The Amazing Spider-Man, not so amazing after all

This is my own review & thoughts about the film(s). They're meant to be subjective, so don't take it too serious. If you're not happy about it, feel free to read other articles/entries or you can reply in the comment section. Just don't get nasty. :)

I for one am not a big fan of the new Spider-Man reboot. One thing for sure is that it was a huge mistake to reboot the franchise. Although, Spider-Man 3 is relatively to its predecessors a big pile of turd, it didn't kill the franchise, much less get close to. Just think, although SPOILER ALERT Venom & Eddie Brock was killed at the end of the film, there's still that remaining symbiote sample that Peter gave to Dr Connors earlier in the film. Heck, they can even use Dr Connors as the next villain for the next film (which they eventually did with the reboot).

This guy doesn't even need to transform into the Lizard to haunt my dreams - that facial expression itself would just do.

Alas, they eventually decided to restart over the whole franchise which was all unnecessary, considering the previous one still had a lot of potential left. Before I talk about why I dislike the new Spider-Man, I'll make it a fair argument by stating the merits of it first. 

Which to me, is pointless.

THE BESTS OF THE REBOOT

Andrew Garfield plays a great Spider-Man in the film & so did Emma Stone as his love interest, Gwen Stacy. I love the chemistry between the two of them which I think is much better than their previous counterparts. I'm not sure about the comics, but there's always a great frustation between Peter & Mary Jane Watson in Sam Raimi's version. I always have this feeling - I blame the screenwriters for this - that  Mary Jane was only interested in Peter because he's Spider-Man. In other words, I see her kind of being a bitch.

At least she's a hot bitch.

Another great aspect of the reboot is that the filmmakers decided to stay closer to the comic books than Raimi did by having Peter inventing is own "web-shooters." It really did show us that Peter was really a "special" kid before being bitten by the radioactive spider, something Raimi should really be envy for not thinking of the same thing. Plus, it was kind of creepy & disgusting to think where did the sticky webs originate from in Raimi's version. It makes me think of ...

That explains everything now.

I'm not going to say anything about the costumes & the special effects of both versions because they are both top-notched for a film from their own respective time. The action scenes in both incarnations are also spectacularly choreographed. 

The best CGI I have seen in years.

THE BESTS OF SAM RAIMI'S TRILOGY

Now here comes the problem with the reboot: the villains. Even after the newly-released sequel, my prime beef is still with the villains. They're all so thinly-writen & we couldn't care much about them, no matter how much we want to. Doc Ock from Spider-Man 2 is still the best villain of them all but the filmmakers repeated the same mistake as Spider-Man 3 did by cramping in 3 villains into the same film. The Lizard, no matter how ugly some people think it was designed, was still okay. We get to see his humane side, his motives, though his character is still underdeveloped. The Electro, on the other hand, was so dull. You attacked other people because you needed attention from others? His misunderstanding with Spidey was also dull & it was a lame excuse to drive the plot forward. I also think Harry Osborne's transition into the Green Goblin was way too early. They should've saved him for the next film. 

Because out of all Spider-Man villains, let's use the Green Goblin twice.

The special thing about Raimi's Spider-verse was his style & technique of filmmaking. I still think The Dark Knight is the best superhero film of all time but if you're looking for the best comic book film of all time, I'd say Spider-Man 2. His films are corny at times but the fast-paced technique & "jumpy" soundtrack really make you feel like watching a comic book coming to life. He really did capture the text balloons & the "wham!" effects of the comic books the films were based of. The reboot feels more like many other superhero films out there: heavy with special effect but with nothing special to offer. 

Like I said, the best CGI I have seen in years.

Remember when I said Garfield plays a great Spider-Man? Well, he's not a great Peter Parker. I don't blame him, but he lacks the nerdy character that many audiences can relate to through  Tobey Maguire. Maguire's Peter was really flawed & we pity him. The emotional scene between Peter & Uncle Ben in Raimi's films were also more emotional. I have this feeling that girls were flocking at the cinemas just to see Garfield because he's a good-looking guy. I was afraid of this because the reboot has now become a new Twilight franchise & I become more suspicious when someone told me that Sony's making the reboot just to hold on to the rights to make Spider-Man filsm & just get cash out of naive filmgoers. 

