THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

RYAN: They’re churning them out in Hollywood… superhero movies; and this one arrives only five years after an already successful trilogy based on the character.

CAROLINE: I know.  It feels like we just saw Spider-Man 3 with Tobey Maguire.  This one stars Andrew Garfield in the role instead.  How was it?

RYAN: Long.

CAROLINE: Oh really.  That’s never really appropriate.

RYAN: Unless it’s Harry Potter, in which case it was never long enough! But this movie is two hours and fifteen minutes and I checked my watch three times.

CAROLINE: Not a good sign.  Does it suck?

RYAN: No.  But it’s just not fun the way the original three Sam Raimi-directed films were.  There’s no joy in this movie.

CAROLINE: Yeah I heard it was gonna be darker… more in the direction of, like, The Dark Knight.

RYAN: It’s certainly darker than the last three Spider-Man movies but not as dark as the Batman films.  It’s grounded though and feels more real and serious.   I didn’t like it as much.

CAROLINE: I’m sorry to hear that.  I’m not really in the mood for another Spider-Man movie now anyway.  Iron Man, on the other hand…

RYAN: Andrew’s actually very good and does a great American accent and I really enjoyed watching his chemistry with Emma Stone since this is the movie they hooked up on.

CAROLINE: I love her.  She’s her more natural blonde self in this as opposed to Kirsten Dunst’s redhead.

RYAN: Yeah and I don’t hate Kirsten the way many do but I certainly adore Emma.  She’s always so good.  I also really enjoyed seeing Sally Field on the big screen again.  Welcome to the future, Sally.  You’re in 3D!

CAROLINE: [laughs’ How was that?

RYAN: The 3D is nothing to brag about here – I actually think you could see it in 2D.  It’s noticeable and cool during some of the moments when Spidey is swingin’ around the city on his web but otherwise not too fantastic.

CAROLINE: That’s too bad.  And there’s no Green Goblin in this right?  It’s Rhys Ifans as the baddie?

RYAN: Right.  He plays The Lizard and I dig him.  He’s always Xenophilius Lovegood to me.

CAROLINE: Were there any really cool effects?

RYAN: Some but I actually liked the effects and action more recently in Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

CAROLINE: Whoa.  That’s a surprise.

RYAN: Yeah I thought this would be another home run superhero movie.  It might just be too soon or just lacks too much joy.

CAROLINE: Does it just rehash the same origin storyline of Spider-Man?

RYAN: It is that “How Peter Parker become Spidey” story but it’s told a bit differently than the Tobey version.  This one is based more on the Ultimate Spider-Man comics and shows a bit of Peter’s parents and the spider bite is a little different.  Then there’s the major difference between Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy.  Other than that, it’s similar.

CAROLINE: So what’s your bottom line?

RYAN: It’s not all that I hoped it would be based on the exciting trailer.  I’m let down.  Go see The Avengers or rent Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man instead.

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