The AMAZING SPIDER MAN: Another great Spiderman? Or a New Spiderman?

Rating: 4/10 (9 July 2012)

I was very excited about this coming title. Indeed, I am a big spider man fan and I was reading its comics when I was a kid. Therefore, I loved the first 3 chapters. They made me feel like a kid again. I loved very much how spider man was presented, i.e just like in the comic book: Very shy, sensitive,humble, a bit confused, a sort of looser and very much oppressed by his boss. He also had very complex relationship with Mary Jane. There was also a strong and mixed friendship with Harry...So a very lovable and king person, with gentle character, high morals and excellent attitude. A model for kids, and even adults :) All of that is what made me love spider man, above the super hero and super powers. And I believe it is the reason for its success above super hero fans public. He felt like a real guy, with real problems, and a real life. Someone everyone feels attached and emotional about. His love story made many frustrated when he couldn't face his lover, and finally relieved when he did. So I am a real spider man lover, and I should have loved this new movie as much as I did with the others.
So with this "new" spider man, I was wondering what would be new about it? I expected amazing 3D, and being transported another time in the complexity of Peter Parker's life. But what a shock! Peter Parker was turned into a confident high school teenager,and quite good looking I must confess (Better than the previous one I suppose). He has no job, no friends except his future girl friend. Also, the story seemed to have somehow changed, and this teenager is trying to find out more about his parents. Basically,this new movie has kept the "spider man" basics to make up a new whole spider man, lacking of character, humor, depth. There was not a moment where I heard anyone laughing at the cinema, whereas the original spider man always attracted a lot of laughter, especially with his boss. In fact, I felt it was a NEW spider man for a new generation of kids, aged 7-14 to make it look closer to their life interests and to help sell more merchandise. Indeed, the new spider man is in high school (almost an adult for the age categories mentioned above) and displays more his gadgets than the previous one. These are clearly identified in this movie, so the kids can get them in the shops. This new hero is good looking with a winner look and attitude, he is what we can call " cool", exactly the opposite of the genuine spider man. He shows off when he is angry, beats his friends at school, mocks the police, and displays a lot of arrogance. To me, it is nothing like the spider man I know.
To come back to this new movie, the transformation into spider man has been shortened to few min in the subway, probably a cut in the editing to make the movie shorter. His uncle was also killed very quickly and his deep love to his aunt was barely showed, or at least not enough. His love for Mary Jane looked more like an attraction and admiration for someone out of his league. It was almost the case in the original spider man, but she was his neighbor and they grew up together. So there was a real connection and emotion between them, mixed with their trio friendship.
The only positive point of this movie is it is obviously taking advantage of the new computers capabilities, rendering a much better appearance and action scenes. But still, the 3D was the slightly enhanced 3D most new movies offer, nothing like the magnificent 3D superman was given. Indeed, Spider man is one of these movies where you could demonstrate new and maximum 3D capabilities. I was expecting break through in 3D, but instead the action scenes were kept to the minimum, probably covering 10% of the movie length.
To resume, the new amazing spider man is a set up for a new hero, with similar background than the original spider man. But it represents to me a transformation of the story making the character superficial, impulsive, lacking of emotions, which could match better kids and teenager-to-come ideals and taste. I don't believe any grown up or genuine spider man fan would fall under the spell of this new spider man. Just too simple and not deep enough. Now, many younger viewers who don't know spider man or who haven't read the comics may still find it is an "Ok"or even a good movie. And this is what the producers are tabling on: creating a new hero to suit better a new generation needs. Is it though really necessary? As the fundamentals and moral principles are still unchanged, and I believe there was no need to spoil a great story and a super hero with character into a good looking orphan teenager with super powers and the respect of his entire school.
All other super hero movies kept the original spirit, including the latest avengers where nothing needed to be changed to make of it a block buster. I heard they are already preparing a second opus...maybe they should make it a "lego" one...At last, people would know who it is really meant for.