A more fun Spidey

I did something last night that I have never done before. I saw a movie at a movie theater by myself. It was, surprisingly, a fun experience. Despite not having anyone to discuss the movie with after it was over, I was able to have my own thoughts, which I now get to relay on to you. One of the main reasons I went by myself is because I couldn't wait any longer to find someone to see The Amazing Spider-Man. If you didn't know, I pretty much love anything Emma Stone does, so this was a must see. And with the relatively good reviews, I had to see if for myself. And my verdict? Better than the original.

Now this movie had a lot of heat before anyone even saw it. A lot of people have questioned why a reboot of a movie that was just made 10 years ago, the most recent one done five years ago. So already fighting a lot criticism, I thought this movie was just so incredibly fun. Andrew Garfield, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors, was way more fun to watch than Tobey Maguire (and not because of his good looks). I thought Garfield captured the character a lot better and made me feel a lot more connected than I did to Maguire's Spidey. And even though that famous kiss, the one with Spidey hanging upside down and Mary Jane just pulling the mask to kiss his lips is like one of the most talked about kisses, I thought Stone and Garfield had some of the best chemistry I have seen in a long time. From the first scene you see them in, you feel a connection.

I also just had a lot more fun with this movie. It got to the deeper core of Peter Parker and examined his past a little further. It also took its time. I'm pretty sure the first really major action sequence didn't happen until an hour into the movie. I really enjoyed that pace. I was anxious to see him as Spidey but enjoyed the build up as well. Obviously and naturally, I did a lot of comparing to the original Spider-Man; what plot points were the same and what not. But once we got to the real meat of the movie, I stopped doing that and just enjoyed it. And I bet you if I saw it a second time (which I most certainly plan to do) I wouldn't compare at all.

Personally, and this might just be me, but I did think the plot was a little unpredictable. Of course, I saw where it was going in the first hour, but I wasn't quite sure where in the second hour. There are some surprising or unexpected things that usual superhero movies don't have in its first act. I thought the action sequences were a lot more believable, I thought the villain was pretty good, very similar to Dr. Ock (but not quite as good) and the overall directing was fun. My only critique would be the ending. I thought it was going to end three times before it actually did. There wasn't much of a cliff hanger either (unless you stayed till after the credits, which is something you should do).

Now, all this positivity toward this movie is not surprising. I can hear you all asking, "really, why?" Or maybe not, but I'll tell you anyways. Well, let's take a look at who helped make it. First there's Emma Stone. I have liked every movie she's made (except I'm not a huge Superbad fan, I know, that's like Superweird but deal with it). Then there's Garfield, who is pretty likable, plus you really can't go wrong with Sally Field or Martin Sheen as Aunt May and Uncle Ben. But then there's the fact that Steve Kloves was one of the screenplay writers. That's right, the guy who wrote seven of the eight Harry Potter films. It was also directed by Marc Webb, who directed 500 Days of Summer, which I am a fan of and think is a very creative movie. That is one of the reasons why I think this Spider-Man works so well, it's not just an action movie but has a lot of other dimensions to it. I would also just like to note for those haters out there, that the guy who wrote the screenplay for the second and third Spider-Man also collaborated on this one. Just saying.

So, basically what I am trying to say is if you are a huge fan of the Tobey series, you should still give this one a chance. I do believe it is a different take on Spider-Man and is in fact more enjoyable to watch. Definitely a quality superhero movie, which I think will mean that this summer will be 3-for-3 for superhero's (pending Dark Knight Rises doesn't suck, which is very, very unlikely). So go see this movie, because even though it is a summer blockbuster, it is a superhero movie that mixes a good heart with some good fun.

With that some side notes:
1. Comic-Con is this weekend, and once again I wish I had a job that would send me. But, alas, I'm just a college student. There are going to be a lot of really great stuff going on so if you care you should be sure to hit up Twitter and the entertainment sites to get all the dish. What I'm looking most forward to? Fringe, Dexter (have you seen those promos??), Community, I guess the last Twilight movie, The Hobbit, Game of Thrones. Wait I could go on forever, so I'll stop there.
2. Well it's official. Everyone is following in Harry Potter's footsteps. The final film of the Hunger Games series, Mockingjay, will be split into two movies. Not sure how I feel about this, especially since it is easily the weakest book from the trilogy. Let the speculation of where they'll split it begin!
3. Check out this really cool thing that came out for The Hobbit. The films are officially done filming and I am anxiously awaiting December. The amount of pressure for this movie to be good is incredible and I would be lying if I wasn't one of them. But after seeing this scroll thing, I of course have 100 percent confidence in Peter Jackson.

With that I say... Live long and prosper.