**SPOILERS (probably)**
Right, I did see this movie a good few weeks ago so sorry the review is really late, but let's leave that now and get right to my oh-so-opinionated review.
I would just like to note, quickly, that I don't know the story/stories of Spider-Man and haven't read any of the comic book stories, so this review is based entirely on the movie(s)... and what I thought of it.
I loved "the other" Spider-Man film (lets call it 'film 1'), you know, the one with Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, so I definitely went into this movie (we'll call it 'film 2') thinking that I would never be as impressed...
...Okay, so, I was proved wrong. Mostly by the graphics if I'm honest, which definitely supported the "Amazing" part of this movie's title. You really don't realised how much technology and CGI has improved until you see this film, and then going back to watch 'film 1' to compare the two just adds to the "Amazing" of the new film.
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| Source: Google/Collider.com |
...And speaking of love interests, we have said goodbye to Mary-Jane (Kirsten Dunst) and said hello to Gwen Stacey (Emma Stone). I kind of like both for different reasons, though I slightly prefer Mary-Jane. I really liked that she was always someone that Peter Parker really liked, and that she really liked Spider-Man, though not knowing he was Peter Parker... (can anyone understand what I just said?). I just liked that Mary-Jane was feisty but at the same time a complete damsel in distress that he could save... and in all honesty I think Gwen was kind of.. boring. She was, I guess, similar to a "Bond girl" in the sense that she was involved in the action, and was quite similar to the "hero" of the story. I would have liked to have seen more vulnerability with Gwen, though I did like that she was a bit of a nerd like Peter Parker.
Right... (sorry, still rambling)... Now we move onto "the kiss". When I think of Spider-Man, I always think about that kiss. You know what I'm talking about, the one that's upside-down, in the rain, and SUPER HOT. In 'film 1' I loved loved LOVED that kiss. It's so iconic and so different.
GUESS WHAT?
'Film 2' didn't even care about that kiss. They just created a new one... where Gwen walks away in a huff or something and he 'zaps' her with his web, which might I add, comes from a machine he created himself that enables him to 'zap' his web (oo-er), which is another thing I really dislike about this movie, though I did hear it's pretty true to the comic books so I can't complain too much.
Anyway, I found this kiss predictable, unexciting and cheesy. I also didn't think there was enough build up to the Gwen and Peter relationship... it didn't.. flow... (I hate using that word).
OKAY so I know that I have complained for quite a bit now.. and you're probably thinking "well aside from the amazing graphics, why did you give this movie a 4 star rating?", well my lovely blog readers... it was basically because overall it was an awesome film.
Rhys Ifans, who is this film's villain Dr. Curt Connors/ the lizard definitely added something extra as he was kind of normal, but then there was also something quite off about him... without being too OTT creepy-villain with a deep, husky, evil voice.
I just thought he was an amazing villain, someone who was obsessed with the idea of genetics and science.. (not unlike film 1 villain the "Green Goblin"/Norman Osborn played by Willem Dafoe who I equally loved).. I also loved that the villain of this movie was essentially something that Peter Parker created... and something he felt he needed to "stop".
I also should note that I liked the idea that in this movie, Peter Parker was not automatically amazing at everything, and even by the end of the movie he was still adjusting to his new "powers" and still learning. Andrew Garfield definitely played the clumsiness very well and I liked that he definitely appeared more of a teenager that in film 1, with the scruffy hair and awkwardness.
I really am just rambling now.... but I'm gonna keep going ;)
We also saw Martin Sheen and Sally Field play the roles of Uncle Ben and Aunt May in this movie. I really liked Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben. He played him as someone who was calm but also quite assertive and parent-like... though this is nothing we haven't seen from Cliff Robertson who played Ben in film 1. Unfortunately I didn't think Sally Field brought anything to the role of Aunt May other than playing a woman and being sad. Rosemary Harris, who played this role in film 1 seemed to bring a calmness and wisdom to the role... as well as a gracefulness and such a motherly kindness. I really wanted to like Sally Field but she just didn't do it for me when I just think there is so much more to Aunt May than what I was shown.
Right so, to conclude... I liked this movie. You should see it, even if it's just for the graphics.
