Actually, I was thinking just keep it in the same universe. They could've replaced the star, had MJ "leave for a while" and develop the romance with Gwen. Skip the whole origin bit. THEN I might have been more motivated to see it.
M
I completely agree with you, redoing the origin (poorly) was unneccesary. The origin story, at least for Marvel characters, is fundamental to the development of that particular hero, changing it as to not appear to copy Raimi's film makes no sense, it would be like Spielberg having Lincoln gunned down in the streets by crazed Constituants, as to appear trendy and not a copy cat. Takes a lot of balls to think you can improve on that story and Webb didn't. Amazing Spider-Man seemed, to me, to be not so much a Spider-Man movie, but more a movie about a guy in a Spider-Man costume. Funny thing, even tho I like the Raimi movies better (1 & 2 anyway), I liked Andrew Garfield in the role better than Toby Maguire. Go figure.
thought the first movie was ok at its best moment but after 2nd viewing and more thought its really not very good... and garfield did nothing for me whatsoever. Very weak.
It helped to have a stronger pair of actors playing Ben and Mary Parker. Cliff Robertsons was fine, but perhaps a little too old for the part. He had a great career, though, so no disrespect to the guy. And the actress playing May seemed to be cast solely because she looked the part.
Yeah, I know the Parker's looked pretty old in the comics, I just think it looks more believable on film if they appear a little younger. Sheen and Field are both around 70, but they could pass for people in their 50s.
I think it was a credit to the writers that they showed more of a relationship between Peter and his aunt and uncle in a way that I just didn't get in the Raimi movies. Having the actors we had in the roles certainly helped though.
That's true. They felt more like props than characters in the Raimi films. Ben was there long enough to deliver the "great power line" and lay a guilt trip on Peter, and May just popped up when they needed a little old lady to be in danger or for Peter to talk with when he couldn't go to Harry or Mary Jane. I kept waiting for some deep moment between the two of them in the sequels, but it never happened.
I was hoping we'd get that in the second movie and I think there was an opportunity for that as well but we never did. The roles of Ben and May was really well done in Amazing Spider-Man.
She would pop up and offer generic advice that would encourage Peter to do the right thing. And then disappear to go bake cookies or whatever it was that she was doing the rest of the time.
WOW @jaydee74 and @chrisw, I cannot be further off on your opinions of the ASM & Spider-man casting. I thought Cliff Robertson and Rosemary Harris brought were better in the roles of Ben and May. I felt the relationship Peter had with both was miles ahead of the relationship of Sheen & Field's with Peter. In fact when Sheen/Ben got killed, I didn't even really care. I remember feeling that lump in my throat and emotion when Robertson/Ben died.
There were somethings I thought were okay in ASM (I did like a witty wall-crawler), but the relationships of its characters (and story) was where ASM really fell apart for me. I did buy the relationships of Gwen & Peter (yes, I am aware the actors were dating) and Capt Stacey & Gwen, but I did not feel a real connection with Ben/May/Peter or Connors/Peter.
For me, I liked the relationship between Peter and Ben in both movies. For some reason and I think it has to do with Toby MgGuire for me as I just didn't buy him as Peter all that much. I didn't dislike the interaction between Peter and Ben in Spider-Man but I just liked it better in Amazing. I think the emotion that I got from the actor who played Peter in Amazing was just better. I think he showed more emotion that Toby and it made it for me more.
For me, I liked the relationship between Peter and Ben in both movies. For some reason and I think it has to do with Toby MgGuire for me as I just didn't buy him as Peter all that much. I didn't dislike the interaction between Peter and Ben in Spider-Man but I just liked it better in Amazing. I think the emotion that I got from the actor who played Peter in Amazing was just better. I think he showed more emotion that Toby and it made it for me more.
I can see that. I prefer T-Mc as Peter over Garfield; I think mostly because Garfield reminds me of Ultimate Spider-man (which I have a disdain for.) That might be why I felt there was more of a relationship in Raimi's movies then Webb's movie.
