The Amazing Spider-Man (The Movies)

[Sean]

Watched the first Raimi Spider-Man just now 'cause I honestly haven't seen either of the first two movies for almost a decade and my memory and opinion of them is fuzzy.

Ever since I initially watched The Amazing Spider-Man, I held onto the view that SM1 had more heart, while TASM1 was technically the better-made/edited/written movie, but now I'm not even sure if I stand by the latter point anymore. Raimi's Spider-Man has better pacing and a tighter focus: it knew exactly what it wanted to be and focused on one thing at a time, whereas Webb's take juggles more than a handful of plot threads mostly with the intention of setting up sequel hooks. Gwen is overall a much better character than Mary Jane, and Spidey's banter with his enemies is entertaining in the second Webb film, but otherwise I can't think of many strengths the new movies have over the originals, and if they do then none of them amount to them being any sort of overall improvement - Gwen being a better character doesn't amount to much when she's fucking dead.

Whether it's closer to the comics or not feels irrelevant to me when TASM1 picks and chooses which elements it wants to stick with and what it wants to throw out the window for the sake of being different (killing off Norman in five minutes accomplishes... what, exactly? It makes OsCorp's evil intentions all that much more confusing). This version of Spider-Man doesn't wisecrack, but his lack of wit feels believable to me due to me not being able to see Tobey's version of Peter display such snark in the first place. With that said, while I still enjoy Garfield as Spider-Man (not so much as Peter himself, however), Maguire overall feels way more right in the role of an awkward high school geek desperately struggling with the burden that being a hero brings than Garfield does. At no point in Webb's films do I believe that Peter actually learns jack shit from the events that occur. I think it's best highlighted in the resolution of both movies - Maguire!Peter willingly turns MJ down due to the responsibility he carries and learns from experience that his actions will always have a cost, while Garfield's Peter gleefully breaks his promise to Gwen's father all for a cheap "d'aww" moment from the audience just to spend most of the sequel angsting over his fucking death and breaking up with Gwen anyway.

I rewatched TASM1 with a friend with whom I went to see the sequel that day, and it's just bizarre to think that at the time, I felt that the 2012 movie was still pretty good by itself. But watching TASM2 and going back to Raimi's version makes me hate Spider-Man's current direction more than ever. At least the Raimi movies are fun to watch without the baggage of Sony trying desperately to franchise the series with transparently hamfisted results. If anything, it's funny to look back at the 2002 movie and how it revitalized the superhero movie genre, whereas these new movies make me tired of it. I'm so fucking tired of every movie series having to be a franchise now, filled to the brim with sequel hooks and post-credits stingers, in order to be viewed as successful. And I think Sony's corporate intentions with these movies pretty much highlight just how different of a beast it is from the originals.

On an unrelated note, I've been marathoning episodes of The Spectacular Spider-Man and it's fucking awesome.

[Sami]

Corporate meddling led to Sam Raimi making Spider-Man 3, just like how it led to ASM. Webb made the award winning 500 Days of Summer, and all of his movies are always very highly praised for their casting and acting. He's a really great director, in my opinion. If there's anyone to blame for the franchise's current direction, it's Sony for forcing so many decisions onto them.

With the current situation involving IP rights, it hardly matters who's directing them anyway at this point. SM3 and ASM2 are both examples of talented directors making bad films because Sony forced too many things.

I don't really care who they get at this point. This franchise is going to die within the next five years.

[Candescence]

It doesn't help that Sony gave back the merch rights along with the other non-movie rights to the franchise (hence why Spectacular Spider-Man was cancelled). Meaning Marvel gets all the money from the tie-in merch, so Sony makes even less revenue. Well, that's one way to ensure that your new movie franchise has much less chance of actually being profitable, Sony.

[Kuzu]

So basically Sony want to drag this out...because reasons?

[Sami]

So basically Sony want to drag this out...because reasons?

Because money.

[SuperLink]

Can't blame Sony for wanting to drag this out, the Spider-Man franchise is pretty much their only big money-making film franchise at this point and in the "golden age of superhero movies" they figure they've got exclusive rights to one of the most popular superheroes of all time. They're going to milk it for all its' worth regardless of whether or not they particularly care about the source material.

 

I still personally enjoyed TASM2 a lot, but I can see why people think the TASM series will be tired out before too long. What remains to be seen is if the money will stop coming in for it, or if Sony will be able to keep making tons off it.

[Gabz Girl]

Major bump. Apparently some of the Sony emails have revealed that there was not only going to be a Venom, Black Cat and Spiderman 1.5 (takes place between ASM1 and 2 titled "Kraven") but they also wanted to bring characters together for Maximum Carnage and create Spiderman 2099 and Clone Saga movies.

 

http://www.spidermancrawlspace.com/2015/04/19/sonys-amazing-spider-man-franchise-plans-part-one-the-sequels/

 

Thank bloody God they didn't. Well expect for maybe 2099, that would've been cool. XP

[Brad]

What could been a sorta cool thing to see is a Spider-Man Cinematic Universe which consisted of different versions of Spidey, much like Shattered Dimensions. Not the Sinister Six and shit they were planning.

• Amazing Spider-Man 2
• Spider-Man 2099
• Amazing Spider-Man 3
• Ultimate Spider-Man
• Scarlet Spider/Spider-Man Noir
• Spider-Verse

etc., and even then Sinister Six could have been completely integrated into a team-up film with villains brought across different universes for variety

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Major bump. Apparently some of the Sony emails have revealed that there was not only going to be a Venom, Black Cat and Spiderman 1.5 (takes place between ASM1 and 2 titled "Kraven") but they also wanted to bring characters together for Maximum Carnage and create Spiderman 2099 and Clone Saga movies.

 

http://www.spidermancrawlspace.com/2015/04/19/sonys-amazing-spider-man-franchise-plans-part-one-the-sequels/

 

Thank bloody God they didn't. Well expect for maybe 2099, that would've been cool. XP

 

You do realize that Sony still  has the full clearance and ok to make these? Heck, they said they haven't canceled any of these spinoffs, the only thing the deal has done is that Marvel has some limited input on Spidey, and that he and all his spinoffs are part of the MCU, Sony has full control otherwise, many of these could still happen

[Wraith]

I would have gotten tired of Spiderman real quick if something like that happened. I'd prefer if there was only one Spiderman franchise going on at a time. Giving all the different variants different movies is a good way to over-saturate the character.

[Brad]

I wouldn't have if they could have brought decent characters, world building, atmosphere, villains and the genuine individuality each universe can provide. They could be tonally completely different and anything is better than Black Cat The Movie and Sinister Six lol

[Wraith]

I'd rather Spiderman not be a multi-franchise cinematic universe thing at all. There's just not enough variety to support that kind of thing.  I'd rather see him interact with the rest of the Marvel cast anyway.

[Brad]

Oh absolutely. I'd rather him be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but if we were in a position where we were locked out of that possibility and Sony would continue down the cinematic universe route, I would defo prefer to see them reach into alternative worlds with new Spider-Men than go down the route they were originally planning.

[Sami]

Why would you even bother making a Kraven movie if it's not an adaptation of Kraven's Last Hunt. 

 

It's the single best Spider-Man story already anyway. Kraven's just a whatever B-villain in every other story I've seen him in.