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[brandonh83]

I think Elfman's theme is memorable but not iconic. It's good, it just never jumped out at me really. Always found it to be kind of lazy compared to other superhero themes aside from The Avengers theme which is just completely mediocre. I think the new Spider-man theme is far and away more memorable.

 

[Tookay]

So, outside of internet forums, it seems that pretty much everyone I know (who I consider casual moviegoers) like the Amazing Spider-Man way more than the Raimi films. Take that as you will. What about your friends, GAF?

Same. But that's partially due to the bad aftertaste of SM3 and the freshness of this series.

 

[noah111]

I understand you disliked Raimi's Spiderman films. But this is idiotic hyperbole at its best.

Perhaps, but Spider-Man is what made it memorable, not vice versa. Though I can't put words in Eidan's mouth, it's not like he's alone in that opinion (though I loved Elfman's SM1 score).

 

[exYle]

So, outside of internet forums, it seems that pretty much everyone I know (who I consider casual moviegoers) like the Amazing Spider-Man way more than the Raimi films. Take that as you will. What about your friends, GAF?

Yeah, that happened to me. The only thing we agreed upon was that SM2 was the best of the original trilogy, whereas I maintain that SM2 is the best Spiderman film.

For the record, I think ASM is much better than SM1.

 

[Zeliard]

Recently saw this.

In short, loved the first 40 minutes or so. The origin stuff, despite being overly familiar, was quite well-executed and Parker/Spidey's physicality was nicely translated. I liked Tobey in the role but Garfield's sinewy physique is much more appropriate and convincing; he just looks the part.

Movie started really dragging however as it got more action-heavy, and I found my interest in what I was watching dwindling as it went on.

My ultimate impression when I left the theater was basically "is that it?" Outside of the entertaining first act, it felt very prosaic.

 

[Skiesofwonder]

So, outside of internet forums, it seems that pretty much everyone I know (who I consider casual moviegoers) like the Amazing Spider-Man way more than the Raimi films. Take that as you will. What about your friends, GAF?

from my personal experiences, anybody who hated/disliked the Raimi series likes ASM better; Anybody who likes the Raimi series (excluding 3) thinks ASM isn't nearly as good.

I think Elfman's theme is memorable but not iconic. It's good, it just never jumped out at me really. Always found it to be kind of lazy compared to other superhero themes aside from The Avengers theme which is just completely mediocre. I think the new Spider-man theme is far and away more memorable.

While the ASM theme is really good on its own, it doesn't sound anything like what I would expect from a Spiderman theme, and isn't nearly prominent enough in the actual film. I believe it is at the beginning, and I think I heard it during the crane scene (which happens to be one of the worst scenes of the movie).

 

[Eidan]

Perhaps, but Spider-Man is what made it memorable, not vice versa. Though I can't put words in Eidan's mouth, it's not like he's alone in that opinion (though I loved Elfman's SM1 score).

I would say that my statements are neither idiotic or hyperbolic. If you go out on the street, how many people do you actually think would be able to hum Elfman's Spider-Man tune if you asked them to? Then ask yourself how many people would be able to hum the Harry Potter theme. If you think the numbers would be anywhere close to comparable, you're honestly kidding yourself.

 

[Anton Sugar]

So, outside of internet forums, it seems that pretty much everyone I know (who I consider casual moviegoers) like the Amazing Spider-Man way more than the Raimi films. Take that as you will. What about your friends, GAF?

I saw it with four other people, and our opinions ranged from "horrible" to "it was okay". Better than SM3, doesn't touch SM2, MAYBE on par with SM1. Also heard a few "that was bad" murmurs as we were leaving the theatre.

Raimi's (other than SM3) just felt so much more cohesive, tonally and structurally.

 

[brandonh83]

While the ASM theme is really good on its own, it doesn't sound anything like what I would expect from a Spiderman theme, and isn't nearly prominent enough in the actual film. I believe it is at the beginning, and I think I heard it during the crane scene (which happens to be one of the worst scenes of the movie).

It plays way more than that. I remember it being pretty frequent.

