tzm4n said:

@CaioTrubat: I didn't like how they ommited the Daily Bungle

The Daily Bugle was seen twice in the film. First, when Pete looked at the newspaper that had a cover about a reward for proof of the Lizard and a second time on TV (I guess they have a news network in this universe).

I didn't mind the lack of JJ. It's fine - we can wait for a sequel for that.

What's your take on my review?

Nice review.

I, personally, liked the movie, but I can see where you're coming from.

Also… TOO MANY PEOPLE KNOW HE’S SPIDER-MAN! Not just the obvious ones (though that annoyed me too), but the many many scenes where he interacted with other people utilizing his spider powers. Yes, that happened in the first Spider-Man movie by Raimi, but only briefly and not quite as… obvious. The fight in school I can handle. But the subway scene? The basketball scene? Sorry. Too much to swallow.

@cattlebattle:

I understand that. But then everyone would know he's Spider-Man.

Am I the only one that thought Uncle Ben had better development here then in the original, in my opinion the person that didn't get justice that did previously was Aunt May. I agree with the fact that Spidey should really work on keeping his identity a secret, it took an entire movie and then 9/10 of the second for MJ to find out, and then half way through the first Gwen knows. They really are rushing Gwen...she's so going to die.

@cattlebattle:

I understand that. But then everyone would know he's Spider-Man.

@cattlebattle:

I understand why it happened in the movie. All I'm saying is that the scene was unnecessarily... well stupid.

@JediXMan: i think adding pictures would be a nice idea

I don't see why the crane scene annoyed you. New York may not have had any reason to love Spider-man but the foreman who made it all happened did. Spider-man saved his son without any form of compensation and no request for any and he was in a position to help Spider-man. You better believe that if I were in a position to help the person who saved my son that I am going to do it without hesitation. Maybe the execution of the scene could have been better but it does make sense in the situation.

@JediXMan: I vehemently disagree on just about everything.

How much Emma Stone booty we gettin here?

@JediXMan said:

@k4tzm4n said:

@CaioTrubat: I didn't like how they ommited the Daily Bungle

The Daily Bugle was seen twice in the film. First, when Pete looked at the newspaper that had a cover about a reward for proof of the Lizard and a second time on TV (I guess they have a news network in this universe).

I didn't mind the lack of JJ. It's fine - we can wait for a sequel for that.

What's your take on my review?

I'll weigh in later today. Not sure if you saw my review, but I really enjoyed the film.

@k4tzm4n said:

@JediXMan said:

@k4tzm4n said:

@CaioTrubat: I didn't like how they ommited the Daily Bungle

The Daily Bugle was seen twice in the film. First, when Pete looked at the newspaper that had a cover about a reward for proof of the Lizard and a second time on TV (I guess they have a news network in this universe).

I didn't mind the lack of JJ. It's fine - we can wait for a sequel for that.

What's your take on my review?

I'll weigh in later today. Not sure if you saw my review, but I really enjoyed the film.

I know; I read it. Just curious as to your opinion on the points made herein.

@JediXMan:

. I even thought that Abraham Lincoln was going to suck, and I was wrong (see my review). Could it be that… that I’m losing my touch? Perhaps I can’t judge movies simply by trailers or by my own feelings prior to viewing.

Interesting. I didn't see that one, but that was because all of the reviews I checked out absolutely demolished the movie.

Anyway, one thing that really stands out to me in the review is your criticism that it borrows too many elements from Raimi's film. But shortly after, you complain that they didn't use the "with great power" dialogue word-for-word. Even if they did use it, wouldn't you just be upset that they ripped out the very same dialogue? Personally, I'm happy they put a twist on that message and found a different way to deliver it.

The crane scene might have been cheesy, but it was no less cheesy than the bridge scene.

"AY, WE'RE NEW YORKAHS! YOU MESS WIFF ONE, YOU MESS WIFF ALL OF US!" As someone who regularly goes into the city, I can say it's unfortunately rare to see someone try to genuinely help someone else. But anyway...

Sure, it was terribly convenient and a cheesy element, but at least it tied in to a person that was personally impacted by Spider-Man, and in turn, had something to offer in return.

