Posts Tagged ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’
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I know I’m a little bit behind the curve on this, but let’s talk about it anyway.
On Monday, Sony released a brand new, official promo image of Andrew Garfield in costume as Spider-Man in director Mark Webb’s reboot of the franchise.
The film’s official title was also announced – The Amazing Spider-Man.
There have been plenty of photos of Garfield in costume from outdoor sequences the crew has been shooting around Los Angeles. I will state for the record that I haven’t been impressed by those shots. But I reserved judgment until we saw something official from Sony.
Now that we have something concrete, I can say… ehhh… I don’t hate it.
Sony originally released a photo of Garfield sans-mask looking pummeled and forlorn a few months ago. Aside from the aesthetic changes they made to the costume, that shot didn’t mean much to me. Without the mask, the jury was still out.
Now that I’ve seen the mask, I’d say they did a pretty good job. It still has the Oakley lenses similar to the costume in Sam Raimi’s version, but the webs on the mask are thinner and horizontal across the forehead and scalp. To my eye, it looks more like the old Steve Ditko version of the costume (comic book nerds will know what I’m talking about) and I think that’s a good thing.
Even though I think there’s too much blue in the costume – and unnecessarily textured – the colors are bright and poppy. That, in combination with the decision to title the film The Amazing Spider-Man leads me to believe that the film will have a lighter, bouncier feel than the angst-ridden Raimi films.
Don’t get me wrong. Peter Parker’s life sucks. That’s what makes the character relatable. But when he puts on the mask, he’s free – almost jubilant. That’s something that Raimi’s films never fully captured. I have my fingers crossed that Webb’s Spider-Man will be much wittier and quicker on the take.
This reboot will live and die by the tone it establishes. If it’s not different enough from the originals, the 5 year span between the last movie and this relaunch will make the film feel perfunctory. Here’s hoping they pull it off.
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Originally the word on the street was that the trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man wasn’t supposed to hit the web (ha!) until Thursday. Conventional wisdom placed it ahead of Captain America: The First Avengers when it launches in theaters on Friday.
But lo-and-behold! It’s here a day early! Enjoy!
I’ll say that the trailer hits a couple of different notes with me. Some work, some don’t.
Meeting the young Peter Parker at the beginning plays a little too much like Harry Potter to me. Then, fast forwarding a few years to the present day, we’re confronted by Andrew Garfield’s wild haystack of hair and I get a distinct Twilight vibe.
But after that, I think the trailer shapes up very nicely. Right away, you can tell that Marc Webb’s version is grounded a little more in reality. At least in terms of casting Peter as the outsider. Garfield barely even utters a line of dialogue. Mostly he keeps his head down like a beat dog. I find that kind of endearing. It’s certainly a stark contrast from widdle Tobey Maguire’s wounded puppy-dog routine in Sam Raimi’s original.
I’ll also give credit to Webb’s use of the first-person in Spider-Man’s sprint across the city rooftops.
The cynic in me could honestly have done without everything leading up to that moment in the trailer. I think if we were only give the first person shot, it would have taken the audience to catch on that we were actually seeing the city through the eyes of Spider-Man. Then, when his reflection is revealed, I think people would have gone through the roof. But maybe that’s just me.
What’s your take on this trailer?
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Sony recently released a batch of stills from the forthcoming Amazing Spider-Man with Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone.
You can follow the link above to Screen Rant if you want to see the actors in question looking about pensively. But I’ll save you the trouble. This is the only shot that matters…
Mechanical web-shooters.
BOOYAH.
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It’s been a couple of days since it hit the web, but I feel like we should take a moment or two to talk about the new trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man.
I’ve been a little bit reluctant to post the trailer only because I’m still trying to wrap my mind around Sony’s decision to relaunch the franchise five years after Spider-Man 3 left theaters.
I think the talent they have lined up for this thing looks phenomenal – particularly Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker. I think he has the right gangly build for Spider-Man. Much moreso than Tobey Maguire. But I feel like the foundation of the movie is kind of cynical.
It can’t be bright and cartoonish like Sam Raimi’s films, so this version has to be dark and gritty instead. Raimi’s film were pretty much straight up superhero action films. Marc Webb’s version has to have mystery and angst.
The one thing I DO like about the trailer is that they seem to have captured Spider-Man’s trademark wit a little better than Raimi’s films. The scene with him in the backseat of the car hits exactly the right tone.
But overall, I’m still a little skeptical of the film. I want the film to be fun. Right now, that’s not what they’re communicating. This movie couldn’t be more desperate for legitimacy if it wore a sign that said “SERIOUS FILM” around it’s neck.
What’s your reaction to this new trailer? Leave your comments below!
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