That video was the first thing that came to mind upon exiting The Amazing Spider-Man. So much potential in the reboot only to have it fall flat.
With a brand new trilogy, brand new cast, The Amazing Spider-Man had so much to explore. It was able to touch on the things the 2000 trilogy couldn’t. Web shooters, Curt’s inevitable transformation, it nailed some of the obvious few. So why are so many left with such a spider-shaped hole in their hearts following this one?
For starters, we didn’t need to see Spidey’s origin again. Forgettable as it was, 2008’s Hulk pushed the origin to the opening credits, let its 2003 counterpart do the talking, and jumped into the story. Spider-Man is one of our most well-known heroes. As distant as this series wants to keep itself from the original trilogy, everyone saw it. We know what happens. But if you really wanted to make it an origin story, then don’t skimp out on the goods.
For those that needed a refresher, you get up to pee, and you would have had no idea that it was a spider bite that gave Peter his abilities. The pivotal moment that births our hero was skimmed in a very forgettable scene, while other less remarkable junctures were given a stronger focus. Smashing his alarm clock was all I needed to see to know that he’s gained some muscle. Toothpaste, shower, and doorknob were all overkill. Becoming Spider-Man felt very staggered, and not every aspect of the hero’s coming to was given fair screen time.
One thing that the audience assumed was that “With great power, comes great responsibility,” and even though the movie made no mention of it (favoring a quote from Pete’s father,) Uncle Ben had to die. It’s a shame that he was the fastest character swept under the rug since Mace Windu. Back in 2002, you could see the fervor in every facet of Peter’s being as he held up the man that was responsible for Ben’s death (I don’t count the mistake of the Spider-Man 3 retcon.) Ten years later, this Peter is flipping around Manhattan, diddy-bopping with every potential murderer of the primary father figure in his life. Besides the fact that being a super-hero “would be totally rad,” I didn’t catch much motivation for Peter to fight the good fight.
And what good fight would it be without a bad guy? The Lizard is bad enough, right? Scaly complexion makes for a less than cuddly Curt Connors. Malicious “turn into a lizard because it’s actually pretty cool, I swear…” intentions aren’t in our best interests, so where could we go wrong? Unfortunately, The Lizard isn’t a strong enough villain to hold up a movie by himself. Doc Ock has enough motivation and four mechanical arms to hold it. The Green Goblin? Hardcore fans will know that goes without saying. Unfortunately for The Lizard, he just had an unreasonable desire to make a mess just for the sake of making a mess. Curt was so quick to change sides from logical scientist to rampaging idealist, I’m still gaining my balance back. It was a hard transition to believe. It’s understandable, they had to find a villain not done before, but with a bit more thought, I may have been saying things a bit differently about CC not being able to hold a movie as the villain.
Aside from some nitpicking (the Willy Wonka feel of Oscorp,) those were the finest cuts of beef that I had with The Amazing Spider-Man. It wasn’t all bad – the Stan Lee cameo was superb, and Norman Osborn is being held with the best of care. We know very little of the character and what he could be doing. I’m cautiously awaiting the sequel to this movie. Hopefully the writers and director will learn from the critics, and possibly produce the best web-head outing since 2004.
Engage Ridley, Mister Falcon 