 

[Skiesofwonder]

Perhaps, but Spider-Man is what made it memorable, not vice versa. Though I can't put words in Eidan's mouth, it's not like he's alone in that opinion (though I loved Elfman's SM1 score).

You could easily say the same about Batman's score and Superman's score.

I would say that my statements are neither idiotic or hyperbolic. If you go out on the street, how many people do you actually think would be able to hum Elfman's Spider-Man tune if you asked them to? Then ask yourself how many people would be able to hum the Harry Potter theme? If you think the numbers would be anywhere close to comparable, you're honestly kidding yourself.

I don't believe the debate is whether or not the Harry Potter theme is more memorable or "hummable". If you go play Elfman's Spiderman theme for a random person, I believe most people would say "that's Spiderman".

Iconic - of, pertaining to, or characteristic of an icon.

Yes, our opinions clash on that.

But to say that Elfman's Spiderman theme is in no way memorable is idiotic and hyperbolic because it's even obvious through this thread that this is not the case. Plenty of people remember Elfman's Spiderman theme.

 

[Mariolee]

I saw it with four other people, and our opinions ranged from "horrible" to "it was okay". Better than SM3, doesn't touch SM2, MAYBE on par with SM1. Also heard a few "that was bad" murmurs as we were leaving the theatre.

Raimi's (other than SM3) just felt so much more cohesive, tonally and structurally.

Would you consider yourselves strong Spidey fans?

 

[TheOMan]

I won't lie, I had kind of hoped this would happen. But I never in a million years thought it really would happen. I am quite pleased to see the reinvigorated love for Raimi's underrated (oh yes) trilogy cropping up all over the internet!

Well, nobody thought ASM would be so...mediocre. Raimi versions make it look amateurish.

 

[Skiesofwonder]

I saw it with four other people, and our opinions ranged from "horrible" to "it was okay". Better than SM3, doesn't touch SM2, MAYBE on par with SM1. Also heard a few "that was bad" murmurs as we were leaving the theatre.

Raimi's (other than SM3) just felt so much more cohesive, tonally and structurally.

I remember walking out of the movie and hearing some guy say "Stan Lee stole the whole movie". I couldn't agree more.

It plays way more than that. I remember it being pretty frequent.

Really? Honestly the only time any music stood out to me was the loud piano keys with Lizard/Gwen, Coldplay's song (which I thought wasn't too bad of a scene actually), and the crane scene.

The whole movie just seemed like a blur honestly. Nothing had a real impact for me.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Would you consider yourselves strong Spidey fans?

We range from pretty big comic geeks to casual viewers.

However, that's irrelevant, IMO. Enjoyment of a comic or character shouldn't impact your opinion on whether or not a movie was good.

Garfield was a better Parker/Spider-Man than Maguire, to be sure, but he still doesn't really feel like Peter Parker completely, just a collection of aspects of his personality. He's smart, he's brooding, he's James Dean, he cracks jokes, but they don't feel like multiple facets of one character. ASM is a pretty disjointed movie on several fronts.

 

[Skiesofwonder]

Would you consider yourselves strong Spidey fans?

I grew up reading the Spiderman comics. He is my favorite superhero of all-time. Yes, Spiderman, Peter Parker, and even Gwen were the best they have ever been on screen. But, that doesn't make up for a bad superhero movie with shitty villain.

I will say though that my nephew-in-law is a big spider-man fan, and he walked out saying it was the best of the four. Then again, he liked The Incredible Hulk as well.

 

[Eidan]

I don't believe the debate is whether or not the Harry Potter theme is more memorable or "hummable". If you go play Elfman's Spiderman theme for a random person, I believe most people would say "that's Spiderman".

Iconic - of, pertaining to, or characteristic of an icon.

Yes, our opinions clash on that.

But to say that Elfman's Spiderman theme is in no way memorable is idiotic and hyperbolic because it's even obvious through this thread that this is not the case. Plenty of people remember Elfman's Spiderman theme.