As for the lack of plot surrounding his parents, that was apparently a decision on behalf of the studio. It's looking like a lot was cut. Perhaps they want to dive into that for the second and just used this to re-familiarize the general audience.

RE: the robber, I'm afraid I don't fully understand your point here. The clerk was a complete jerk to Pete, and seeing as he's not the most mature individual around (ie getting even with Flash), he decided to mock the rude clerk (really, two cents?!) instead of helping him in what appeared to be an average and extremely common crime (which was seemingly not putting anyone in harm, too)

I don't mind Gwen being smart. After all, she and Pete shared a love for science. I do, however, think it's very odd that a high schooler is not only an intern, but a lead intern. That place couldn't spare an employee to handle interns?

It's unlikely the people on the subway could properly identify Spider-Man. "Some white kid with pushed up hair beat us up!" Well, that narrows it down.... It seemed clear Pete was far from home, too. After all, he got off at an early stop and had to run the rest of the way (was visibly exhausted/sweating when he arrived). So, him just bumping into that group doesn't seem too likely and I imagine he wouldn't take that subway again (nor was he seen doing so)

I somewhat agree that a reboot was unnecessary, but I'm not going to hold that against the film. It happened and all I can do is critique the material presented. Did it bring anything new to the table or make drastic twists to his origin? No (well, at least not yet). But was it done well? In my opinion, yes. I had a lot of fun with the film and personally, enjoyed it much more than Raimi's.

As for your question: no, your writing isn't bland. But, I do think pictures would help space out the paragraphs.

Can't really expect it to be different than the other Spider-man movie because they're both about Spider-man's origin. It's like complaining because Superman's parents die when Krypton gets destroyed in Man of Steel. An intelligent Gwen Stacey is preferred. It's better than having the useless Mary Jane who always gets kidnapped and does nothing. About his parents. This is an origin story, it's not supposed to get too far into the main plot. They're telling the story about how Peter Parker became Spider-man, not what his parents were doing. Frankly, I could care less. What made this movie good was the realism factor (in a way). Sure, Peter's a high school student who happens to be a genius/hacker/physicist/engineer/etc, but they did well with his public image. He's not going to become the loved hero he is right off the bat. He also didn't exactly master his powers right away. Although they made that dumb mistake of making him jump off a building. I would hardly jump off a chair, never mind a building. It was an alright review. You should look at the positives more, though.

@k4tzm4n said:

@JediXMan:

. I even thought that Abraham Lincoln was going to suck, and I was wrong (see my review). Could it be that… that I’m losing my touch? Perhaps I can’t judge movies simply by trailers or by my own feelings prior to viewing.

Interesting. I didn't see that one, but that was because all of the reviews I checked out absolutely demolished the movie.

Anyway, one thing that really stands out to me in the review is your criticism that it borrows too many elements from Raimi's film. But shortly after, you complain that they didn't use the "with great power" dialogue word-for-word. Even if they did use it, wouldn't you just be upset that they ripped out the very same dialogue? Personally, I'm happy they put a twist on that message and found a different way to deliver it.

The crane scene might have been cheesy, but it was no less cheesy than the bridge scene.

"AY, WE'RE NEW YORKAHS! YOU MESS WIFF ONE, YOU MESS WIFF ALL OF US!" As someone who regularly goes into the city, I can say it's unfortunately rare to see someone try to genuinely help someone else. But anyway...

Sure, it was terribly convenient and a cheesy element, but at least it tied in to a person that was personally impacted by Spider-Man, and in turn, had something to offer in return.

As for the lack of plot surrounding his parents, that was apparently a decision on behalf of the studio. It's looking like a lot was cut. Perhaps they want to dive into that for the second and just used this to re-familiarize the general audience.

RE: the robber, I'm afraid I don't fully understand your point here. The clerk was a complete jerk to Pete, and seeing as he's not the most mature individual around (ie getting even with Flash), he decided to mock the rude clerk (really, two cents?!) instead of helping him in what appeared to be an average and extremely common crime (which was seemingly not putting anyone in harm, too)

I don't mind Gwen being smart. After all, she and Pete shared a love for science. I do, however, think it's very odd that a high schooler is not only an intern, but a lead intern. That place couldn't spare an employee to handle interns?

