The Spider-Man REBOOT... Probably won't suck!

[Olivia Bauer]

http://www.movieweb.com/movie/the-amazing-spider-man

This movie looks awesome. I'm surprised. I wasn't expecting much from a REBOOT. Especially considering the films with Toby MeGuire weren't even that bad.

It's got Andrew Garfield (Won an award for "The Social Network"), Martin Sheen, and Emma Stone. I expect good things.

[AndyC]

Interesting cast. Denis Leary as George Stacy is an interesting choice. Martin Sheen does seem like he'd make a good Uncle Ben. It's kind of depressing that Sally Field is now old enough to play Aunt May, but she's good. And Rhys Ifans is apparently playing the Lizard, a villain I'd like to see, particularly after the previous three movies flirted with him so much.

I've heard J. Jonah Jameson might not be in this, which would be disappointing. I don't know who they'd cast for the part, but it would be hard to top J.K. Simmons.

I actually expect the Spider-Man reboot to be good. The fact that they've chosen to reboot the franchise suggests that someone is aware that it hasn't been great. Of the three Raimi films, I thought the first was really good, the second was disappointing (too much teen drama, not enough Spidey vs. Doc Ock), and the third was a complete mess.

[The Burgomaster]

Excuse me . . . C. Thomas Howell?

[Zapranoth]

None of you have commented on the "3d" mention.

Permit me.

[Olivia Bauer]

None of you have commented on the "3d" mention.

Permit me.

I don't care about the 3D, as long as it's a good movie I don't care if it pops out of the screen at me.

[Mr. DS]

I'll probably end up seeing it.  Though I'm not sure if it will be in the theater.  I honestly didn't think the McGuire films were all that bad, even part 3.     They really need to work a Venom angle for an entire film. The plot would really write itself.

[indianasmith]

I loved the Spiderman franchise, even #3, and I will miss Tobey McGuire (and Kirsten Dunst even more so!) in their respective roles.

But I am willing to give this one a chance.

[SPazzo]

Yeah, I still kind of like the Rami movies.  Yes, they are cheesy, and they focus too much on Peter Parker and Mary Jane's love life.  But, I don't know if this reboot will beat them.  I'll probably watch it on DVD or the discount theatre.

[RCMerchant]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5P8lrgBtcU

[Hammock Rider]

I'm a Spider fan from way back so I'll see it. One thing I wished they would have stressed more in the Raimi series was humor. To me Spidey was always hilarious. I read where at some point Stan Lee thought of Spiderman as the "Woody Allen" of superheroes(This was back when Woody was funny) and I always kind of thought of him like that.  I hope this reboot ups the funny.

[Cthulhu]

WHY is there a reboot?
The Spiderman movie isn't even that old!

[Newt]

I'm a Spider fan from way back so I'll see it. One thing I wished they would have stressed more in the Raimi series was humor. To me Spidey was always hilarious. I read where at some point Stan Lee thought of Spiderman as the "Woody Allen" of superheroes(This was back when Woody was funny) and I always kind of thought of him like that.  I hope this reboot ups the funny.

I remember this distinctly as an aspect of the cartoon series.  Seemed to me they handled the humour very well and in the manner of the original.  Pity the movies can't seem to get it down.

[Flick James]

I'm a Spider fan from way back so I'll see it. One thing I wished they would have stressed more in the Raimi series was humor. To me Spidey was always hilarious. I read where at some point Stan Lee thought of Spiderman as the "Woody Allen" of superheroes(This was back when Woody was funny) and I always kind of thought of him like that.  I hope this reboot ups the funny.

There's this growing trend (it's been growing for a while) where filmmakers feel everything has to be dark and edgy and that humor or happy endings or innocence is corny, so they de-emphasize it. Hey, I've always appreciated movies that are dark or edgy, but it just seems that things that used to have a predominant air of innocence or joy that are redone have to go dark.

Imagine if somebody tried to do a new adaptation of The Wizard of Oz. I'm convinced whoever did it would emphasize the dark themes, de-emphasize anything heroic or virtuous about any of the characters, and I'm positive that elements of the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West would be worked in somehow. Hey, better yet, let's have Tim Burton do it and put in Johnny Depp as the Wizard. YES!

[AndyC]

Tim Burton's Wizard of Oz sounds like it could be fun. Burton at least knows how to do dark and playful at the same time.

I agree about Spider Man movies needing more humour. I always remember Spider Man as a real smartass, who might have had some teenage angst, but also liked to ridicule his foes with cutesy nicknames like "Doc Ock" and delighted in taunting and playing tricks on guys like Jameson, who had it coming. Yes, Spidey's angst was fairly revolutionary in 1960s comics, and it is at the heart of his motivation, but it's not what he's all about.

I think there's a kind of stigma still attached to comic books, and it makes people a little bit insecure. They want comics to be taken seriously, so they focus on the serious at the expense of the simple, innocent fun. It explains not just the direction comic book movies have taken, but comic books themselves over the past 30 years or so. Dark and serious and dramatic equals art in many people's minds.

[Flick James]

Tim Burton's Wizard of Oz sounds like it could be fun. Burton at least knows how to do dark and playful at the same time.

With all due respect, I'll differ with you there, sir. I think it would end up like Alice in Wonderland and I couldn't take that.