5. It Takes Inspiration From All The Right Places
If anyone were asked to describe Raimis Spider-Man in one word, it would probably be a toss-up between kiddie and camp. Rightly or wrongly, the Spider-man films are aimed at the younger generations, so there will inevitably always be an element of the juvenile about them (and thats a good thing, because we cant always have brooding vigilantes). But just because your target audience has yet to get hair in funny places, it doesnt mean that they are not willing to access more adult tones and themes. With The Amazing Spider-Man, Marc Webb and Sony have clearly gone through a back catalogue of sci-fi/horror/thriller/comic book movies, to create a hybrid patchwork quality. During production they made no secret of Christopher Nolans influence on this version of Spider-Man. True to their word there are notable airs of Nolans Batman series; with a particular scene literally riffing on the He is the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one they need right now speech from The Dark Knight. Other influences come from some very unlikely places. When Peter first notices the effects of his bite, there is a moment of paranoid body horror that harks back to Cronenberg films such as The Fly, and Curt Connors semi-Noir existence in the sewers of New York shares its DNA with the classic Universal Monster horrors of the 30s. Some of the 1st person perspectives come via influences of games such as Mirrors Edge and Call of Duty, sitting perfectly within the aesthetic Webb strives to create. Then there is the persona of Spider-Man, a character that now has the balance of existent crime fighter and other worldly ability; like the best parts of Sherlock Holmes meets Iron Man, with Robert Downey Jr clearly being the common ground. Even the costume reeks of the darker, more real world vibe of the modern comic book movie; its sleek, it has a slick colour palette, Parker creates it through research, and it passes the ultimate test its definitely going to be a prominent outfit come Halloween. When you look at this in comparison to the Adam West friendly tone of Raimis Spider-Man, you are ultimately left with a question. How do you like your arachnids; bright and sweet, or dark with a bite? One things for sure, Raimis Spider-Man didnt finish with a complimentary moment of 3D wrist ejaculation.