New 'Spider-man' not so amazing

July 3, 2012
Back to TopCommentsE-mailPrint

Haven't ranted about many movies lately mostly because I haven't been to many.

But I did catch "The Amazing Spider-Man, a film so overpacked with coincidences and writer-rigged plotting that I didn't believe a second of it and was bugged by most of it.

The fact that Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are very good actors make the film they are stuck in even more annoying.

Trust me, I have no trouble buying a web-shooting super hero. I didn't worship or mind the one made 10 years ago. And I'm not objecting to unnecessary remakes because little that Hollywood does is necessary. (Keep in mind that Frederic March won an Oscar for "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" only about a decade after John Barrymore made his film version--and about a decade before Spencer Tracy had at the role.)

What I have trouble with is "oh come on" moments at nearly every plot turn.

I have trouble buying a high school student getting a positions of great responsibility in a high-tech, experiment-heavy company.

I have trouble with the fact that said company barely has a security system or even video cameras monitoring its experiments.

I have trouble that, right in the middle of a work space, there's loud science-for-beginners displays for the benefit of tour groups.

I have trouble believing a high school kid can have the crap beat out of him in front of an entire student body without anyone saying anything or his family pressing charges at the same school where a student gets his parents (well, uncle) called because he slam dunked a ball and broke a backboard.

I have trouble with a student body not awed by a guy who suddenly leaps fourteen feet in the air for the aforementioned dunk.

I have trouble with a giant lizard attack witnessed by hundreds of people being reported as a rumor.

I have trouble with fire-escape access New York City windows without locks.

I have trouble with time bombs that not only have conveniently visible numeric displays but also a helpful voice to tell you how close to your doom you are.

And I'm tired of writers relying on Emma Stone's hesitant charms to carry scenes.

"The Amazing Spider-Man" is like radio commentators who are just concerned with the impact of what they are saying right now, regardless of whether it makes any sense or connects to what happened moments ago or what happens next.

All of which wouldn't be so much of a problem if "The Amazing Spider-Man" was fun and/or original. 

Now where's Batman?

Your thoughts? 

ADVERTISEMENT
  • Another mindless film
    rickJuly 3, 2012 12:01 PM
    These super hero films appear to be aimed at a young and naive audience, so plot holes aren't a concern. It would be nice if Hollywood spent a few million less on special efx and a few hundred thousand more on writers who can can come up with interesting movie plots, but it appears efx sell a lot of tickets.
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • Go see other movies!
      SandyRJuly 3, 2012 4:05 PM
      If you haven't seen "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" or "Moonrise Kingdom" go before they're gone. "Moonrise Kingdom" is extremely quirky which might bother some, but "The Best Exotic..." is just a wonderful cast of well seasoned British actors having a ball in a strange exotic place.
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • Supervising Art Director's Sexual Battery Case
      AmyJuly 3, 2012 10:09 PM
      This film's supervising art director accused of sexual assault, libel and malcious prosecution of his trangender LA Music Award winning singer victim: http://news.yahoo.com/critical-motions-amazing-spider-man-supervising-art-director-070624725.html
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • Different set of problems
      KevinJuly 4, 2012 11:08 AM
      I guess I'm not a movie critic because I can usually look past these kinds of plot holes. I liked the casting choices in this film better than the Toby Maguire version, but I found the film to be slow. The "original" film version was more exciting because Spidey fans had been waiting. Now we have something to compare it to, and it's better in some ways and worse in others. I liked it better than Lou, but it didn't knock my socks off.
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • Well...
      MarshallJuly 5, 2012 10:02 AM
      ... I think you are being WAYYY too critical. It is, afterall, a super-hero movie, not Kramer vs. Kramer. I enjoyed the movie for exactly what it was.
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • Spider Kramer
      LouJuly 5, 2012 11:07 AM
      Whether it's Spidey or Kramer, it's still up to the filmmakers to create a buy-able world. A few such problems are excusable for me. When they stack up this high, it blocks the entertainment...and I didn't even mention the cranes. And, as I said, they wouldn't have been as much of a problem for me if the film was more fun and/or original. --Lou
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • MacGuffin
      JohnJuly 5, 2012 12:27 PM
      I liked the movie and didn't mind the plot holes, but in the end I was bothered by how the totally manufactured climax mirrored the equally engineered ending of "The Avengers." In both movies, the heroes have to find a way to disable some doom-bringing device on top of a New York skyscraper. They're just hollow excuses to stage a big fight, and gin up big consequences that have little to do with character development.
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment

    Post a comment to this blog

    COMMENTS POLICY
    We reserve the right to remove any post that we feel is obscene, profane, vulgar, racist, sexually explicit, abusive, or hateful.
     
    You are legally responsible for what you post and your anonymity is not guaranteed.
     
    Posts that insult, defame, threaten, harass or abuse other readers or people mentioned in IBJ editorial content are also subject to removal. Please respect the privacy of individuals and refrain from posting personal information.
     
    No solicitations, spamming or advertisements are allowed. Readers may post links to other informational websites that are relevant to the topic at hand, but please do not link to objectionable material.
     
    We may remove messages that are unrelated to the topic, encourage illegal activity, use all capital letters or are unreadable.
     

    Messages that are flagged by readers as objectionable will be reviewed and may or may not be removed. Please do not flag a post simply because you disagree with it.

    ADVANCED SEARCH
    Sponsored by
    ADVERTISEMENT

    1. The Fringe! Plus, the simple fact that there are so many local faves in such close proximity to each other.

    2. I remenber, watching the toll road, being built, through South Bend, when I was 10 years old. I believe, back then that it was estimated, that the toll road, would be paid for in 20 years and then it would be free. I am now 71, what happened? Since the power is in the people, by that, I mean that, we the people are in total control of everything. I, suggest that no one ever use the toll road again, let it go broke. We the people can control the price of everything, from groceries to gas, if we would just do it. If we don't pay the asking price, the sellers will lower the price and if we wait awhile, they will lower the price to what we accept as reasonable. I would like to know why a highway like interstate 94, is so well maintained, a much better highway, than the toll road, but has no tolls. I would also like to know why, a sitting governor, with a term limit, maximum of eight years, can lease, public property, for 75 years. Even though I have transponders in both of my trucks and will not be affected by the increase, I have been and will contine to avoid using the toll road. I make many trips from northern Indiana to Chicago, every year, and I prefer the better highway, I94!

    3. Coming from her background,she should be used to those kinds of advances! Menard probably figured it was ok to tuck a buck!

    4. I'm still waiting for the list of available, high quality apartments in the Village.

    5. This criminal masquerading as a lawyer obviously has serious issues. He’s been proven by his own testimony to be a pathological liar and probably has a personality disorder as he seems to be constructing a reality around himself. He places no value on truth, honesty or loyalty as evidenced by what he has done to his clients and his own family. And by the demands and lies he has made in court, it is evident he feels entitled to do and say whatever suits his purpose and everyone else is expected to nod obediently and believe him because he is, after all, Bill Super Lawyer; or BS lawyer for short. This millionaire wanna-be no longer owns anything of value; he squandered it and put everything he had into foreclosure. He has no money, house, car, boat or vacation home left to show for what he earned or what he stole. He’s just another loser without morals who will be doing time. I’m certain all of his courtroom shenanigans are antagonizing his poor victims. As Lamar said, his behavior and claims in court have been outrageous. The judge needs to be more than concerned; he needs to be judicial and end this nonsense.

    ADVERTISEMENT