Spider-Man 4

[TM2 Dinobot]

First Transformers then Spiderman? Yeah. I'd have no choice but to kill Bay. :/

[Mirymate]

Okay. Clearly Sony has no idea what they are doing. "grittier, more realistic"? It's flippin' Spider-Man!!!! What made the first 3 movies work (and the third one did work on some levels) is that Rami understood what was unique about Spider-Man/Peter Parker and played to that.

Batman works in "gritty, more realistic" because he has no powers, and for the most part niether does his rogues. It's a bunch of nuts with gimics. An insane psychiatrist, a scarred mentally and physically DA, a totally bent, but brilliant urban terrorist.

Spider-Man has super powers. He sticks to wall. His strength is measured in numbers of tons lifted. He fights guys with mechanical arms, and symbiotic costumes, and folks that turn into sand, or water, or shoot lightning from their hands. WHAT THE FRAK IS REMOTELY REALISTIC HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Realistically, he never would have managed to keep his ID secret from a smothering Aunt May, Jonah would have fired his undependable butt, he would have flunked High School for always skipping classes and never got into college, and hot girls like MJ and Gwen would have dumped him after the second broken date... assuming they gave his flakey arse a chance in the first place.

Realistically getting biten by a radioactive or genetically altered spider does not grant super powers, but a painful, swelling wound at best, a agonizing death at worst.

This time around, the series will place Peter Parker in a more contemporary setting, as a teenager battling today’s issues.

What the Smurf does that even mean?!?!?!?!?! How is the underpinning theme of Spider-man, doing the right thing even when it's not convenient for you, not a contemporary issue? I just... Lord have mercy I just don't have words enough to describe how stuipid that sentence reads to me, so I'm gonna stop ranting and let someone else vent for a while.

[Kamsm8]

Personally I found it annoying that the original Spider-Man movies skipped right to Spider-Man being an adult in college, seeing as he was a high-schooler in the comics for so long. So a reboot placing in back in High-School a la Ultimate Spider-Man is a welcome change in my mind. Granted, we'd probably still never see a crossover like Iron-Man, Hulk, Captain America and Thor are doing, but it would still work better should that opportunity ever come.

But gritty? More realistic, whatever, I can swallow that. Similar to the way Gotham changed from Batman and Robin to Batman Begins. Or something similar.

But GRITTY?? Now I'm expecting a dark red and almost black Spider-Man suit, with Spidey rarely making his mid-battle jokes. People dying left and right. Villains who seek to solely murder for the sake of murder... I mean. What's even the point? So Spider-Man can have a sex scene? More blood? The movies were already PG-13....

The only benefit I would see from Spider-Man going grittier is the possibility of a Carnage being more likely.

[minimadman]

If this movie is coming out in a little over 2 years they are going to have to move fast to get a director and stars

[karamazov80]

I'm surprised at how fast these things can get rolling once they set their minds to actually making them. Supposedly Captain America will begin filming in the summer and will be released about a year later, yet no stars or director yet that I've heard.

[TM2 Dinobot]

http://www.toplessrobot.com/2010/01/sudden..._is_back_on.php

I think not indeed.

[Trekker 42]

I'm surprised at how fast these things can get rolling once they set their minds to actually making them. Supposedly Captain America will begin filming in the summer and will be released about a year later, yet no stars or director yet that I've heard.

There is a director. Joe Johnston. He directed such lovely films as Jurassic Park 3.

God help us all.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458339/

[karamazov80]

Hidalgo and Rocketeer weren't too bad. Jumanji was OK for what it was. Could be worse.

[Turtle]

Wowzers. a) I'm all for superhero musicals. Bring it. I'm not at all against a total reboot. Raimi and co. did a great job, but they did kind of completely overlook the whole high-school teen angst angle which could easily occupy at least one full movie. I think words like "gritty," "realistic," and "contemporary" are just stupid hollywood hype words that essentially mean "not campy."

[DarkRedShadow]

most are guys like the Shocker or the Rhino: neat visiuals, but nothing you could make last 2 hours by themselves.

I agree,i think those villians should be in like a 2-5 minute scene before they introduce the main villian.{they better put shocker in a spider-man movie in the near future shocker is my favorite villian of all time!}

[Trekker 42]

most are guys like the Shocker or the Rhino: neat visiuals, but nothing you could make last 2 hours by themselves.

