The Amazing Spider-Man #1

The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (2012)
Directed by Marc Webb

So I thought I should probably try to get caught up on some overdue reviews...starting with the oldest. (I saw Spider-Man during its opening weekend... :/ ) So this review may not be totally coherent, but I'm going to give it a try. This is also the beginning of my attempt to stick to a regular schedule! I'm writing this on Monday, but y'all won't be reading it until Wednesday... O.O So happy Wednesday!

Anyway...Spider-Man.

As I've said before, I'm really glad that Andrew Garfield was chosen to replace That Other Guy for the reboot. From my understanding of the comics (I haven't read any of the comics) Garfield's goofy Peter Parker is much closer to the original character than That Other Guy's was. I also loved the onscreen chemistry between Garfield and Emma Stone. Imagine how adorable it would be if they were together in real life!

*dies in a suffocating pile of adorableness (which is a lot like getting smothered by tribbles. Literally.)*

What I disliked the most about the film would be The Lizard. Rhys Ifans did a great job providing a Dr. Connors that the audience could sympathize for, but I just don't feel like The Lizard was a big enough villain for the reboot of the franchise. (since I know so much about the comics...) I do however know that The Lizard was one of the worst creature designs I've seen in a long time from a major studio's summer tentpole blockbuster. Next time, just hire Neville Page. Even if you have to pay him a zillion dollars. It is worth it. Neville Page + a zillion dollars =! The Lizard.

So yeah. A little rambly (rambly isn't a word? :( oh well.) but keep in mind I'm writing a review for a movie I saw about two months ago. If you find the rambling annoying, let me know and I'll try to keep it to a minimum.

Did you enjoy The Amazing Spider-Man #1? And what are your thoughts/predictions/psychic foreknowledges for #2?

4 out of 5 stars
Viewed July 4, 2012 at Cinema 6 in Mt. Pleasant, TX

Box Office Review: July 2012

It is very difficult to discuss the past month's performance at the box office in light of the tragic event that occurred on July 20 in Aurora, Colorado. Now more than ever, the film community must band together to condemn this and other senseless acts of violence. Film has always been the greatest medium for spreading new ideas and influencing ways of thinking around the world. As a filmmaker one must recognize the power inherent in the medium. I recognize that that the audience will always find varied meanings within the film, many that were unintended by the filmmakers, but there is no place in our society for films that actively promote or even condone this type of violence. Now I haven't yet seen The Dark Knight Rises (so don't send me any spoilers...) but I know from Nolan's other works that he would never condone actions of violence against the innocent.

< / soapbox>

This post is supposed to be about numbers, right? I like numbers. No wibbly wobbly emotional stuff...

What worked:

The Dark Knight Rises
Though it hasn't broken any records and is still lagging behind its predecessor, TDKR has still been quite a successful summer blockbuster. Batman flew past his production budget after only nine days and just passed $300 million domestically, $550 million worldwide. Will it outgross The Dark Knight? I think so. But I doubt it has any chance of getting close to The Avengers' mammoth haul.

The Amazing Spider-Man
Like TDKR, Spidey is having a hard time living up to the box office successes of his previous incarnation. With only $244 million domestically, The Amazing Spider-Man is the lowest grossing film in the franchise by around $80 million. Hopefully these lower returns won't give Sony cold feet about The Amazing Spider-Man #2, because I really enjoyed Andrew Garfield's interpretation of the character (and even preferred it to Tobey Maquire's.)

Ted
If anyone doubted that Seth MacFarlane's crude and usually hilarious brand of humor would translate well from TV to the big screen, they were definitely mistaken. The $50 million comedy starring Marky Mark and Meg from Family Guy has already reached $195 million domestically, which may be enough for it to hold onto its title of highest grossing R rated comedy of 2012.

What didn't:

People Like Us
Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci's attempt to break into the world of heartfelt dramas has unfortunately fallen flat. People Like Us grossed a depressing $9 million in July, bringing its total domestic haul to a mere $12 million, $4 million short of its production budget. Will the goodwill from the Transformers franchise continue to give Bob and Alex chances to pursue pet projects or will they be forever doomed to churn out mindless action drivel with robots in 3D?

The Watch
Here is a classic case of potential break-out R rated comedy gets mixed up in a PR nightmare, has its title and release date changed, and then barely makes more in its opening weekend than Let's watch a fourth movie about people who wish they could dance good so they can be famous like Channing Tatum.

July 2012 Preview!

Here is a quick look at the new releases I plan to see in July:

The Amazing Spider-Man
July starts with a bang as Marc Webb and Andrew Garfield reboot the beloved franchise.  I'm excited about the darker vibe and the changes in the origin story from Raimi's trilogy.  And considering how bad Maguire's third installment was, bringing some new blood into the franchise should help the reboot, and its already scheduled sequel, return to the huge domestic gross of the first film.



The Dark Knight Rises
Definitely worth standing in line for days to see the midnight premiere in IMAX 3D (if you can find a screening that isn't already sold out...)  I originally considered this the no-brainer highest grossing film of the year, but Avengers threw a wrench in that prediction.  It will definitely end up with one of the highest grosses of the year, but outgrossing Avengers' mammoth $600 million haul is unlikely.



Ruby Sparks
Another film from the directors of Little Miss Sunshine.  Starring Paul Dano as a struggling writer whose ideal, yet fictional, woman comes to life.  This will be one of the rare instances where I'm excited about seeing a romantic comedy.



What excites you the most about July's slate?