It's unlikely the people on the subway could properly identify Spider-Man. "Some white kid with pushed up hair beat us up!" Well, that narrows it down.... It seemed clear Pete was far from home, too. After all, he got off at an early stop and had to run the rest of the way (was visibly exhausted/sweating when he arrived). So, him just bumping into that group doesn't seem too likely and I imagine he wouldn't take that subway again (nor was he seen doing so)

I somewhat agree that a reboot was unnecessary, but I'm not going to hold that against the film. It happened and all I can do is critique the material presented. Did it bring anything new to the table or make drastic twists to his origin? No (well, at least not yet). But was it done well? In my opinion, yes. I had a lot of fun with the film and personally, enjoyed it much more than Raimi's.

As for your question: no, your writing isn't bland. But, I do think pictures would help space out the paragraphs.

Because I'm too lazy I'm going to just copy this because it's basically my sentiments exactly.

Also I did hate the slam dunk scene, but other than that I really enjoyed the film.

Excellent and insightful as always. Of course, I'll go see and it and theres a good chance I wont agree with your conclusion, but I can appreciate a well written review such as yours.

@k4tzm4n:

To me, the "with great power" speech is okay to take from the original, since that is a major part of the comics.

The problem with the robbery scene is that it asks for Peter to pursue the robber - in other scenarios, Peter was directly in the path the robber was going when the other guy was asking for help. For me, that kind of makes a difference. That and this robber wasn't violent until he ran into Uncle Ben.

I wasn't saying the reviews were bland, just the presentation. I was considering adding pictures and, perhaps, a rating system.

To me, the "with great power" speech is okay to take from the original, since that is a major part of the comics.

I know this isn't to me, but I felt like the way they did it was very powerful and well written even if he didn't say it word for word. It still had the same meaning. I am almost glad they didn't take it word for word.

Peter was standing a few feet away watching it happen, he could have easily stopped the guy before having to chase him.

@JediXMan:

To me, the "with great power" speech is okay to take from the original, since that is a major part of the comics.

Even then, do you honestly think you'd be happy with that or list it as a negative since that would just be another element taken directly from the other films? Based on the review, I honestly think the latter.

The problem with the robbery scene is that it asks for Peter to pursue the robber - in other scenarios, Peter was directly in the path the robber was going when the other guy was asking for help. For me, that kind of makes a difference. That and this robber wasn't violent until he ran into Uncle Ben.

I don't mind the change. After all, a big complaint is that so much of the story is familiar, yes? I also like how he hasn't found the individual yet (logical since it's a huge city), but I dislike how he almost immediately dropped the agenda.

I wasn't saying the reviews were bland, just the presentation. I was considering adding pictures and, perhaps, a rating system.

Yes, pictures and a rating system would be a good addition. I LYKE PURTY PICTUREZ.

Your opinion is quite similar to the review by the Escapist's MovieBob. Have you seen that review?

Wow JXM! I usually agree with you but I don't always fully agree with you... This time I do. Great review!

Just came back from watching it, pretty true. Horrendously disappointing.

I agreed with much of what you said, though I enjoyed the movie. But you lost at me saying Spider-Man 2 was good. That movie is an abomination. 

@JediXMan

Also, they hinted at some juicy detail into Peter’s parents. Well… WE GET NOTHING. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. You may think we did, but we did not. Know what we got? Bait. Bait for a new movie to expand on this grand revelation, when in reality, it’s still just as much a mystery as before,

That's the whole point. It's a mystery that will be carried over throughout the trilogy of films.

"And the robbery scene. It was horrible, just horrible. In every presentation of the robbery scene prior, Peter had a chance to stop the guy. This time, the robber was running away from where he was, meaning he’d have to actively chase the robber. Maybe they were trying to show that you should be good and help… but doesn’t this thought process encourage vigilantism? It’s one thing to stop somebody when you have the chance; it’s completely another to chase somebody down."

