Spider-man Movies

I remember when I first saw Spider-man, I thought so much of it was cheesy, and yet I loved it anyway.  It felt very much like a comic book, with corny humor and a silly bad guy.  But I really enjoyed it anyway and was anxious for the second one to come out.  When I saw part 2 in theaters, I was tremendously impressed and loved it far more than the first.  So much about it resonated with me.  And so with even greater anticipation I looked forward to part 3.  Like everyone else, I was disappointed.  So much of it bothered me, and though I tried to like it, so many things got in the way of true enjoyment.  I recently finally took the opportunity to watch the whole trilogy, but with some changes.  I watched Spider-man 2.1 second, which added several additional items.  This version is very enjoyable and I prefer it to the original cut.  Then I watched the Badscooter fan edit, Spider-man 3: Redemption.  This really was a good edit, and it's amazing how cutting certain things drastically improved the movie for me.  It's still not perfect, but it raises my enjoyment more than I can describe.  And it is with this thought that I feel really disappointed about the reboot of the franchise.  Whether someone prefers an edit or the original film, I really wish Sony and Raimi had wrapped up this series on a better note.  As a crummy film, the original is a sad way to end the series.  Even with a high quality edit, it is such a sad ending to the film, with the loss of Harry and the damaged relationship between MJ and Pete.  It would have been nice to see things get patched up and finish the series on a high note in Spidey 4.

I will confess that I enjoy The Amazing Spider-man.  But I loved the Raimi movies and would give anything to have them end better.

Threads of potential interest here, here, here, and here, 

I don't care for any of them.

The films or the threads.

I love the Hindi one.

Bingowings said:

Threads of potential interest here, here, here, and here, 

 Well, I guess I could have used one of those.  On the other hand, mine can be a bit more all-encompassing.  Thanks for the links, as they would be valuable if we are to continue using this thread for discussion.

I like the first one the most, and that's primarily due to Dafoe's performance (stupid green Jack Nicholson mask aside). I'm not so fond of Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane, though, anymore; she's just doesn't do the character any justice at all (and that shade of red they dyed her hair is atrocious).

The second one's okay, though I think Doc Ock really should have been more villainous like his comic book counterpart.

The third one is a real mess. There is a good movie somewhere under all the crap, though, so I don't hate it.

The reboot was a complete disappointment. Everything about it -- Peter's characterization, his relationship with his uncle, his relationship with Gwen, the Lizard's design -- was so horribly, horribly bungled. Whatever problems Raimi's films had, they're nowhere near as bad as the ones with this one. I'm not going to even bother with the sequel -- that's how bad the taste this movie left me with was.

Bingowings said:

The films or the threads.

Thanks for that statement.

TV's Frink said:

Bingowings said:

The films or the threads.

Thanks for that statement.

 You're welcome?

Sure, why not?

Finally watched Spider-man 3: No Sandman Edition.

Spoiler:

THERE IS NO SANDMAN!!!

End spoiler

In reality it was a very good edit.  I am amazed at how well the editor was able to excise all Sandman plot threads and footage, and how he tied Peter's anger and black suit to Harry and not Flint Marko.  The movie really did feel more focused on friendships and relationships, and I was tremendously pleased.  Redemption was probably more flawlessly executed, by virtue of being easier to pull off since it kept Sandman, albeit not as Uncle Ben's killer.  Nevertheless, this editor did an amazing job and except for in climactic scenes, I hardly noticed any obvious cuts that would have tipped me off that it was an edit, were I a first time viewer.  It was really impressive.  And though Redemption's editing was probably higher quality (again, it was an easier task), No Sandman Edition is how I would have preferred the story by far.  It really puts focus on the correct characters.

