The Amazing Spider-Man Feedback: What Did You Think?

Sony Pictures' The Amazing Spider-Man reboot is now playing in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D cinemas in both the UK and US. You can read our print review here; The Amazing Spider-Man Review: A Pointless, Not-So-Amazing Reboot. And our video review below; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0-6bTSkRiA&feature=player_embedded In preparation for the release, I have spent the last week revisiting Sam Raimi's original film trilogy (which for those with short memories included the perfect Spidey origin film AND one of the greatest comic book films of all time with the sequel) and my thoughts on this whole reboot bullshit are exactly what they were back in January 2010 when the decision was made to retcon the series. The Amazing Spider-Man is a very dangerous precedent being set and one that I think at the end of the decade we'll deeply regret having ever happened. Spider-Man 3 wasn't a great film. Hell, it wasn't even a good film but importantly it didn't kill the franchise or creatively stop its growth. There were at least a dozen other stories that Sony and their directors could have told over the course of this decade with the original film continuity. Kraven's Last Hunt is not just one of the greatest Spider-Man stories but it is one of the greatest comic book stories period. The death of Gwen Stacy could have been handled by a different villain in the comics, perhaps Hobgoblin or The Vulture. Or they could have just done the majority of what The Amazing Spider-Man seems to be with The Lizard as the villain. What is interesting with The Lizard in the new film is when you consider this reboot was originally written by screenwriter James Vanderbilt as a Spider-Man 4 script and who at the time of writing was told to be-careful to make it flexible because it could end up forming a reboot, which is precisely what happened. The only plus side I can imagine in The Amazing Spider-Man, which I haven't seen but will be later today, is Dr. Curt Connors is probably well thought out and his tragic story well told because Vanderbilt will likely have spent more time developing his character in the early days of the script as unlike Peter Parker or Mary Jane, his arc would have worked in a reboot or a Spider-Man 4 either way. Or finally, Sony could have had faith in Sam Raimi and his cast to deliver the fourth movie they were working on before it was taken away from them. That movie would have starred John Malkovich as The Vulture (boy, is that one of the comic book tragedies that we never got to see that?) and Anne Hathaway as a Catwoman style anti-hero The Vulturess (basically a re-imagined version of Black Cat and which would have ruled her out of playing Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises) and probably would have setup Dylan Baker further as The Lizard. There were even rumours that Spider-Man 4 and 5 would be shot back-to-back and that would end the original cast's time with the film, passing the torch to new actors who could have carried on the continuity. Alas, it never happened. And why did it happen? Not for story reasons. Not to open the creative up to tell different stories (albeit the tragic end of Gwen Stacy will be more accurate to the comics now, either in the sequel or film three). The whole reason is money. Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and Sam Raimi were bringing in somewhere between £15-20 million per film by the end of the trilogy in a rolling contract where they were paid more obscene amounts of money with every new entry. Sony then decided to reboot the saga because new actors Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and the young director Marc Webb could come in for around £1 million salary each. Sony then have saved themselves perhaps £50 million of the budget in salaries alone. Then there's also the fact they want to re-tell the Venom story again as they believe he is the biggest box office draw villain in the Spider-Man rogues gallery and perhaps that is accurate given Spider-Man 3's opening. That's why this reboot has happened, so you will pay to see what you have already enjoyed again and it costs Sony less money to make it happen. Just worth keeping in mind when you go and see the film this week... Anyway we want your feedback. Did you love or hate The Amazing Spider-Man? Are you happy about the prospect of where future movies could go? Tell us below...