Wait, hold on. They only want my money? I should've seen that when they forced Raimi to cram in the Venom before rebooting.

Lastly, Sam Raimi's ace in the hole - J.K. Simmons as  J, Jonah Jameson.

They should've made a spin-off based on him instead of rebooting the franchise.

In summary, although the reboot has some great aspects, I still prefer Raimi's Spidey-verse. I don't mind the reboot being based on The Ultimate Marvel Universe & I don't mind about the short screentime the Rhino gets in the second film - I blame the guys in marketing for overhyping it. A sequel & a spin-off based on the Sinister Six have been announced & I hope Sony can finally learn from their past mistakes & save this franchise before eventually (let's admit, they're going to do it) rebooting it again.

Spoiler alert

Thanks for reading & let me know what you think of this article by writing in the comment section below. I don't even mind if our opinions differ, just don't be rude. :)

*all images belong to their respective owners*

Remembrance of Courage Past Review

It is not stranger to us all that most animated films have always included heartfelt scenes that were meant to teach us a value about life. Scenes that require us men to hammer our walls with our fists for us to feel masculine again.

I am looking at you, Disney.

But what about animated television series? Movies have the potential to develop the characters & the plot in an average of 70 minutes or so but how can one give such an emotional moment in just about 20 minutes of less? Disney's Up manages to beat that feat just by its prologue but there is one obscured show that I would like to share...

Stop it, Disney.

Peers from my generation who grew up watching Cartoon Network know how much things have changed for the cartoon-based cable. Though I believe there are some new decent shows but, many will agree with me when I say the quality of recent cartoons shown have steadily flopped. Nevertheless, all who grew up watching Cartoon Network will remember a show called, "Courage the Cowardly Dog."

The same one that gave us this nightmare.

I admit, I did not even flinch when Mufasa died in The Lion King but I did pour my tears out after watching the episode "Remembrance of Courage Past." SPOILER ALERT!!! The episode showcased Courage's past on how did he lose his parents & eventually ending up under the care of Muriel.

After watching this show so many times, I often overlook this shot in the opening credit. Who knew the creator, Mr Dilworth, still had a few tricks up his sleeves.

Told from a non-linear narrative, the episode alternates between scenes of present Courage & infant Courage through a series of flashbacks, where Courage is reminded of his past after seeing a "MISSING PETS" notice on a milk carton. Clearly even after all these years the event still haunts him & thinking he is sick, Muriel decides to take him to a veterinarian - the same one that is solely responsible for Courage being an orphan.

I cried myself to sleep when I found out that I am never going to grow a moustache as manly as his dad did.

I am not going to describe this episode in detail but what I can say is that for an 11-minute short, it is absolutely brilliant & its effect is still profound in my life till this very day. Like any other episodes, we are shown laugh-out-load surreal imageries that are completely balanced out by the episode's melancholic & piano-heavy soundtrack, It perfectly captures the tone & mood of the environment & I still cry even after repeated viewings. 

This is not the first time for the show to dwell into an adult-related theme. Themes such as poverty, physical abuse, prostitution, corruption, etc. are sublimely prevalent in other episodes & I think that is why it is tough for us to relate to today's cartoons. It is such a shame that this is the last-two episode of the series because it is still one of the best ones that Cartoon Network had ever aired before the series sadly ended.

If you have some spare time, check out this episode on Youtube & let me know what you think of it (as well as of this article) in the comments section below. Thanks for reading & have a nice day. 

Let me just leave this thing here.

*all images belong to their respective owners*

Why I Created This Blog?

So, few friends of mine started blogging for the past few months & with some suggestions from others, I decided to give it a try. After viewing my previous posts on Facebook, I thought I should really elaborate the topics because a sentence or two does not tell people much what is really going inside my head. I have read some benefits on blogging but my prime reasons for creating one are to improve my writing & broaden my views & perceptions on life & pop culture.

Pictured: Not me 

I treat my blog as a journal & I hope I will not go half-assed on it by only writing it for a year or so. I want to improve myself, so do not be afraid to correct me & if I have not posted anything for a long time, give me a nudge.