I mention Harry Potter's theme because it is a recent film score that I consider to be iconic, whereas Elfman's Spider-Man is not. I believe only ardent fans of the films or Spider-Man buffs would ever recognize it. Most people would shrug their shoulders.

And I hardly think that a GAF thread meant to specifically discuss a Spider-Man film is the best indicator of whether Elfman's Spider-Man theme is iconic or not. Unless you think GAF is usually a great gauge of the interests and knowledge of the general public.

 

[Templar Wizard]

the cut-down fps scenes were a crime. as was the the HORRIBLE scoring throughout the movie. from piano stabs to 'emotional cues' ugh.

the 'action' scenes were brutal, but the main cast were great, roll on the second, better movie.

 

[Neffarias_Bredd]

the cut-down fps scenes were a crime. as was the the HORRIBLE scoring throughout the movie. from piano stabs to 'emotional cues' ugh.

the 'action' scenes were brutal, but the main cast were great, roll on the second, better movie.

Are you saying that the action scenes were brutally bad or that the action was brutal? Because I don't really agree with either view. The action scenes were awesome though, spiderman moved exactly like he should. Wish there were more scenes

 

[Mariolee]

We range from pretty big comic geeks to casual viewers.

However, that's irrelevant, IMO. Enjoyment of a comic or character shouldn't impact your opinion on whether or not a movie was good.

Garfield was a better Parker/Spider-Man than Maguire, to be sure, but he still doesn't really feel like Peter Parker completely, just a collection of aspects of his personality. He's smart, he's brooding, he's James Dean, he cracks jokes, but they don't feel like multiple facets of one character. ASM is a pretty disjointed movie on several fronts.

But it does, which is what makes it wholly relevant. It seems from my admittedly small collection of anecdotal evidence and surveying that the most casual the Spidey fan, the more enjoyment they'll take out of this film, which should be obvious. It pretty much applies to every single major franchise based on a series that originally took place in another medium. However, because they know less about Spidey aside from the Raimi films, they are more prone to simply taking the film at face value and seeing it as it is: a pretty good movie. Although Garfield may not have nailed Peter the comic book character, it seems that Garfield's spin has created his own version of Parker. You say that his different character facets feel disjointed and incongruous with each other, but when I was watching the film that never really occurred to me because I know plenty of people who are exactly like that, myself included.

I grew up reading the Spiderman comics. He is my favorite superhero of all-time. Yes, Spiderman, Peter Parker, and even Gwen were the best they have ever been on screen. But, that doesn't make up for a bad superhero movie with shitty villain.

I will say though that my nephew-in-law is a big spider-man fan, and he walked out saying it was the best of the four. Then again, he liked The Incredible Hulk as well.

I see. I also liked The Incredible Hulk. And The Fantastic Four films for whatever its worth, which seem to get a lot of flak on GAF.

 

[kunonabi]

So, outside of internet forums, it seems that pretty much everyone I know (who I consider casual moviegoers) like the Amazing Spider-Man way more than the Raimi films. Take that as you will. What about your friends, GAF?

I went with 4 other people and they all preferred ASM. I disliked the Raimi films from the beginning but they enjoyed them aside from 3.

Whenever I hear the Spidey and Potter themes out of context it always takes me awhile to figure out what they are. They sound familiar but my mind always jumps to a few other things first before settling on them. The first time I heard the Potter theme I thought they jacked it from another film.

 

[KorrZ]

So, outside of internet forums, it seems that pretty much everyone I know (who I consider casual moviegoers) like the Amazing Spider-Man way more than the Raimi films. Take that as you will. What about your friends, GAF?

I've discovered this as well. I went with 4 friends, one of them an insanely huge Spider-man fan (has a ton of the comics, plays all the games, seen all the tv shows) and we all absolutely loved it. Seems most of the people I've talked to at work who've seen it liked it a lot too.

It's almost an unwritten rule that if the internet hates something, the general population probably thinks it's pretty good.

 

[Salaadin]

I went with 3 others. 3 of us felt like it was equal to or better than Raimis SM1 and the other was iffy on her stance but generally liked the movie.

