Reboots of comic book characters on film can be a tricky business. The "Batman" series is a good example of this. Three attempts at kicking off "The Punisher" prove that other times it fails miserably. The speculation can truly begin for this summer's "The Amazing Spider-Man" now that a new two and a half minute trailer is available for millions of viewers to see.
The trailer highlights everything a fan of the webslinger wants to know about the movie without giving away too much. There are clips of Spider-Man in action. A few quick teases at what the villainous Lizard will look like pop up as well. The romantic relationship between Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy is a focus. The complexity of Peter being Spider-Man and how it affects his relationship with Gwen's father, policeman George Stacy, is shown.
This movie looks to be a darker and grittier take on the world of Spider-Man than what director Sam Raimi gave us with his trilogy. Raimi's films feel safe and tailor-made to be blockbusters. They sit nicely next to the classic "Superman" films starring Christopher Reeve. New director Marc Webb's version of the wall-crawler appears to take a page from the "how-to" guide for comic book adaptations Christopher Nolan used to bring "The Dark Knight" to life.
The mystery behind Peter Parker's parents is also a focal point of the new film. This is the first time his parents have figured heavily into any onscreen adaptation of the superhero's story. They're usually referred to quickly as being dead, whereas Peter's father is key to the plot of this version.
Andrew Garfield's wise-cracking portrayal of Peter Parker/Spider-Man is very different from Tobey Maguire. Maguire was reserved, clean-cut, and nerdy. Garfield's take on the character is more along the lines of the cute, rebellious (yet smart) indie rock kid in school everybody makes fun of.
The CGI scenes of Spider-Man swinging through the city are impressive. They look better than any of the visual effects in Raimi's three films. The effects in those have an animated gloss that's absent from the scenes shown in the new trailer.
"The Amazing Spider-Man" looks to owe more to the "Ultimate Spider-Man" comic book series than any of the other print versions of the character. The slender yet muscular form of Andrew Garfield resembles artist Mark Bagley's rendering of the superhero. The trailer also focused more on the teen life of Peter Parker, which will help the new movie attract a more youthful audience.
For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:
'Kick-Ass 2' Could Happen Without Matthew Vaughn at the Helm
It's Official: 'Watchmen' Prequels Coming; Bring on the Movies!
'A.D.D.: Adolescent Demo Division' Graphic Novel Review
Eric Shirey is the founder and former editor of Rondo Award nominated movie news websites MovieGeekFeed.com and TheSpectralRealm.com. His work has been featured on Yahoo!, DC Comics, StarWars.com, and other entertainment websites. Eric has interviewed and worked with actors like Harrison Ford, Brooke Shields, Gerard Butler, Brendan Fraser, Selena Gomez, and many more.
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