The Amazing Spider-Man: The untold story, or more of the same?

I know, I know; I’ve been on this page for a long time. First of all, I didn’t like the decision to cut Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man saga off at the knees and deny us Spider-Man 4. First of all, bad press or not, a lot of people liked Spider-Man 3. The flaws weren’t enough to spoil the film for them. Even amongst those that didn’t, the love of what was being built was more than enough for them to want to see better next time.

So having had to make our peace with the end of a beloved and still fresh series of films, we then find out that they’re going back and telling us the origin story again??? Worse than that after grooming Dr Curt Connors for two movies, but never getting to introduce The Lizard, The villain in The Amazing Spider-Man is The Lizard.

But slow down; Director Marc Webb & Co are at pains to stress that this is NOT a “remake” of the origin story, more like a different take on Peter Parker’s early life. Totally different to Raimi’s Spider-Man, despite the very, very familiar feelings many of us got when watching that first trailer months ago.

Webb:-

“It’s really important for us to be able to communicate that this isn’t a remake of Sam Raimi’s movie. There’s a new territory, there’s a new villain, it’s a different Peter Parker. “

Synopsis...

“One of the world’s most popular characters is back on the big screen as a new chapter in the Spider-Man legacy is revealed in "The Amazing Spider-Man." Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the new film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field. The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt, based on the Marvel comic book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the film in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia Pictures, which will open in theaters everywhere in 3D on July 3, 2012.”

"The Amazing Spider-Man" is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance--leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, the Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.”

As well as the quote above Marc Webb gave some information about the approach of this film (As published in the Comic-Con annual.)

On Peter and the film’s tone:-

“There’s this trickster quality we were very keen on exploring, with that humour and that fun and that wisecracking stuff. We wanted to keep that alive, but we wanted it to be realistic. We wanted that humour to come from a real place. My aim was to create a world where you could feel all those emotions. There are certainly darker, more intense feelings in this movie. There is betrayal, there is tragedy, but there’s also humour and romance. So it’s a very complex bouquet of emotions, but what you have to tread on is what feels authentic and what feels real, and you have to earn those different emotions. There are moments of furiousness and gravity, absolutely. But are there moments of humour and levity and whimsy? Absolutely. Andrew was really great. He used this term to describe Peter Parker in Spider-Man and Spider-Man in particular: he’s a trickster. He was like “How would Spider-Man web this guy? He’d give him a wedgy or he’d dos some awful graffiti.” There’s a punk rock quality to Peter Parker that’s really irreverent and fun and that’s something that Andrew embodies in a way that we haven’t seen before. Certainly the materials that have come out have a darker sentiment or there’s a darker projection, but we’re very keen on staying loyal to the humour of Spider-Man. “

That’s an interesting st of thoughts there. One of the elements of Spider-Man that could have been explored further in Raimi’s films (Although you can’t do everything and let’s face it, the films were generally excellent; Doc Ock’s Adamantium jaw aside.) was the wisecracking side of Peter when he’s fighting his enemies to distract them, annoy the and just cover up how nervous he was sometimes. It was there, but sure, it could have been done even more.

On the return of Gwen Stacy as Peter’s first, real , love interest:-

“We’ve seen Mary Jane. I also think that Gwen Stacy is a young scientifically minded woman who’s super smart, maybe even a little bit smarter than Peter at times. I like that dynamic, that there was a rivalry between the two of them in some way. And I think Emma and Andrew’s chemistry really describes that in a fun, very intimate way.”

I wasn’t really bothered that Mary Jane was put front and centre of Raimi’s films and that much of what should have happened to Gwen, happened to Mary Jane. I get that a movie series is different and planning in your head seven films ahead (Harry Potter the exception) so you can have time for a big love cycle, a death and then a believable GEATER love cycle, is too much to ask. Never the les it is good to see Gwen here (Soon to die I’m sure) and played by a very capable actress as well.

On the suitability of Spider-Man for 3D:-

“When we first talked about it, it was in the heyday of 3D and there was a lot of craziness about it. But it was never forced upon us. I thought if there’s ever a movie that should be in 3D, it’s Spider-Man for crying out loud. And watching it in 3D, particularly in IMAX, even the early stuff I’ve seen, it’s fantastic. You get a visceral feeling that you don’t get any other way when you have good 3D. We shot this all in stereo so it was native 3D. Nothing has been converted. And when you get that scope, the movie gradually expands. It starts off in a very intimate, small way and gradually expands to take advantage of that sensation. So do you have to see it in 3D? No, you’ll still get the thrill of it. But those point-of-view sequences, those came very directly from a philosophy about putting the audience in Spider-Man’s shoes. We wanted them to feel what he feels, and that’s where those sequences came from.”

This is very interesting again and we can only hope (with genuine talent to back it up) that Webb has the eye for this tech and how to use it. (As opposed to Rob Marshall’s lamentable efforts with his camera placement & movement on Pirates 4.) As you may know I’m a fan of neo 3D in general and no issues with it that I don’t have with any other film-making. You do it well that’s fine; you do it poorly I’m not. It’s that simple. I said that when I was first writing for the Syfy channel’s website (see link below) and I’m the same now.

3D: Back to the Future

On Dr. Connors / The Lizard:-

“The Welshman. He’s fantastic. He brings a surly sophistication. Curt Connors is a friend of Peter Parker. He is an ally who evolves into an adversary, but Peter always cares deeply for Dr. Connors. Rhys has two sides to his personality. He has a wonderful kindness and warmth, and he has this surly rock ‘n’ roll part of his personality and you really sense both of those in this movie.”

