Post by Atom(ica) Discord on Jul 11, 2017 17:08:50 GMT
Some thoughts on all of the Spider-Man franchises and why Homecoming might be the best.
[HOMECOMING SPOILERS]
While the first two Raimi films are incredible in my opinion, they tend to cater to a more romantic vision of the character. They feel like a live-action cartoon. Both movies feel exactly like reading a period-specific comic book (complete with all of the awkward and stilted dialogue). While I do get the warm and fuzzies when I watch those films, they do suffer from feeling insular and overly melodramatic.
The Amazing Spider-Man franchise worked hard to pull us out of Raimi's nostalgic, fantasy vision of New York. Those films aimed for "realism" (in the Nolan tradition). Somehow, they got lost along the way in caricatured villains and too much set-up for future things. I feel that the second franchise also misrepresented Peter as an angst-driven loner who doesn't have the character's innate charm. Also lacking was Peter's genuine sense of responsibility (powered by altruism and not some misguided weight-of-the-world sense of obligation).
Homecoming feels like the best balance between a modern reworking of familiar material and a love letter to fans of the classic stories from the sixties. It skillfully weaves Peter's dual life as a high-school student and aspiring superhero with the bigger concerns of the MCU into a seamless mesh. The biggest reward of Homecoming is that we get to see Spider-man interact with other Marvel characters - that was long overdue.
I only have two substantial complaints. The henchmen were weak (but not unnecessary). Shocker #2 is a step up from Shocker #1 but, neither is as nasty as they could have been. I wish Woodbine had a little more to work with (I'm a fan of his as an actor and of his refusal to age). Also, the Vulture's working class hero justification for his crimes falls apart when we see his posh digs in the suburbs. His moral code turns out to be an elaborate cover for garden-variety psychopathy and greed. I was hoping he'd be more internally consistent.
Here are some nitpicks
I have mixed feelings RE the missing Spider-Sense. On the one hand, it's nice to think that Spider-Man could actually be surprised. On the other hand, they kind of fucked up.
I'm completely neutral on the MJ revelation - let's see what they do with it.
Too many people know Peter's secret identity; Tony, Ned, May, and Toombs. I get it from a deconstructionist perspective. Why wouldn't any semi-intelligent person be able to work out what Peter does in his spare time? It's obvious. At the same time, secret identities are secret for a reason, and they're fundamental to the genre.
Homecoming is a little too meta at times. Well, one time. Did we need to see that clip of Ferris Bueller running through a series od suburban backyards while Pete was doing the same thing?
Is it a classic. Probably not but, it's the most satisfied I've felt with an onscreen rendition of the character. 8.5/10
[HOMECOMING SPOILERS]
While the first two Raimi films are incredible in my opinion, they tend to cater to a more romantic vision of the character. They feel like a live-action cartoon. Both movies feel exactly like reading a period-specific comic book (complete with all of the awkward and stilted dialogue). While I do get the warm and fuzzies when I watch those films, they do suffer from feeling insular and overly melodramatic.
The Amazing Spider-Man franchise worked hard to pull us out of Raimi's nostalgic, fantasy vision of New York. Those films aimed for "realism" (in the Nolan tradition). Somehow, they got lost along the way in caricatured villains and too much set-up for future things. I feel that the second franchise also misrepresented Peter as an angst-driven loner who doesn't have the character's innate charm. Also lacking was Peter's genuine sense of responsibility (powered by altruism and not some misguided weight-of-the-world sense of obligation).
Homecoming feels like the best balance between a modern reworking of familiar material and a love letter to fans of the classic stories from the sixties. It skillfully weaves Peter's dual life as a high-school student and aspiring superhero with the bigger concerns of the MCU into a seamless mesh. The biggest reward of Homecoming is that we get to see Spider-man interact with other Marvel characters - that was long overdue.
I only have two substantial complaints. The henchmen were weak (but not unnecessary). Shocker #2 is a step up from Shocker #1 but, neither is as nasty as they could have been. I wish Woodbine had a little more to work with (I'm a fan of his as an actor and of his refusal to age). Also, the Vulture's working class hero justification for his crimes falls apart when we see his posh digs in the suburbs. His moral code turns out to be an elaborate cover for garden-variety psychopathy and greed. I was hoping he'd be more internally consistent.
Here are some nitpicks
I have mixed feelings RE the missing Spider-Sense. On the one hand, it's nice to think that Spider-Man could actually be surprised. On the other hand, they kind of fucked up.
I'm completely neutral on the MJ revelation - let's see what they do with it.
Too many people know Peter's secret identity; Tony, Ned, May, and Toombs. I get it from a deconstructionist perspective. Why wouldn't any semi-intelligent person be able to work out what Peter does in his spare time? It's obvious. At the same time, secret identities are secret for a reason, and they're fundamental to the genre.
Homecoming is a little too meta at times. Well, one time. Did we need to see that clip of Ferris Bueller running through a series od suburban backyards while Pete was doing the same thing?
Is it a classic. Probably not but, it's the most satisfied I've felt with an onscreen rendition of the character. 8.5/10
