Re: The Amazing Spider-Man
Another positive review from a trusted member at SHH (8.5/10)
Minor Spoilers
This is gonna be a slap-dash simple thing. I'm fried. No pun intended.
This film has been splitting fans in two. Come release, that isn't going to change. I think for you to understand this review, you'll have to understand me. I'm not a purist. I like what I like. I can forgive things that are done if I think they've been done with the best of intentions, and if there are other things in the film I think are outstanding.
So, Spidey. Is he Amazing? He has the potential to be. If he were a car, he'd have a learner plate. This isn't the powerful Raimi Spider-Man who can stop trains or get up after falling from a skyscraper. He's just a boy with some talents. But he puts those talents to good use. He's also a boy of our time, which is very important to remember when watching the film. The way he moves, fights by using his webs in creative ways, and his speed is taken from the best parts of the previous films. It's needed--he's either being shot at or clawed throughout the film, danger coming from every direction. He's beaten and bloody and it shows towards the end of the film. He doesn't just get back up and forget about the injuries. They stay with him, and you feel for him. This is the Spidey I was hoping to see on film.
I wasn't expecting to like Lizard. He's okay. Still one of the weaker parts of the film for me. When we first heard that they wanted to make a more grounded film, I wondered if having a giant CGI monster was the way to go. I'm still not sold on it. Overall though, Lizard's CGI was very good. Even so, he didn't really capture me like some villains do. Joker. Doc Ock. He's not in the same league. He's workable. He's enough for the film, but won't be making the Greatest Villains List.
Lots of questions about the origin. It's still the same. I feel let down by a lot of origins. There's sometimes a lack of conviction during the second half. Okay, he's got the suit on... now what? Not the case here. He doesn't get bit, make a suit, and that's it. The whole film is his origin. There's a lerning curve. Things Like Iron Man (not a fan), where he gets his suit and then I turn the DVD off. The second half is
boring and the final battle is rubbish. Similar to Spider-Man 1, although that was saved by an excellent end battle with Goblin. I don't see Thor as an origin story. The character existed before we peek through the window. We only see an arc for him, where he grows and becomes a better hero. Captain America: good first half, then flails. Everything you'd expect to see in a Spidey origin is here. There's no change to it at all, and I'm not just talking about a spider bite. Nothing is even hinted at being different. All that worry for nothing. The only thing they do is add to it. There's no cut to him swinging through traffic and he's the hero we've always read about. We travel with him and it's a gradual film-long change into the guy we all love.
Acting is great in general, but there were a couple of scenes where I wasn't too sure about Andrew. A bit drama school sometimes. Sometimes his awkwardness felt... awkward, but not in the right way. I wanted to shout 'Cut! Let's try that one again.' Otherwise, top notch. Andrew cries in this film. Sorry Tobey, he's got you beat in this department.
The relationships all work very well. Pete and Gwen, May, Connors, Ben, Capt. Stacey... they're all very real people with lives that we don't see but can imagine. Some very tender moments between people and you can feel yourself breathing harder. I was very touched at parts.
The cinematography is beautiful in this film. A couple of the actions scenes are cut a little quick, but not as quick as some other origin film that seemed to do okay to make a franchise out of. The 3D, good, very subtle for the most part. There were a few shots that worked very well with it, but if you're on a budget, you're not gonna miss too much.
The story is what it is. You already know it. Nothing out of the ordinary. Guy gets powers and has to stop big green guy. That's it. Not as much focus on the parents, which is good news for me. It's untold for a reason. It's notlooked at too much. A scene at the start and then that's pretty much it. It motivates him, but it doesn't waste screen time. That's a plus, and I know some other who'll be happy with that. There's a couple of little scenes sprinkled in that don't really work. They're short but they're there. There's also a scene in the lab that made me go WTF?! is that mouse doing?!!! O, and near the climax, Sam Raimi and his helpful New Yorkers strike again.
Overall it's a very good start to a new franchise. It takes a little bit to get into because you're used to one thing but being served another. Maybe that was why I had a sinking feeling for the first ten minutes, or maybe it's because the first few scenes aren't very captivating. Once it got going I breathed a big sigh of relief. Allow it ten minutes to find its footing. I think it'll take a couple of viewings to earn any die-hard fans. It's just too different for you to love it straight away, but you'll hopefully see something in it to come back to again and again. I did.
I'm really tired and have probably missed lots. That's my review. I'm happy to answer anything questions on stuff I've missed.
8.5/10
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