The Amazing Spider-man
Jul. 29th, 2012 06:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
browngirlSo, after the first fifteen minutes I really adored it.
This poor review. I've been meaning to write it all week, and meanwhile I lost my notes and the Small Redheads have now returned. But here's a pale, patched-up version.
When I first heard of the reboot I thought, "Oh FFS, why?" but I think I liked this version better than I did the previous trilogy -- it did a better job (despite the comic-book ludicrousness and the painfully ridiculous science) of integrating Spider-man into NYC, of depicting a teenage boy becoming a super hero (as opposed to a hero who happens to be a teenager). It doesn't hurt that I liked Gwen much more than MJ, from the Badge Scene (you'll know when you see it) onwards.
It is a teen movie in the first fifteen minutes, and as much a teen as a superhero movie thereafter. Which may have hurt it with me (although the teenagers did feel real) but likely not with reviewers. (Also, Andrew Garfield makes a wonderful teenager -- I was shocked to find out his true age -- and oh his eyes, bottomless pools to drown in.)
My main caveat is on Dr. Connors' motivations, the invocation of the 'evil cripple' trope -- how much does a character represent a 'marked' group to which they belong? (I was also annoyed by the trope where, as![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
spinrabbit put it, a woman's sex life is a matter for discussion between her beau and her father without her input, but then they subverted that, which made me happy.)
In the end (since I should finish writing this and get dressed for my evening) it was grittier without being grim, and nicely done. If I get a chance I'll watch it again, and write a better post about it. :)
This poor review. I've been meaning to write it all week, and meanwhile I lost my notes and the Small Redheads have now returned. But here's a pale, patched-up version.
When I first heard of the reboot I thought, "Oh FFS, why?" but I think I liked this version better than I did the previous trilogy -- it did a better job (despite the comic-book ludicrousness and the painfully ridiculous science) of integrating Spider-man into NYC, of depicting a teenage boy becoming a super hero (as opposed to a hero who happens to be a teenager). It doesn't hurt that I liked Gwen much more than MJ, from the Badge Scene (you'll know when you see it) onwards.
It is a teen movie in the first fifteen minutes, and as much a teen as a superhero movie thereafter. Which may have hurt it with me (although the teenagers did feel real) but likely not with reviewers. (Also, Andrew Garfield makes a wonderful teenager -- I was shocked to find out his true age -- and oh his eyes, bottomless pools to drown in.)
My main caveat is on Dr. Connors' motivations, the invocation of the 'evil cripple' trope -- how much does a character represent a 'marked' group to which they belong? (I was also annoyed by the trope where, as
spinrabbit put it, a woman's sex life is a matter for discussion between her beau and her father without her input, but then they subverted that, which made me happy.)In the end (since I should finish writing this and get dressed for my evening) it was grittier without being grim, and nicely done. If I get a chance I'll watch it again, and write a better post about it. :)