Here is a hero – villain relationship that I hope they nail. It sounds here like they have the right idea although the Lizard being ‘born’ from an accident at Oscorp, is one of the elements that has been making this film ‘feel’ like a remake of Spider-Man 2002. I always liked that when Spider-Man was fighting the Lizard he was hamstrung by having to spend almost as much time trying to ‘save’ Connors, to not hurt the Lizard, as he was in saving the Lizards victims: Often putting his own safety at risk so that he could rescue Connors from his malevolent alter-ego and return him to his family.

Above quotes courtesy of Latino Review

Here are Sony’s descriptions of the characters...

Peter Parker:-

“Ever since Peter's Parents disappeared, he has struggled to find his purpose in life. Now, on the brink of unlocking the mystery about what happened to them, he must face the ultimate challenge - one that has been created within the laboratories of Oscorp.”

Gwen  Stacy:-

“Smart, charismatic and rebellious, Gwen is the chief intern at Oscorp, a position she takes very seriously. But her life takes a complicated turn as she watches both her boyfriend, Peter, and her mentor, Dr. Connors, undergo radical transformations.”

Captain Stacy:-

“An esteemed police officer for over twenty years, Captain Stacy is the public face of the NYPD who leads the department's investigation into Spider-Man's vigilantism. The only thing Captain Stacy vows to protect more than the city is his family - and particularly his daughter, Gwen.”

Dr. Curt Connors:-

“One of Oscorp's leading scientific minds, Dr. Connors attempts to engineer a revolutionary serum to help re-grow limbs and human tissue. His motivations are unclear as to why he elects to be the first human test subject - but what becomes evident is that something goes horribly wrong.”

Ben & May Parker:-

“Peter Parker has been raised b his tirelessly devoted aunt and uncle since he was a small boy. As Peter uncovers secrets about his past, distance grows between him and the only parents he's ever really known.”

Richard and Mary Parker:-

“Beneath the Parker’s happy appearance lurks a dark secret that would eventually drive them from their life, their work and their young son. Now, that same secret threatens to destroy Peter Parker... and perhaps all of New York City.”

The Amazing Spider-Man rolls out from the 30^th of June...

North America
Canada - English	3-Jul-12
Canada - French	3-Jul-12
United States	3-Jul-12
Latin America
América Central	5-Jul-12
Argentina	5-Jul-12
Bolivia	5-Jul-12
Brasil	3-Jul-12
Chile	5-Jul-12
Colombia	3-Jul-12
Dominican Republic	5-Jul-12
Ecuador	5-Jul-12
Jamaica	3-Jul-12
México	6-Jul-12
Perú	3-Jul-12
Uruguay	3-Jul-12
Middle East / Africa
Bahrain	5-Jul-12
Egypt	4-Jul-12
Ethiopia	6-Jul-12
Israel	5-Jul-12
Jordan	5-Jul-12
Kenya	6-Jul-12
Kuwait	5-Jul-12
Lebanon	5-Jul-12
Nigeria	6-Jul-12
Oman	5-Jul-12
Qatar	5-Jul-12
South Africa	6-Jul-12
Syria	5-Jul-12
United Arab Emirates	5-Jul-12
Asia Pacific
Australia	4-Jul-12
Hong Kong	3-Jul-12
India	3-Jul-12
Indonesia	4-Jul-12
Japan	30-Jun-12
Korea	3-Jul-12
Malaysia	3-Jul-12
New Zealand	4-Jul-12
Pilipinas | Philippines	3-Jul-12
Singapore	3-Jul-12
Taiwan	3-Jul-12
Thailand	5-Jul-12
Vietnam	3-Jul-12
Europe
België | Belgique | Belgium	4-Jul-12
Bulgaria	6-Jul-12
Ceská republika | Czech Republic	5-Jul-12
Danmark | Denmark	3-Jul-12
Deutschland | Germany	3-Jul-12
España | Spain	6-Jul-12
Eesti | Estonia	6-Jul-12
Greece	5-Jul-12
France	4-Jul-12
Hrvatske | Croatia	5-Jul-12
Íslan | Iceland	4-Jul-12
Italia | Italy	4-Jul-12
Latvijas | Latvija, Latvija | Latviju | Latvia	6-Jul-12
Lietuvos | Lietuva | Lithuania	6-Jul-12
Magyarország | Hungary	5-Jul-12
Nederland | Netherlands | Holland	4-Jul-12
Norge | Norway	3-Jul-12
Österreich | Austria	3-Jul-12
Polska | Poland	6-Jul-12
Portugal	5-Jul-12
Russia	5-Jul-12
România	6-Jul-12
Slovenija | Slovenia	5-Jul-12
Slovensko | Slovakia	5-Jul-12
Srbija | Crna Gora | Serbia and Montenegro	5-Jul-12
Suisse | Switzerland (Fr)	4-Jul-12
Schweiz | Switzerland (Ger)	3-Jul-12
Svizzera | Switzerland (Itl)	4-Jul-12
Suomi | Finland	3-Jul-12
Sverige | Sweden	3-Jul-12
Türkiye | Turkey	6-Jul-12
Ukraine	12-Jul-12
United Kingdom	4-Jul-12