Thoughts on Amazing Spider Man & Star Wars

Saw The Amazing Spider Man 2 a few weeks ago. Lots of people had issues with the first film of the reboot series. Me, I liked it despite some glaring plot problems (like that whole super secret level 7 life of Richard Parker plot). Was the sequel any better?

As a whole, yes Amazing Spider Man 2 was a noticeable improvement from is predecessor. The fights were better, Spidey’s wisecracks came across well. Plus, I liked how in certain instances he tried to contain the collateral damage instead of just attacking the villain first (hint, hint Man of Steel). Andrew Garfield is the best movie Spider Man, ever. Mainly because, his Spider Man clearly ENJOYS being a superhero. Seeing every gritty and grounded hero in film and TV view their powers as a curse was getting OLD. I’m like, ‘Dude, you can fly. Enjoy!’ or ‘Dude, you can read minds. Indulge!’

The Amazing Spider Man 2

Garfield’s Peter Parker also worked well for me. We cared about him and his struggles instead of just waiting for him to put on the Spider Man suit. He wasn’t such a stuttering, twitchy mess like in the first movie, though it would have been nice to see Peter hang out with someone other than Gwen, his Aunt May and the super villains of NYC. I mean, yes there was Harry Osborn but we all know where that relationship heads.

One of the best parts of the Amazing Spider Man film series has been Peter and Gwen’s relationship. Garfield and Emma Stone has unreal (or should I say genuinely real) onscreen chemistry. Everything about Gwen and Peter’s love feels authentic. The two actors being ‘consciously coupled’ in real life probably helps, but still Stone’s contributions to these films will be missed in the inevitable threequel.

If I had any issues with ASM2 it would be that too much was going on and Electro didn’t come across as a strong enough lead villain.
Jamie Foxx did well with what he was given, but Electro’s back story and full-on turn to villainy did not translate into a bad guy you could love to hate. I will say that the CGI for his powers rocked. Speaking of villains, the Green Goblin kind of got shoehorned in at the end ala Venom in Spider Man 3 and Two-Face in The Dark Knight.

As for the slightly bloated mentions, we got cameos of Alistair Smythe, Venom, Vulture, Black Cat, Green Goblin, Rhino and Doc Ok. Clearly the filmmakers are hinting at the forthcoming Sinister Six in Sony’s attempt to ‘Marvel-ize’ the Spider Man Cinematic Universe. Given all these cameos and happenings, Marc Webb was smart cut Mary Jane Watcson completely out of the film. It would have been too much, especially given Gwen’s fate.

Here are two dozen easter eggs some more eagle-eyed fans (aka awesome super geeks) spotted in the Amazing Spider Man 2.

All in all, the film was a fun romp and I’ll definitely be watching The Amazing Spider Man 3.

On to the next blockbuster I wanted to discuss.

So almost two weeks ago we finally cut through all the rumors and speculation, all the Abrams secrety secrets and mystery boxes, finally getting an actual look at the cast for Star Wars Episode VII. I’m sure you’ve seen this photo a billion times on the Interwebs but here it is again, for good measure.

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An interesting group, right? I’ll admit, after months of avoiding most of the rumors and speculations, I’m growing slightly more intrigued. Definitely not at cautiously optimistic yet. The Prequel Trilogy and many other events have really drained my love of the Star Wars franchise. But here’s hoping that Abrams can restore many old school fans’ faith in the Force and not just make a glorified fan film (Superman Returns).

Regardless I’m going to avoid the Episode 7 rumor mill until we get more concrete details, synopses and a trailer. Hope the way is worth it.

But for now, here’s a British time travel short film called Eleven Dimensions. Rather fun and inventive. Enjoy!

Eleven Dimensions – Fred Karno’s Army – Sci-Fi London 48hr Challenge 2014

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Posted in Comic Books, Movies, Science Fiction, Writing
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