The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

[Supermania]

IMO, this is completely unneccessary. I guess as long as the next movie is good it doesn't make a terrible difference in what it is, but the press release starting off with the words: "Peter Parker is going back to high school when the next Spider-Man hits theaters in the summer of 2012" didn't excite me. It goes on to say that, "they are moving forward with a film based on a script by James Vanderbilt that focuses on a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises."

Well, that's the first movie.

Now I do admit that the first movie portrays Parker as graduating high school before becoming Spider-Man, and some may want to see a teenage Spider-Man. Not me, but some. But IMO I think it would be better if they kept the actors who play J. Jonah Jameson and Aunt May, recast everyone else, and just focus on making a good movie, rather than wasting time making it clear that the film takes place in a different continuity than the Raimi ones.

That, of course, is just my opinion. And having said that, I do look forward to someone other than Tobey Maguire playing the role of Sleepy Spidey.

I'm disappointed that Spider-Man 4 isn't being created, but at the same time I am also excited about the potential surrounding this new reboot. Firstly, the teenage years are basically the best years of Spider-Man - read Ultimate Spider-Man if you need any proof. I want the entire film to be set within Peter's Junior Year at High School with him being aged sixteen. Then, movie two can be set within Senior Year and the third having him off to Empire state University.

Secondly, Maguire is aging and his 'Sleepy Spidey' as you called him was getting kind of old. We need a cool Spidey who constantly wisecracks in his battles and with his friends as Pete - in the comics, Pete wasn't someone who bumbled around like a shy, vulnerable idiot; he had humour. rarely came across with Maguire's portrayal.

Spider-Man and her role as Mary Jane made me really, really dislike Kirsten Dunst. I didn't care for her at all. After seeing her in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and How To Lose Friends and Alienate People however, I was pleasantly surprised when I wasn't annoyed everytime she spoke.

Long story short, I never liked how she played MJ.

I totally agree. Kirsten was great in the first, tolerable in the second and unbearable in the third film. I want an actress who can a) act and b) bring out MJ's party girl qualities on-screen. I guess that's down to the script as well - but I want MJ to be depicted as a party girl like in the 60's comics and perhaps Gwen Stacy be Peter's love interest (albeit one who has a much better actor and a personality more akin to the 60's comics and not that horrible one from SM3).

[Rival X The Great]

Raimi wasn't too high on him, neither was Raimi high on any character that appeared after the 70's. He also had a lot of problems with the producers and the studio on Spider-Man 4 claiming that 2 years was not enough time to deliver Spider-Man 4. Yeah, he needed to go. So did Maguire and Dunst, they just weren't right for the roles. Maguire may have been a good Peter Parker but his wise cracking Spider-Man was horrible.

I have to disagree with you on that. Maguire owned Spider-man as much as Christian Bale owns Batman.

[Degobunny]

I think the reboot is a good idea if they intend to set the movie in the same universe as the Avenger movies coming out.

[Tabularasa]

It will not be set with the Avengers. The avengers is being done by Marvel Studios, Spider-Man films are still a property of Sony.

[j03superbat]

Maguire owned Spider-man as much as Christian Bale owns Batman.

Tobey "Sleepy" Maguire?? No! No! Just... No!

When the first film came out, I thought he did pretty well for the role, but watching the last two movies have changed my mind. He looks like he's going to either fall asleep or cry in every scene (perhaps intentional in the second, since his character is lacking sleep and misses MJ). There's no fun banter during the battles. And Tobey in the Spider-Man costume completely overshadows Tobey himself. At that point, it could be a stunt man or Tobey inside the costume, because it's the suit that's doing all the work.

Contrast that with the wise-cracking, hip voice heard in every video game and cartoon since the 80's, and you can see how alarmed I am.

But yes, Christian Bale does rock Batman.

[Supermania]

And Tobey in the Spider-Man costume completely overshadows Tobey himself. At that point, it could be a stunt man or Tobey inside the costume, because it's the suit that's doing all the work.