I agree,i think those villians should be in like a 2-5 minute scene before they introduce the main villian.{they better put shocker in a spider-man movie in the near future shocker is my favorite villian of all time!}

I still think that if they do Shocker, he'll be like he is in Ultimate SM, a running joke in a couple of movies. He's fighting this guy but the guy sucks so much at life that you have to laugh.

[DarkRedShadow]

most are guys like the Shocker or the Rhino: neat visiuals, but nothing you could make last 2 hours by themselves.

I agree,i think those villians should be in like a 2-5 minute scene before they introduce the main villian.{they better put shocker in a spider-man movie in the near future shocker is my favorite villian of all time!}

I still think that if they do Shocker, he'll be like he is in Ultimate SM, a running joke in a couple of movies. He's fighting this guy but the guy sucks so much at life that you have to laugh.

yea,i guess he will be a running joke and wear the ultimate spider-man outfit,maybe if he was a running joke and was in the 2nd{if there is}he can wear his normal suit and then make fun of the suit.

[Trekker 42]

most are guys like the Shocker or the Rhino: neat visiuals, but nothing you could make last 2 hours by themselves.

I agree,i think those villians should be in like a 2-5 minute scene before they introduce the main villian.{they better put shocker in a spider-man movie in the near future shocker is my favorite villian of all time!}

I still think that if they do Shocker, he'll be like he is in Ultimate SM, a running joke in a couple of movies. He's fighting this guy but the guy sucks so much at life that you have to laugh.

yea,i guess he will be a running joke and wear the ultimate spider-man outfit,maybe if he was a running joke and was in the 2nd{if there is}he can wear his normal suit and then make fun of the suit.

Like the first Spider-man game? Man it's sad when the game is more to form than the movie is. He joked a LOT more in the game.

[battlecat]

There is a director. Joe Johnston. He directed such lovely films as Jurassic Park 3.

God help us all.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458339/

Uh, and Honey I Shrunk The Kids, apparently! I loved that movie when I was a kid. From that IMDB link, he seems like a no-name, serviceable director who makes unremarkable-but-fine movies -- like I don't remember thinking the problem with JP3 was the directing...

[DarkRedShadow]

most are guys like the Shocker or the Rhino: neat visiuals, but nothing you could make last 2 hours by themselves.

I agree,i think those villians should be in like a 2-5 minute scene before they introduce the main villian.{they better put shocker in a spider-man movie in the near future shocker is my favorite villian of all time!}

I still think that if they do Shocker, he'll be like he is in Ultimate SM, a running joke in a couple of movies. He's fighting this guy but the guy sucks so much at life that you have to laugh.

yea,i guess he will be a running joke and wear the ultimate spider-man outfit,maybe if he was a running joke and was in the 2nd{if there is}he can wear his normal suit and then make fun of the suit.

Like the first Spider-man game? Man it's sad when the game is more to form than the movie is. He joked a LOT more in the game.

YES!!!exactly like in the first game.i haven't played that game in a long time,i still have it.i really liked the sewer level.

[Mirymate]

Best way to think of JP3 is a pile of leftovers that were in the first book, but they either could not fit into JP for time (the aviary) or tech (they apparently tried to get work in the T-Rex-can-swim scene in JP, but CG wasn't advanced enough to make water look good yet) strung together with almost enough story to justify it.

Rocketeer is an underrated classic, IMO, and if he brings a similar pulp fun feel to a Cap WWII era movie, this could be really cool.

On high school... at the time I remember Rami being asked about rushing through that. IIRC, he thought that movie audiences would never believe Peter living at home with Aunt May, his regularly sneaking out to play Spidey, and her not catching on. In fact, in all three films, Rami's May left you wondering if she did or didn't know, which I found darn cool. So he needed to get Pete out on his own, which meant fast-forwarding to college and living with Harry. (who is a college era creation, Harry's been retrofitted into all modern reboots of Peter in HS, but Pete was pretty friendless in HS originally. cruel, cruel Stan) Even Ultimates, which I liked keeping Pete in HS, let May in on the big secret. So there was a reason there.

