Freud and Superheroes: The Structural Model of the Psyche

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In spite of whatever standing he currently has in the psychology world, Sigmund Freud’s theories on how the human mind works has been of great influence on the creation of fictional characters. In particular, Freud’s the structural model of the psyche, which he wrote about in his essays “Beyond the Pleasure Principle” and “The Ego and the Id”, has often appeared either directly, or as subtext, in numerous video games, comic books, novels and movies. Mostly his theories appear as symbolism or in the structure for the narrative, but for the purpose of this article we are going to use it as a tool for analysis, as it was originally intended, to see how they relate to some of the most popular super heroes in comic-book culture. Namely how Freud’s theory of the id, the ego, and the super-ego are reflected in the personalities and traits of Batman, Superman, and Marvel’s most popular superheroes.

The most basic part of Freud’s structural model of the psyche is the id. The id is essentially the most instinctual, or animalistic, part of the psyche. Its basic function is to seek out pleasure while avoiding pain, for the purpose of satisfying the unconscious needs of the person. However, the id is a complicated beast that often tries to satisfy contrary impulses that somehow exist side by side. Furthermore, it resides in the darkest part of the human psyche, the subconscious, and is generally seen as the most independent of the three parts of the psyche. This might seem like a stretch, but despite his intelligence and ability to rationalize, I’ve always seen Batman as a character almost completely driven by his id. I know this sounds strange, but here me out.

Trust me, this won’t be that much of a hard sell.

Let’s start at the beginning. Bruce Wayne’s impetuous for becoming Batman stems from the trauma he experienced when his parents were murdered right in front of him. Throughout all incarnations of the character, not only are his parents’ deaths the most painful and haunting experience that Wayne has endured, but it is also his ultimate motivation for becoming a vigilante. By assuming the Batman persona, Bruce turns his horrible experience into a call to action, which acts as a form of therapy helping him deal with his grief and anger. Wayne’s identity as Batman helps soothe the pain of his parents’ loss, and prevents him from having to witness others befall his fate. In addition, his trauma represents a time that he felt complete weakness, which is only remedied by the strength that Batman possesses. It’s often glossed over that after Wayne’s parents died, he disappeared for a period of time to acquire the strength that would later turn him into the caped crusader. However, although multiple retellings of the story differ on when he started this training, they are all in agreement that while he was acquiring his skills, Bruce Wayne had yet to form the intention of being a vigilante. What this means is that Wayne was driven to become a master of martial arts, acrobatics, escapism, stealth, etc, through unconscious and irrational desires. The majority of skills that Wayne develops during this period are those of defending oneself or escaping from dangerous situations, skills that would have helped him in the moments his parents were shot. This indicates that they were all developed via unconscious mechanisms to help him deal with his trauma, and the feelings of weakness it caused. As such, it was really Bruce’s unconscious response to his id that set him on the road to becoming the Batman.

Ok, not convinced, I don’t blame you, but we’re just scratching the surface. As stated before, the id is the most instinctual and animalistic of the three parts of the psyche, which is a pretty important fact to remember when you are discussing a man that dresses up like a bat. Wayne’s choice to represent himself as a bat represents his desire to prey on the irrational instincts of his enemies, namely the instinct of fear. Throughout all of western civilization and history, the bat has been among the most reviled creatures and feared creatures, despite it being relatively harmless to humans. Bats are a major symbol of fear, and have not only been demonized on their own, but also vicariously as their iconic wings have been added to many fearsome legendary creatures, as the devil, western dragons, gargoyles and even the mighty Cthulhu.

The god we deserve, but not the one we need right now.

As a basic instinct, fear has its origins in the id, and can be one of the hardest to control without strong mental conditioning. As Batman, Bruce Wayne seeks to take advantage of this fact, making prey out of the fear of petty criminals, while successful taking control of his own.

Still don’t see it? Fine, well there’s a lot of smaller stuff to consider too. Much like the desires of the id, Batman frequently finds himself at odds with contrary desires. Chiefly that he wants to clean-up the criminal element in Gotham, but by being a vigilante, he himself is a criminal. Then there’s the fact that his base of operations is a subterranean hideout called The Batcave, which is similar to how the id resides in the subconscious. In addition, as the id is the most independent part of the psyche, Batman is frequently seen as the most autonomous character among the DC superheroes, sometimes being depicted as non-member of the Justice League, due to his own resignation or because of his inability to trust or work with its other members. There also the fact that Batman operates in a world that more or less possesses the same laws as reality, but he doesn’t seem to be bothered by that fact. As with humans in the real world, Batman could easily be killed by the many dangers his lifestyle throws at him, but his need to be Batman outweighs his respect for reality. Much like the id there is no reasoning with him; Bruce Wayne is willing to sacrifice his life to satisfy his desires as Batman, because it is the only thing that relieves pain he feels for the death of his parents.