My suggestions to improve it, and it could be a perfect edit.  1) I'll never get over Brock, Edward Brock Jr.'s annoying voice, especially once in the Venom suit.  An editor once deepened Rachel Dawes' voice for Batman Begins, and many folks found Katie Holmes' acting much improved for it.  I wonder if a simple deepening would improve his menace, or perhaps some other voice alteration. 2) I wish something could be digitally done to remove those $0.50 vampire teeth he wears when his mask pulls back.  Better yet would be editing it so if it ever does pull back, it would only happen once for a moment as a reveal to Pete that it was Eddie behind the attack.  Otherwise I really don't care to see his face at all.  3) In a perfect world, deleted scenes would be released that could be reincorporated into this edit.  I'd really like to see more of Peter in the black suit.  Without Sandman, Peter doesn't indulge nearly as long in his dark side with the suit, so his transformation to evil and back to good is pretty brief.  It would be nice to see him do more stupid, angry things.  4) The most bothersome edit was the removal of the line to Harry that Peter "can't take them both," and the following reveal of the damage to Harry's face.  Since there is no "both" in this edit, Harry merely is hiding in the shadows, then we cut to Peter, then back to Harry who suddenly is in the light with a screwed up face.  I suspect reworking the audio a bit could have preserved his step out of the shadows.  Similarly, a little work on the MJ rescue/double attack on Venom could have clarified what was going on a little better, as once Harry arrived on the scene, it became a bit confusing.

This editor left in things that folks found annoying, such as Disco Pete and other such things.  I personally did not mind this stuff, and I found it to be humorous and silly, part of the corniness that I actually enjoy from this series.  It helped keep the movie at a respectable length as well.

All in all, I superbly enjoyed this edit and recommend it to anyone who wants a better version of Spidey 3

I'd have to say the Spiderman 2.1 is my goto of the 3.  Number 3 could have been far better of course.  Number 1 is still good due to DaFoe's acting, he really does make a great comic book villain in to something more tangible which I like. 

As for Amazing Spiderman ..... I'm not convinced just yet.  I have the first 1 on Bluray (I was hesitant to buy it at all) and there isn't a big feeling of impending doom to it.  It just kinda is.  Now, if number 2 comes off better which I suspect it might, I may have a change of heart.  All we can do is wait and see.

I agree, there was a lot to like about Sandman.  I just feel his story was so disconnected that it really didn't fit into the rest of the film.  I wish a whole movie could focus more on him (not as Ben's killer, as you pointed out, but a potentially sympathetic villain), but this movie just didn't do any characters proper justice, most particularly Sandman.  I feel the No Sandman Edition managed to do amazingly well with the remaining plot threads, giving everyone else proportionally more time and placing better emphasis on the relationships of the various characters.  I really liked Redemption for improving the original plot, but I like this even better for changing it so drastically.

I'd be interested in seeing your edits whenever you get around to them.  Good luck.

I rather liked the games associated with the first two Raimi films (worth the price of Bruce Campbell's tutorial narration alone).

I'd be interested in Spider-Man's home movies.

Okay?

Happy now

Bingowings said:

Happy now

 Thanks for letting me know you are happy.

I rather liked Spider-Man 3. 

Except at the end, when Peter was all "My personal journey of understanding forgiveness means that a murderer, thief, monster should get away scott free."

I'd rather see Eric Forman removed from Spider-Man 3 than Sandman.

darth_ender said:

I agree, there was a lot to like about Sandman.  I just feel his story was so disconnected that it really didn’t fit into the rest of the film.  I wish a whole movie could focus more on him (not as Ben’s killer, as you pointed out, but a potentially sympathetic villain), but this movie just didn’t do any characters proper justice, most particularly Sandman.  I feel the No Sandman Edition managed to do amazingly well with the remaining plot threads, giving everyone else proportionally more time and placing better emphasis on the relationships of the various characters.  I really liked Redemption for improving the original plot, but I like this even better for changing it so drastically.

I’d be interested in seeing your edits whenever you get around to them.  Good luck.

Would you mind taking a look into an edit of the movie I did? As a basic outline, I took out Marco as Ben’s killer, limited the jokes and inserted the deleted scenes, not just to add more scenes, but because each deleted scene added character development. Marco is now a sympathetic villain. Peter’s relationship with the suit now perfectly parallels drug addiction. I found the symmetry between a good guy doing bad and a bad guy aiming to be good perfect.