As far as the score goes, I liked it. Its not as good as Raimis but got the job done for me. Im a huge fan of the original score too. That song that plays during the SM2 intro gives me goosebumps.

 

[Zeliard]

Are you saying that the action scenes were brutally bad or that the action was brutal? Because I don't really agree with either view. The action scenes were awesome though, spiderman moved exactly like he should. Wish there were more scenes

The action scenes were generally well-choreographed and the stunt work was impressive, but it was hard to care about anything that was happening beyond the visuals.

 

[Anton Sugar]

But it does, which is what makes it wholly relevant. It seems from my admittedly small collection of anecdotal evidence and surveying that the most casual the Spidey fan, the more enjoyment they'll take out of this film, which should be obvious. It pretty much applies to every single major franchise based on a series that originally took place in another medium. However, because they know less about Spidey aside from the Raimi films, they are more prone to simply taking the film at face value and seeing it as it is: a pretty good movie. Although Garfield may not have nailed Peter the comic book character, it seems that Garfield's spin has created his own version of Parker. You say that his different character facets feel disjointed and incongruous with each other, but when I was watching the film that never really occurred to me because I know plenty of people who are exactly like that, myself included.

I think die-hard fans, as well as casual fans, can appreciate and really enjoy film adaptations, as long as they maintain the base motivations of the characters and what drives them through their story. That's really up to the director/writer to bring out in the story, though--if they create a compelling story, then it your familiarity with the source material is gonna take a backseat to your enjoyment.

the cut-down fps scenes were a crime. as was the the HORRIBLE scoring throughout the movie. from piano stabs to 'emotional cues' ugh.

One of my friends: "Did Spider-Man just step on a piano?"

 

[Skiesofwonder]

I mention Harry Potter's theme because it is a recent film score that I consider to be iconic, whereas Elfman's Spider-Man is not. I believe only ardent fans of the films or Spider-Man buffs would ever recognize it. Most people would shrug their shoulders.

And I hardly think that a GAF thread meant to specifically discuss a Spider-Man film is the best indicator of whether Elfman's Spider-Man theme is iconic or not. Unless you think GAF is usually a great gauge of the interests and knowledge of the general public.

Neither is what you think a casual-goer MIGHT think about Elfman's Spiderman theme.

 

[Skiesofwonder]

I've discovered this as well. I went with 4 friends, one of them an insanely huge Spider-man fan (has a ton of the comics, plays all the games, seen all the tv shows) and we all absolutely loved it. Seems most of the people I've talked to at work who've seen it liked it a lot too.

It's almost an unwritten rule that if the internet hates something, the general population probably thinks it's pretty good.

Transformers being a big example.

 

[Eidan]

Neither is what you think a casual-goer MIGHT think about Elfman's Spiderman theme.

Fair enough. You keep thinking that when people think Spider-Man, they think of Elfman's "instantly recognizable", "now THAT'S Spider-Man" tune. I'll keep thinking that people will continue to think of the cartoon's theme song until a composer steps up to the plate and does the character justice.

 

[Neffarias_Bredd]

The action scenes were generally well-choreographed and the stunt work was impressive, but it was hard to care about anything that was happening beyond the visuals.

Eh, I disagree. I cared about Peter and Gwen during the school scene

 

[rollingstart]

Well, nobody thought ASM would be so...mediocre. Raimi versions make it look amateurish.

You should see the old threads for this. Some people were hoping it'd be bad (slow ball down the center) and fail so business wizardry would give Marvel Spider-Man to use in future Avengers movies. Others were understandably apathetic towards reboots, and then comparisons to Raimi's films and the poor taste of Spider-Man still lingered. The trailers leading up to release didn't help...and that first doorman clip (that didn't even make it into the movie lol).

If you notice, most post who like it start with how it surprised them. Few had positive expectations for it. So, people tossing around horrible, abysmal, terrible, etc. to describe Blade Runner, ASM's score, and other recent gaf threads are way off. Sony's marketing of ASM is the true ultimate shit deserving of those words.

edit: regarding non-forum people anecdotal reactions, it's usually: disinterested in ASM, followed by mentioning how excited they are for Dark Knight Rises.

