Many have said (and still bemoan) that it is still too soon for a reboot. That line of thought is understandable, but get out over it! It’s too late to whine about what’s been (and being) made. Better to hold off discussing such a topic until you have more information to form your thoughts and opinions.
Well, now you can because the first official teaser trailer for “The Amazing Spider-Man” is now online. Just in time for SDCC and a week after everyone has had a chance to scour through those EW photos that hit last week. We now have movement. No more gazing at pictures. But what does it tell us about this new movie?
First, my quick thought on a reboot/remake (what have you) is this: the film should stand on its own and offer something different or better, or both. It is unclear if this movie will contain both, but this teaser trailer certainly gives us a different tone.
It starts out with Peter Parker as a little boy with his father (Campbell Scott) bending down, telling him he has to leave, that there’s, “Something your mom and I have to do”. Oh really? And he goes on to say that Peter will be “safe” staying with your Uncle Ben. Hmmmm, safe…from what? That’s quite different right there and definitely a new tone for the character.
Clearly, this will leave skinny teenage Parker with some emotional weight to him. So, right there we have something different from the comics origin and from what we’ve seen in Sam Raimi’s films. But is it better? Possibly. Adding more depth to the characterization always helps, after all, what really makes or breaks any film is the screenplay.
We then start to see more of Peter Parker (played by Andrew Garfield, “The Social Network”), as somber music makes its way through scenes of teenage contemplation and isolation. We see him eating dinner with the Stacy family, as Captain Stacy (Dennis Leary) asks Peter to tell them a little bit about himself. To which Peter responds in typical teenage fashion, as his friend Gwen (Emma Stone) explains that he lives with his aunt and uncle. Should we feel sorry for him about that? Maybe.
We then see the aforementioned aunt and uncle, played by Sally Field and Martin Sheen (note how Sheen easily looks like he could be related to Campbell Scott), as they watch Peter go through “that thing” that Uncle Ben said, “belonged to your father”. In teaser translation, this means that such an object will be integral to the plot, possibly revealing quite a bit about Peter’s past, present, and future.
Then the trailer picks up, as we see a bespeckled Peter, backpack in tow, awkwardly show up at Gwen’s place of…..work? Looks like some high-rise science research facility. Gwen is a smart cookie. That’s different. Are they both science nerds? If so, that would make sense. Hmmm, I bet we know what’s gonna go down here, though.
Hold the phone, is that Rhys Ifans as Dr. Curt Conners (sorry Dylan Baker)? Is he Gwen’s boss? Interesting. Even more so, when we hear Gwen as Peter to be careful not to touch anything and get her in trouble. Well, we know how curious Peter Parker will soon get. Is that a….spider? Ouch, that bites!
Next thing we know, Peter is standing in front of a mirror, trying to figure out what is going on with him. Wait, is that a thread from his shirt, near the back of his neck? Uh no, it’s another kind of thread entirely. And now, Gidget, er, Aunt May wants to know what’s going on! It’s enough to make a teen climb walls.
Which is the next thing we see Peter do, as we hear Dr. Connors (we assume) ask him, “Ready to play God?” and “Do you have any idea what you really are?” (methinks the answer is: no). Actually, that’s an interesting question Dr. Connors….do you mean before the bite or after? Are you referring to any mystery surrounding Peter’s father? Hmmm.
All I really ask is that this movie isn’t swamped with any Daddy Issues. Speaking of swamp….I wonder who the villain will be. Heh heh.
The trailer finishes with some dizzying Spidey-cam action. That’s pretty sweet, but not nearly as dynamic as what Raimi did. But then again, it’s been reported that director Marc Webb (“(500) Days of Summer”) is going for a more practical approach to the action. Fine. I don’t care what that really means, since the next trailer (Christmas? Super Bowl?) will likely show more web-slinging (the web-shooter kind, which makes me happy), therefore I will reserve my judgment for then.
But I must say, from what is shown here, I like what Mr. Webb (giggle) is doing with the property (that’s what it is, after all) and remain curious to see how different or better a tale he will spin. So, rest easy fanboys and girls, and remember….anything is better than the last Spider-Man movie.