I am not saying Rami was perfect. But this seems a clear case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

[Trekker 42]

Best way to think of JP3 is a pile of leftovers that were in the first book, but they either could not fit into JP for time (the aviary) or tech (they apparently tried to get work in the T-Rex-can-swim scene in JP, but CG wasn't advanced enough to make water look good yet) strung together with almost enough story to justify it.

Rocketeer is an underrated classic, IMO, and if he brings a similar pulp fun feel to a Cap WWII era movie, this could be really cool.

On high school... at the time I remember Rami being asked about rushing through that. IIRC, he thought that movie audiences would never believe Peter living at home with Aunt May, his regularly sneaking out to play Spidey, and her not catching on. In fact, in all three films, Rami's May left you wondering if she did or didn't know, which I found darn cool. So he needed to get Pete out on his own, which meant fast-forwarding to college and living with Harry. (who is a college era creation, Harry's been retrofitted into all modern reboots of Peter in HS, but Pete was pretty friendless in HS originally. cruel, cruel Stan) Even Ultimates, which I liked keeping Pete in HS, let May in on the big secret. So there was a reason there.

I am not saying Rami was perfect. But this seems a clear case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Yeah that bit with May never showing if she knew was really very impressive. Though honestly SM2 made me think she did know... Just that Heroes speech. And in SM3 where she was so shocked that Spider-Man would kill someone. Now I think she would have been less shocked if Spider-Man was a virtual stranger. As her nephew however...

[minimadman]

I like Joe Johnston and agree with Miry that the Rocketeer is underrated. Not to mention that October Sky is a very good movie. I am extremely interested in who is cast as Steve Rogers. I don't really like the idea of Peter stuck in high school for a long time I could live with him being in college and still living with Aunt May with her finding out aby discovering him in a bloody heap like at the end of the first Morlun story. For her not to know and have a teenage superhero living in her home in this day and age kind of makes her stupid not to mention a shitty parent.

Edited January 13, 2010 by minimadman

[battlecat]

For her not to know and have a teenage superhero living in her home in this day and age kind of makes her stupid not to mention a shitty parent.

Well in Ult. Spidey she's basically a single parent working full-time and trying to stay financially afloat, with her kid sneaking out late at night, often through a window that no normal teen could use as an exit from the house. Plus all teenagers are pretty withdrawn in the first place, and his high grades seem to confirm he's just in his room studying... so I don't think it's all that stupid parenting, just, you know, busy/tired/assuming-your-kid's-not-Spider-Man.

I hope the new movie has a younger May, like in Ultimate... it's an interesting take on that relationship.

[Mirymate]

Well in Ult. Spidey she's basically a single parent working full-time and trying to stay financially afloat, with her kid sneaking out late at night, often through a window that no normal teen could use as an exit from the house. Plus all teenagers are pretty withdrawn in the first place, and his high grades seem to confirm he's just in his room studying... so I don't think it's all that stupid parenting, just, you know, busy/tired/assuming-your-kid's-not-Spider-Man.

I hope the new movie has a younger May, like in Ultimate... it's an interesting take on that relationship.

Ah but they did eventually have to let May in on it. It weakens May's ability to despence wisdom and provide council if she's clueless as to what is happenning in her own home. I mean, how do you view parents out here in the real world that are too busy or distracted to know that somethng fishy was going on in thier house under thier noses? So to avoid weakening May as a character, you either have to tell her, or move Peter out of the house.

[battlecat]

Ah but they did eventually have to let May in on it. It weakens May's ability to despence wisdom and provide council if she's clueless as to what is happenning in her own home. I mean, how do you view parents out here in the real world that are too busy or distracted to know that somethng fishy was going on in thier house under thier noses? So to avoid weakening May as a character, you either have to tell her, or move Peter out of the house.

Right, but I like the May-Peter dynamic in Ultimate just as much after she finds out, and think that could work fine in a movie too. Plus you could reasonably have one or two movies' worth of superhero shenanigans before she'd realistically be expected to sense anything was wrong other than having a withdrawn nerdy teen -- in the real world the first sign something is wrong is often schoolwork suffering, but a) Pete's a genius so can keep the grades up even if he's not really in his room studying and b ) he's not really doing anything wrong anyway... really he's kind of extreme volunteering.