 

[noah111]

It's funny how much SM1 and ASM's scores should be in opposite films. There's a sense of realism and drama in Elfman's stuff that would be better suited for ASM, and there's a lot of cheesy uplifting stuff in Horner's that would fit right in with SM1's tone. Damn.

Regardless, I don't want either to return on ASM2. Find someone new to write something new, not rehash what's already been done or make an attempt at mimicking the previous themes.

 

[LosDaddie]

So, outside of internet forums, it seems that pretty much everyone I know (who I consider casual moviegoers) like the Amazing Spider-Man way more than the Raimi films. Take that as you will. What about your friends, GAF?

"It was good, just not anywhere near The Avengers"

That's was pretty much the consensus among my group of 4. The last time we all went to the movies together was for The Avengers. Next time will be for Batman.

None of us cared for a reboot, though.

 

[jaxword]

One of my friends: "Did Spider-Man just step on a piano?"

Piano can work during a fight scene, if done well:

www.metacafe.com/watch/3018092/advent_children_complete_tifa_vs_loz/

 

[Solo]

The entire trilogy just got reverse-SM3'd by ASM. Like... poetry...

Hahaha..... we need a new GIF!

 

[Demon Lizardman]

I actually really disliked this film, though Andrew Garfield didn't make a good Spiderman, loked more like a hipster than a nerd. The villain was boring as fuck, plot was predictable, in fact, everything was predictable. I just wanted it to end about 45 minutes into the movie, I though Emma Stone was cute though but that can be my penis talking. I thought Raimi's Spiderman 1 and 2 were better.

 

[THE-Pink-Dagger]

Some of the replies in this thread are surreal, I just cant understand how anyone can think that TASM is bad, I mean seriously. Do you even know how to characterize something as bad?! Bad is Transformers, bad is Clash Of The Titans, bad is Ghost Rider.

I mean, GAF hyperbole as always, I still love you guys but man......

 

[JB1981]

Yea but you love every movie.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Yeah, I've noticed that most of my IRL friends prefer TASM to Raimi-Man. I think SM2 is better, but most people I know seem to think TASM is better or the same as SM2 and easily better than SM1/3.

 

[THE-Pink-Dagger]

Yea but you love every movie.

That's not true. I go see movies that I have interest in and that I know at some level, before seeing those, that I'm going to like or love them.

2012 has been a great year so far and yeah I loved plenty of movies: 21 Jump Street, The Hunger Games, On The Road, Moonrise Kingdom, The Avengers, The Amazing Spider-Man, John Carter, etc

I'm not a nitpicky whore (not insulting anyone btw ), I do pay a lot of attention to the cinematography, framing and acting, but I'm not picking apart every single thing that's wrong with the movie or being self-conscious the whole time.

 

[Anton Sugar]

I'm not a nitpicky whore (not insulting anyone btw ), I do pay a lot of attention to the cinematography, framing and acting, but I'm not picking apart every single thing that's wrong with the movie or being self-conscious the whole time.

But there are things that are wrong with ASM that don't require nit-picking. It's far from perfect, and I'd argue it's far from great. It's a good movie, but I'm not going to go out and tell everyone to see it.

 

[Anth0ny]

So, outside of internet forums, it seems that pretty much everyone I know (who I consider casual moviegoers) like the Amazing Spider-Man way more than the Raimi films. Take that as you will. What about your friends, GAF?

Indeed.

But all those same friends came out of Transformers 2 and 3 claiming they were fucking amazing. So yeah.


As for the theme song discussion, I'd consider Elfman's Spidey theme iconic. I don't know about you, but I can't watch this:

without hearing the song playing in my head.

 

[Skiesofwonder]

Some of the replies in this thread are surreal, I just cant understand how anyone can think that TASM is bad, I mean seriously. Do you even know how to characterize something as bad?! Bad is Transformers, bad is Clash Of The Titans, bad is Ghost Rider.