Peter had plenty of ways to stop the guy and helped him in the robbery. Plus his running out in the first place was the reason Uncle Ben was out.

"Gwen Stacy was a bit too smart. She was intelligent, yes, but I have a hard time believing a high school student can quickly create an antidote to a virus that took quite some time to create. Not only that, but to be able to access the tech in Oscorp. That was just stupid."

Not to be rude, but did you pay attention? It's not like she created the formula. The technology was explained quite clearly before. All she had to do was press a few buttons and let it get to work. And yes, she's Dr. Conner's highest ranked lab assistant, she'd be able to access the technology.

"As for our protagonist: The whole “geek” thing never quite came through. At all. Not in his choice of clothing, not in his mannerisms, and not how he was treated by others – yes, I know these are all stereotypes, but Peter Parker is and has always been the stereotypical geek / nerd before gaining his powers. He just came across as somewhat of a reclusive stalker in this movie (yes, he’s a stalker. Which… yeah, that was just weird). He was never bullied because he was Peter Parker; the only time Flash hit him was when he himself intervened. And… no glasses? Why? It… it makes no sense. Yeah, I know he wears glasses later because of his dad, but… no, it’s stupid. It’s a part of the character and I, for one, am rather insulted that he went for contacts (as someone who actually does wear glasses)."

The high school scenario is very different than it was in the 1960's. The geek you'd like him to be is much more excluded and less intelligent. Peter is smart enough to be at least some what socially aware. And the film displays that he doesn't fit in and isn't really noticed by others well.

"I had a really hard to empathizing with this guy. Mostly because he was, quite frankly, Hitler. Yes, he went for Nazi ideology that weakness must be purged and everybody must be the same (lizard people = master race). I felt bad for him due to the arm, but beyond that I really just… didn’t care. The sudden shift from nice doctor to psychopath was just way too fast and poorly developed."

This is where your review lost all integrity. Not only is this a childish analogy, it's very wrong. He wanted to improve the human race and eliminate weakness to make us stronger. It's trans-human philosophies. And as for the sudden shift, are you aware of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? That's what Dr. Conner's has always been related to.

In the end, I wasn’t just completely right, but this movie was worse than I thought it would be. I even saw Spider-Man 2 on TV and was reminded of how good it was. This movie was completely unnecessary, poorly done, and frankly, it sickens me that it’s getting so much unwarranted praise and attention. No, I don’t think you should see it and I don’t like that I contributed to the movie’s box office gross. But you will.. unfortunately.

This movie is quite good and a far better film as a whole than any of the previous Spider-Man trilogy. You thinking otherwise is mostly nostalgia, or perhaps poor taste. Everyone is entitled to their opinion though. It's getting mostly average praise and attention, I might add.

The film is overall quite good and a far better adaptation of the character. It's main flaws are the setbacks that come from having to retell the origin story and it's extremely campy construction worker scene, that I still enjoyed despite that.

I actually thought that this was a much better portrayal of Spider-man than any of the Raimi movies.....looking back on the Raimi movies I actually don't think any of them were really all that good...the second was the better of the 3 but the only characters they got right were Jonah and Aunt May....imo this reboot was completely necessary as it gives people who have never read the books a much better representation of the character than before

Forgot some stuff.

It would also be remiss of me to not mention this: the moments where the Lizard is tossing his gas canisters is a direct rip-off of last year’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes (which, while I haven’t reviewed it and I don’t know if I will, I highly recommend). I have a hard time believing it wasn’t intentional. The camera angles were suspiciously similar.

Yeah, Rise of the Plant of the Apes was the first movie to ever have a scene with rolling gas canisters. Clearly it was copied.

The construction crew helping Spider-Man.
Hated. This. Scene. SO. MUCH. I liked the scene in the first Spider-Man on the bridge, but there are some factors here:

1. The people on the bridge were in danger as well. And it kinda makes sense for them to all gather together to fight a common threat.

1. The people of New York had time to get to know Spider-Man. In this movie, he was mostly just an internet sensation. Previously, we at least got a montage that implied a good deal of time had passed – we even had people singing in the streets about him!