I have always doubted that Tobey himself is actually in the suit when the mask was on and during many of the fight scenes. I also thought he didn't bother to top up his physique at all during Spider-Man 2 and 3, letting the suit muscles do all the work.

[Rival X The Great]

i like to think its tobey in the suit. I still think Tobey rocks as Spider-man. And Spider-man hasn't made a horrible movie yet. But I do agree with Kristen Dunst as MJ is horrible.

[BIGBMH]

There's no fun banter during the battles
Contrast that with the wise-cracking, hip voice heard in every video game and cartoon since the 80's, and you can see how alarmed I am.

Exactly! It may seem small to some people, but the banter is an essential part of Spider-man as a character. That's not Tobey's fault, but it is one of the major problems with the Raimi trilogy. The only joke he made really was in the wrestling scene with Bone-saw. "That's a cute outfit. Did your husband give it to you?" They started off well, but they totally forgot to do more stuff like that.

[Skaterpen357]

It will not be set with the Avengers. The avengers is being done by Marvel Studios, Spider-Man films are still a property of Sony.

Huh. I thought the whole Disney thing was supposed to remedy all that.

[Odysseus]

Well, if this is true then it's sad but I'm looking on the bright side. I loathed what they did with Mary Jane - she was written horribly. Maybe in the reboot they'll do a better job.

I feel the same way.

I actually was hoping to see Spider-Man 4 with Raimi, because I did have hope that 4 could possibly redeem Raimi's franchise after the disappointment of 3. I thought 1 and 2 were great, but 3 really messed things up.

Mary Jane just got progressively more annoying as the franchise went on. In 1 she was mostly likable with a few annoying moments, in 2 I thought she got much more annoying, and in 3 MJ was just unbearably horrible.

Nevertheless, I always liked Tobey Maguire.

I'm going to look on the positive side and be cautiously optimistic about the reboot. "Ultimate Spider-Man" is a great interpretation of Spidey as a teenager, and I hope that they base this reboot in large point on that interpretation of the character.

[BIGBMH]

They need to heavilly consult Brian Michael Bendis on this one. Ultimate Spider-man is awesome and with a more classic interpretation of some of the villains, would make a great basis for the new movies. This time they could concentrate on the Ultimate version of the story of Peter's dad which would give us an opportunity to see Venom again and set out a story arc for the trilogy.

[Tabularasa]

Huh. I thought the whole Disney thing was supposed to remedy all that.

Disney got everything Marvel has but in the 2000's Marvel sold the film & TV rights of Spider-Man to Sony and the X-Men rights to Fox. Fox also owns a few other Marvel titles. As long as Sony makes a Spider-Man film by the end of 2012, it'll keep the rights. The only way Disney can get the rights to these characters for film & TV again is if the studios don't make the films in time.

[Degobunny]

Disney got everything Marvel has but in the 2000's Marvel sold the film & TV rights of Spider-Man to Sony and the X-Men rights to Fox. Fox also owns a few other Marvel titles. As long as Sony makes a Spider-Man film by the end of 2012, it'll keep the rights. The only way Disney can get the rights to these characters for film & TV again is if the studios don't make the films in time.

okay huh, I hope that the contract lapes then, becuase I would rather see what Disney can do with the francise then watch Sony go for round 2 with it.

[Rival X The Great]

okay huh, I hope that the contract lapes then, becuase I would rather see what Disney can do with the francise then watch Sony go for round 2 with it.

dude that's not funny. I want disney to stay far away from any marvel movie.

[superhippie2000]

i dont get why they need to reboot the series. if they dont want to do a fourth then dont do a 4th but restart the whole series is pointless. if they want to reboot the series then wait 20 years and remake it. the movies were good its not like the incredible hulk where the first one sucked and they made a better remake. i say leave the series as a trilogy and bring spiderman to be in other superhero movies and not his own. save the money and the writing of a script for another super hero movie. or even save the money for some other original movie rather then more remakes.