I mean, GAF hyperbole as always, I still love you guys but man......

I would classify those movies as horrible. For me it is like:

God Awful: Street Fighter Chun Li, Dragonball
Horrible: Transformers, Ghost Rider
Bad: Spider-Man 3, Incredible Hulk
Mediocre: Amazing Spider-Man, Superman Returns, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man 2
Good: Iron Man, Spider-Man, Batman Begins
Great: Avengers, Spiderman 2, The Dark Knight
Amazing: Rocky, Seven Samurai, etc.

I tried to keep the scale as action/superhero as possible for comparison sake (I have seen no superhero movie that has broke into my amazing category).

 

[THE-Pink-Dagger]

But there are things that are wrong with ASM that don't require nit-picking. It's far from perfect, and I'd argue it's far from great. It's a good movie, but I'm not going to go out and tell everyone to see it.

Well, I dont see them. Lizard is an okay villain, but otherwise, I have no issues with it, I love 1 and 2 (especially 2), enjoyed the third one despite its flaws, but TASM is better than 1, and 3, and IMO close to 2. I want to see an extended cut but I'm not gonna cry over it, it's obvious that Sony got scared.

Remember the reaction when the second trailer came out and there was this clear vibe that Richard had something to do with Pete becoming Spider-Man, fans were bitching and they all seemed to hate it.

Internet has too much influence now.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

I would classify those movies as horrible. For me it is like:

God Awful: Street Fighter Chun Li, Dragonball
Horrible: Transformers, Ghost Rider
Bad: Spider-Man 3, Incredible Hulk
Mediocre: Amazing Spider-Man, Superman Returns, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man 2
Good: Iron Man, Spider-Man, Batman Begins
Great: Avengers, Spiderman 2, The Dark Knight
Amazing: Rocky, Seven Samurai, etc.

I tried to keep the scale as action/superhero as possible for comparison sake (I have seen no superhero movie that has broke into my amazing category).

TASM is on the Good level and Iron Man is on the Mediocre level, IM2 and Superman Returns are on the Bad level.

 

[K-19]

Some of the replies in this thread are surreal, I just cant understand how anyone can think that TASM is bad, I mean seriously. Do you even know how to characterize something as bad?! Bad is Transformers, bad is Clash Of The Titans, bad is Ghost Rider.

I mean, GAF hyperbole as always, I still love you guys but man......

The first Transformer was nice.

 

[Anth0ny]

TASM is on the Good level and Iron Man is on the Mediocre level, IM2 and Superman Returns are on the Bad level.

You're wrong. His list is perfect.

 

[Skiesofwonder]

TASM is on the Good level and Iron Man is on the Mediocre level, IM2 and Superman Returns are on the Bad level.

I could potentially consider moving those three down, but no way (imo) is ASM "good" or somehow better then Iron Man. Robert Downey JR. himself trumphs everything ASM has to offer.

 

[Emwitus]

Well, the movie theater where i was had people clapping at the end of the movie. I haven't heard that since star trek. Go figure.

 

[krameriffic]

The action scenes were generally well-choreographed and the stunt work was impressive, but it was hard to care about anything that was happening beyond the visuals.

I felt some internal disconnect whenever they transitioned from wacky, CG webslinging and ultra-acrobatic Spiderman to realistic, live-action stuntman Spiderman in much smaller sets moving much more slowly and interacting with the real world. The best example I can remember is one of the first times when he's using the web shooters. He jumps off a building, shoots his web, begins swinging and then ends up landing awkwardly on an umbrella on a picnic table on the side of the street (shot in live action). It just looked goofy and disjointed to have both in the same movie.

 

[noah111]

ASM in the same category as IMI2/Thor/CA makes no sense to me. Otherwise decent list.

 

[TacticalFox88]

Well, the movie theater where i was had people clapping at the end of the movie. I haven't heard that since star trek. Go figure.

I heard people clap at the end of Avengers, Spiderman 2, Transformers 1 and 3, The Dark Knight, Harry Potter DH part 2