I think the second one bothers me more. They almost went for a Batman Begins sort of thing, where Spider-Man “inspires them.” That’s not bad, but again, they didn’t have time to really love Spider-Man in this movie. He was just some guy.

For starters, Spider-Man had a personal connection to Crane Dad, who got all the others behind him. And it became pretty obvious to them that he was just a guy trying to help out, especially when he saved a friend's son. They don't love him, but they respect him and are helping him. It made sense, they connected it. It was campy, but I'm glad it was in there. It was a good scene.

I had some qualms about the movie, but I did enjoy it quite a bit. I never really liked Tobey Maguire so basically any actor would be an improvement for me. Other than the corny crane scene that I despised, Pete using a skateboard, their adaptation of Lizard's face, and the somewhat jumpy plot (the whole parents conspiracy to Pete trying to find that killer to no avail), I liked it. I absolutely loved the Uncle Ben voicemail being tied back into the end.

Personally I hated every scene with Peter Parker in this movie. This series has potential, but I really don't like Andrew Garfield as Peter. He's just too... smug. The Crane scene was lame, and Dr Conners talking to himself was absurd. It was straight out of the original film.

This was a great review. I agree with pretty much everything you said. Its nice to see someone who is nit-picky, because we deserve good movies, not just ones that look cool.

Alright, seen it. This movie was just average to me. Honestly, I never cared about anything that was happening until Peter asked the question (referring to his father), "Then why isn't he here?" That was a good scene; it marked genuine depth in the characterization. After that, the movie started picking up in intrigue, but every scene prior to that felt too contrived and, quite plainly, silly (and the ridiculous scenes did not end there). Of course, that is to be expected from these movies (Raimi's Spider-Man movies were every bit as silly as ASM). Personally, I just found it difficult to be invested in ASM throughout. I can ignore the silly aspects of a superhero movie (because just about every one of them has campy moments) but only if I am engaged in it. In this, I was more offput by it than interested.
 
One point that stuck out to me practically from the start of ASM was the soundtrack. This soundtrack, in my opinion, is so generically lazy. Raimi's Spider-Man films had that Danny Elfman piece, which, while hardly the best movie score out there, was still a decent theme. Maybe this was just me, but I hated the soundtrack here, not purely because I consider it inferior to the previous Spider-Man movies' soundtracks but just because I consider it a poor soundtrack as a whole.
 
Otherwise, I agree with some of your complaints, particularly pertaining to the acting quality and Uncle Ben (I was hoping for much more screen time for him than he had), though I disagree with the effects (they were good enough for me). In my humble opinion, just an okay movie overall.

@Silver2467 said:

One point that stuck out to me practically from the start of ASM was the soundtrack. This soundtrack, in my opinion, is so generically lazy. Raimi's Spider-Man films had that Danny Elfman piece, which, while hardly the best movie score out there, was still a decent theme. Maybe this was just me, but I hated the soundtrack here, not purely because I consider it inferior to the previous Spider-Man movies' soundtracks but just because I consider it a poor soundtrack as a whole.

I agree with this. I thought that most of the movies had good scores that captured the characters quite well. This didn't stick out in any way.

@Silver2467 said:

@JediXMan: Agreed. Granted, it sounded like a superhero theme but a pitifully common one. As a sidenote, I also especially concur with you on the subway and basketball scenes. Those were painful to sit through, at least for me. In general, good review. I will look up your TDKR review when I see it.

Let me know what you think. That's my first review with pictures and a rating system.

The thing that really stood out for me is that this Peter Parker of is obviously meant to be someone we are meant to sympathize with given the tragedies in his life and the twists and turns he goes through and yet his actions however speak otherwise. He steals the ID of someone to find Curt Connors, he breaks a promise to his Uncle Ben that results in his death, yells at his Aunt May when she shows concern over him coming home late at night with bruises on his face, lashes out at people and ultimately chooses to break a promise he made the Gwen's father, who died saving him from the Lizard, that being to leave Gwen out of his superhero life to keep her safe, all because he wanted to make Gwen happy. Anyone who knows anything about the history of Spider-Man knows how that will turn out. For someone we're supposed to sympathize with, he isn't very easy to like.