Actually, thinking about Ultimate, he also does a lot of his Spider-Man stuff by sneaking out of the busy Bugle newsroom rather than his house, which is also a good excuse for coming home from the city late and exhausted.

I don't know, I just don't think "overwhelmed single parent" necessarily makes May a weak character, but your Spider-Mobile mileage may vary

Edited January 13, 2010 by battlecat

[buttheadsmate]

I'm not major-league when it comes to my comic-book knowledge but I do have a certain edge over most of you ......age. Being English I am somewhat unusual in that I've been reading American comics for over 45 years & in that time I've seen many changes in the way TV/Movies have dealt with my heroes.In that time Batman has gone from camp to psycopath , Superman from an icon to drivel whilst the X-Men,the Hulk ,Fantastic Four et al all deserved better.

Spider-Man excelled at first but faltered whilst Daredevil,Elektra & the Punisher were just OK.

There is one common denominator in my opinion to all these movies & that is the lengthy & albeit unnecessary 'origin' part of the movie . Of course the 'ignorant' require an 'insight' but most of these movies self-destruct with their long-winded ,often tainted, origin synopsis that take up half the viewing time. The latest Hulk movie managed to get over this successfully before the opening titles & managed to be quite good so why can't the others?

I am being deliberately 'general' & I guess you could drive a train through my argument but seriously is there anybody out there who doesn't know how Pete became Spidey? Let's just get into the bloody action ....kick ass with one-armed & six armed doctors,feathered foes & suicidal hunters....just get on with it!!!!!! Then add a smooch or two with MJ an altercation with JJJ & sunday lunch with Aunt May. That's my six eggs worth.

I carefully avoided Iron-Man who had always been since my first meeting with him in Tales of Suspense fighting the 'commies'......they were all 'commies' back then.....these days it's Middle Eastern & Eastern European bad guys.

No I was never a fan of the comic but bloody hell what a movie Iron-Man turned out to be .....the best yet despite following my aforementioned gripe.

The Dark Knight was also different league to say the least.

Spidey going back to High School? Yawn,yawn!

[NorthRaider]

There is one common denominator in my opinion to all these movies & that is the lengthy & albeit unnecessary 'origin' part of the movie . Of course the 'ignorant' require an 'insight' but most of these movies self-destruct with their long-winded ,often tainted, origin synopsis that take up half the viewing time. The latest Hulk movie managed to get over this successfully before the opening titles & managed to be quite good so why can't the others?

I am being deliberately 'general' & I guess you could drive a train through my argument but seriously is there anybody out there who doesn't know how Pete became Spidey? Let's just get into the bloody action ....kick ass with one-armed & six armed doctors,feathered foes & suicidal hunters....just get on with it!!!!!! Then add a smooch or two with MJ an altercation with JJJ & sunday lunch with Aunt May. That's my six eggs worth.

Incredibly enough I agree with you BHM I've been wondering why all the superhero media out these days (i.e. the movies) don't seem to appeal to me or capture my imagination as much as stuff like the Spider-Man and X-Men cartoons did when I was younger. I think you hit the nail on the head with the "over-emphasis on the origins" part. That problem has even afflicted Wolverine, albeit retroactively

It almost makes me yearn for those days when superheroes where still shrouded in mystery, you know? Now we practically know the backstories of everybody from Spawn to Deadpool to Dr. Manhattan. Practically the only character I can think of at the top of my head with still-clandestine origins would be... well...

[battlecat]

I'm with you on the unnecessary origins, BHM. Hopefully, since the material was covered so recently in the first Spider-Man movie, they'll just zoom through it in the opening credits -- or just skip it entirely, as they did in the latest Spidey cartoon series.

[Danny]

I think they have seen how successful Nolan's reboot of Batman has been and thought "Why pay Raimi/Maguire/Dunst tons of money to come back when we can just reset it all again".

You do get some baggage 4 films in but that's just par for the course. I have loved all 3 Spider-Man films but as has been mentioned I have no desire to watch a remake of Spider-Man again in 2 years time. However there is ALWAYS a massive kid audience who are always into Spidey. So in some ways a reboot does make sense, but it's not going to be a film I personally will be waiting with baited breath for.