Easy: I had watched the earlier versions.
That’s not the problem, though.
[mild spoilers about Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises follow]
Mark Webb’s (I do sense a conspiracy of irony with that director’s name) The Amazing Spider-Man is a visually spectacular reboot for Sony Pictures in a way that could never be accomplished in its original 2002 version, and it’s dark. Andrew Garfield gives a naturalistic performance as the shy, awkward, loner Peter Parker (as opposed to the traditional “dorky” Pete), and Emma Stone *is* Gwen Stacy—perhaps even a more interesting Gwen Stacy than the one on the printed page. Weak lizard effects aside, Rhys Ifans gives a solid performance as Dr. Curt Connors, but the villain’s story – and this is probably more a fault of the source material – is the same story we saw in 2002, only with William Defoe as the Goblin, in an equally unconvincing green mask. In the first film, once Peter is faced with the death of Uncle Ben, the Aunt May subplot—which, when it comes down to it, is the heart of any Spider-Man series -- is dropped. The part where New Yorkers come together is replicated from the first film, but on a larger scale. J. Jonah Jameson is absent, and Denis Leary barely cracks any jokes. These are dour times for non-Marvel Studios produced superheroes.
So apart from Garfield’s distinct portrayal of Peter (and I do think he has more presence and better wisecracks as Spider-Man than Tobey Maguire did, which is not to say that MacGuire wasn’t a good Peter Parker), and apart from some teases about Peter’s unknown history, what did this reboot accomplish?
Not much.
The Amazing Spider-Man is an entertaining two hours, and, to the filmmakers’ credit, holds the attention longer than the second half of the original, but it’s not a film that has or will set the world on fire. It is what it is: A way for Sony to keep making Spidey movies.
The Dark Knight Rises is Nolan’s final film in his Batman trilogy. Honestly, when I heard that this was the last one of the current Batman incarnation, after only eight years, I thought, “What a waste. There are so many more stories to tell.” And even after seeing the new film, I’d loved to have seen more—maybe films set between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. I originally didn’t think The Dark Knight was “all that” when I saw it – I found it overrated, pretentious, and confusing in places (not story-wise, but in terms of the film editing of certain sequences, namely the fights). But now that I’ve seen it again, in the context of the series—it shows what a master craftsman Nolan has become.
I’m pleased to say that not only did Nolan rectify the problems of his earlier work, not only did he take from his previous films and draw on their themes, but he did it in a way that honored the Batman legacy (as opposed to “franchise” -- a crucial distinction), borrowed from the source material (see “Knightfall,” “No Man’s Land,” Talia Al Ghul and the modern Catwoman series), and made it all his own – and all the while, made it about the individuals, the characters who populated Batman’s world and who have to deal with the harsh reality of that world in Batman’s absence.
In the end when Blake enters the Batcave in a moment which suggests he will take up the mantle of the bat, we see that while his is a literal takeover, Nolan is telling us that the fight to keep society social, to keep humanity humane, is not fought by those wearing cowls and capes, but by those who make the right decisions, who advocate for integrity, and who are willing to sublimate (if not sacrifice) their needs for the greater good. The film has twists, turns, and surprises, not the least of which is that the acts which the characters and the audience believe to be acts of terrorism end up being just another revenge tale—and even then, we have to wonder if Nolan isn’t trying to tell us something political there, too.
Up, up and – stay tuned!