It's Not The Spider-man You Think It Is. And It's Terrific!

Rating: 10/10 (12 March 2013)

If you're like me, you may have heard that Spider-man was being rebooted, and that they were basically telling the origin story all over again. Well I thought, wait what, but I just saw the origin story!? The Sam Raimi version! What's the point in watching this, and decide not to watch it. Well guess what? You're making a mistake! Tho this is an origin story, with similar elements, it's very different, and something completely new. Yes, Peter Parker does become Spider-man. Yes he does grow up with his aunt and uncle. But that's about all that is the same, and even in these two cases, the "how" and "why" are different.
OK, you may see me make a few comparisons with the Raimi version. Sorry. But it's only because I think some people may not bother watching this because they feel they've already seen it. Just to be clear I really like the first Raimi movie, and the second, tho not as much. The third, not at all.
In the Raimi version I found Peter to be an absolute geek. Period. He was always feeling sorry for himself, and had no confidence whatsoever until he got his powers. He was also a complete outcast at school. So much so, that he seems depressed and almost reminds me of one of those kids that was bullied and brings a gun to school. So we're relieved when he gets his powers and we cheer for him. In this new telling we see a Peter Parker whom is geeky, yet cool and likable. Cute and funny even. He has lots of confidence, and doesn't seem like an absolute outcast. His interaction with the lead female character may be a little shy, but not over-the-top uncomfortable as in Raimi's version. This Peter also thinks fast on his feet and has a lot of witty lines combined with his body language(as Spider-man) that really emphasizes Peter's comical wit that you see in the comics and the animated TV shows.
Raimi's Peter was all wrapped up in Mary Jane, his tormented feelings of guilt for his uncle's death, and his uncle's message. In this version Peter is focused on finding out what happened to his parents. Something very mysterious, almost a cover-up or conspiracy took place. He's doing this before he gets his powers. We watch as he sleuths, putting together his memories, a file that belonged to his father, and uses the internet to track down information. The mystery brings hims face to face with Dr. Curt Connors aka: The Lizard.
The way it goes down that Peter becomes Spider-man, and his uncle's death, is very different here than in the Raimi version. Both are really good. In both, uncle Ben's death is very sad. Do I have a preference? Yes. I liked this version better. Mostly I liked the circumstances better here. In Raimi's version, sorry, but Pete seemed like a total douche-bag with the whole wrestling/money thing. I believe the wrestling version is also the comic book version, but nevertheless that's how I felt. In this version, what happened, just made more sense, even relatable, and fit more in line with Peter's personality.
Oh where, oh where is Mary Jane coz she always needs rescuing? She's always falling from a building or a super-villain has got her! Wow, wow, wow, what a difference with Gwen Stacey! She didn't need rescuing! I liked her right away. She's intelligent, and I loved that she began crushing on Peter BEFORE he got his powers. Without giving anything away, there is this moment where she and Peter are talking. He has a secret which concerns her. Not love stuff, OK. Something else. I'm thinking, oh no, just tell her, she really needs to know this. But guess what? She figures it out herself. As I watched I felt relieved that she wasn't walking away from Peter with the impression that he's a lousy person. She knew the truth. I really liked her and Peter together. Great chemistry with the actors.
One thing that really struck me in this movie was today's techy world. Peter using his cellphone for communication, messages, and pictures. Him calling his voice-mail to hear his uncle's last message a couple of times. Gulp. How many of us have loved ones that have passed, and we saved their last voice-mail message? The last thing they said to us, their voice, means so much. It's a part of our social culture now. I loved the way they used this.
I've always wondered about Peter's parents. I'm not an avid comic reader or anything, but every now and then I'd read one. I never read anything about them, tho it may have been written, I dunno, but the ones I've read were always Peter that grew up with his aunt and uncle, and never any explanation as to why. I found this origin story a tightly-knit, well acted, well rounded tale with a twist at the end, that leaves me looking forward to the next movie. I'm curious to see how this mystery unravels.
So, if you haven't watched this because you think it's the same story as the Raimi version, let me clarify, it's not the Spider-man you think it is, and it's terrific!