I can see that and if you want to look at it like that, Amazing Spider-Man did feel more like Ultimate Spider-Man especially with a younger May and Ben Parker. Garfield does feel more like the Ultimate Spider-Man but I think mostly because he's got more wise-cracking moments in this than Toby does in all three movies to be honest. Don't get me wrong. The actor who played Ben Parker in the Spider-Man movie was great. I love the scene where he's looking at the classified section in the kitchen of the Parker home. Great Ben Parker moment but I just dug the moments between Peter and Ben in Amazing a tad more and it had to do with Garfield really givng me more than Toby did.
The Ben & May in the Raimi film felt much closer to the Silver Age rendition of them - an elderly couple who serve as a moral compass for Peter Parker, but not a whole lot of depth. Overall, the Raimi films feel more inspired by the original comics, and that's one thing I enjoy about them.
But if you're going to reboot the films, then I think it's a smart idea to dig a little deeper and portray Ben & May as a couple forced to raise their orphaned nephew at a point in their lives where they probably didn't think they'd be raising a child, and all the stresses that comes with. I don't think the attempts to bring things down to earth made it a better film than Raimi's (for their flaws, I still think the Raimi films felt more like an event when I watched them, while Webb's film was just a solid superhero film), but at least it sets things on a different path.
That was something I thought made it fresh as well when you compare the Spider-Man movie and the Amazing Spider-Man movie. I liked that you see Ben and May getting Peter under tense circumstances and seeing how it takes a toll on them but also how much they love having Peter. It felt different and I appreciate seeing it from a different perspective because if you don't mix it up, why do it again?
Comments
also...
M
When I saw the blue skin, I thought of Livewire.
I completely agree with you, redoing the origin (poorly) was unneccesary. The origin story, at least for Marvel characters, is fundamental to the development of that particular hero, changing it as to not appear to copy Raimi's film makes no sense, it would be like Spielberg having Lincoln gunned down in the streets by crazed Constituants, as to appear trendy and not a copy cat. Takes a lot of balls to think you can improve on that story and Webb didn't.
Amazing Spider-Man seemed, to me, to be not so much a Spider-Man movie, but more a movie about a guy in a Spider-Man costume.
Funny thing, even tho I like the Raimi movies better (1 & 2 anyway), I liked Andrew Garfield in the role better than Toby Maguire. Go figure.
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JoshWildingNewsAndReviews/news/?a=77987
Here's the first official photo of Max Dillon (Electro):
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JoshWildingNewsAndReviews/news/?a=77985
Liked it much more than I expected.
Sheen & Fields were great as Ben & May Parker.
Emma Stone *was* Gwen Stacy.
And I liked Danny Deckchair as Dr. Connors.
Script was pretty uneven, but not awful.
Yeah, I know the Parker's looked pretty old in the comics, I just think it looks more believable on film if they appear a little younger. Sheen and Field are both around 70, but they could pass for people in their 50s.
There were somethings I thought were okay in ASM (I did like a witty wall-crawler), but the relationships of its characters (and story) was where ASM really fell apart for me. I did buy the relationships of Gwen & Peter (yes, I am aware the actors were dating) and Capt Stacey & Gwen, but I did not feel a real connection with Ben/May/Peter or Connors/Peter.
M
M
But if you're going to reboot the films, then I think it's a smart idea to dig a little deeper and portray Ben & May as a couple forced to raise their orphaned nephew at a point in their lives where they probably didn't think they'd be raising a child, and all the stresses that comes with. I don't think the attempts to bring things down to earth made it a better film than Raimi's (for their flaws, I still think the Raimi films felt more like an event when I watched them, while Webb's film was just a solid superhero film), but at least it sets things on a different path.
June 10, 2016 and May 4, 2018.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=46131
http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2013/06/19/mary-jane-watson-wont-appear-in-the-amazing-spider-man-2/