Although it is often seen as the third part of Freud’s structure of the psyche, I actually want to talk about the super-ego next because it plays an integral role in characterizing the final part, the ego. Essentially, the super-ego seeks the perfection of one’s self, and strives to be completely socially acceptable. It acts in complete opposition to the id, as it helps contain our needs and desires, especially when the conflict with the rules of society. The super-ego also acts as the core of a person’s morality, and has a father-like tendency to cause a person to be highly self-critical when they fail at living up to the standards that they have set for themselves, or society has set for them. As such, I think it’s an easy sell that Superman is a near-perfect analogue of Freud’s depiction of the super-ego.

Basic observations about Superman can reflect his connection to the super-ego. For starters, he is an intensely moral character, often referred to as “the big blue boy scout” by both friends and enemies because of his paragon behavior. He’s also fond of imparting inspirational and heart-felt messages to those who look up to him, giving him the appearance of a respectful father figure. Many people regard Superman to be the perfect superhero, not only because he is an exemplary role-model, but also due to the intensity and multitude of his powers. Superman has an entire suite of powerful abilities that are far beyond those of other superheroes and even super-villains in terms of destructive force. Yet still, Superman is very capable of keeping his various strengths in check, so as to not unintentionally bring unnecessary harm to either his opponents or those around him. Further, Superman has never used his powers or his status as a public figure for great personal gain, instead only using them to benefit the world at large, either as a crime-fighter or as exemplar for the ideal citizen.

I got this picture 1 week ago, and I’ve been smoking two packs a day ever since.

So it’s pretty clear that Superman is a great parallel for the super-ego, but what is more interesting is what psychological factors has made him this way. Similar to how Batman’s trauma shaped his reliance on his id, Superman suffers a trauma that appeals to his super-ego. Although, one may think that I am talking about the destruction of the planet Krypton, its worth noting that Superman was a mere infant at the time and had no-knowledge of his parents, his planet, or even what Kryptonian culture was really like, so its destruction didn’t play a role in the development of his psyche for several years. In actuality, the trauma Super-man suffers occurs when, as a teenager, he realizes that he is not human, that Clark Kent is not his true name, and he may very well be the last member of his race. These are some pretty big revelations for him to deal with, as they force a momentary disconnect between Superman and humanity at large. Superman finds himself unable to return to the Kryptionian society he belongs to, but at the same time feels that he may never be fully apart of human society as his true self. Luckily, in some continuities, his answer comes from a prerecorded message from his father, Jor-El, who tells him to use his powers for good and become a guiding force for humanity. The presence of the super-ego utterly pervades this moment, because not only is Superman receiving moral instruction from a father-figure, but he is also being told to become the super-ego of humanity. Following the words of his father, Superman decides to integrate himself into human society by being the model of human morality. As such, being Superman gives him the important role of playing the super-ego for human society, which in turn fulfills his need to feel accepted.

The final part, but arguably the most important part, of Freud’s structure of the psyche is the ego. The ego is where the consciousness resides, although it itself is not completely conscious. Its main function is to separate what is real, and helps us organize our thoughts in context to the world around us. However, its task in doing so is greatly colored by the desires of both the id and the super-ego. The ego is in a constant struggle to satisfy the desires of the id, while also avoiding judgment from the super-ego, generally resorting to defense mechanisms whenever it fails to do so. Because the ego generally is concerned with consciousness and reality, there are actually quite a few superheroes may fit its processes well, but as I just used DC’s top two superheroes to discuss the id and the super-ego, I thought it would be fitting to use Marvel’s top two superheroes for the ego, namely Wolverine and Spider-man.

One of the things that make Wolverine’s an apt analogue to the ego is that he is a character that is unaware of his past. Although the reasoning switches through his incarnations, Wolverine is frequently shown suffering from retrograde amnesia, and is mostly unaware of who he truly is, or what he’s done in the past. Despite this, these things aren’t shown to bother him because of his knowledge of who he is presently. In other words, Wolverine is conscious of himself, but does not know of his past so his consciousness is not complete. Still, this lack of knowledge about himself doesn’t seem to bother Wolverine enough for him to actively seek out answers, as he usually faces more pertinent struggles in his attempts to live alone, and as a member of the X-men. Although Wolverine’s past has a habit of catching up to him, he is usually more focused on dealing with the reality of the present world and finding his place within it, than with getting definitive answers to who he once was.

It’s Wolverine’s struggle to find his place in the world that really makes him a good parallel for the ego, because it is a demonstration of his conflict between his own animalistic and human qualities. Much like how the ego must find a realistic balance between the id and the super-ego, Wolverine is trying to find a balance between his animalistic tendencies, or his social needs as a human being. Its clear that X-men mean a lot to Wolverine because they give him a social outlet and a purpose in his life which he needs to validate himself as a human, but they also impose social restrictions upon him that irritate his nature as an animal. Often Wolverine is unable to fully contain his animal instincts while around his fellow X-men, leading him to act aggressively or even violently while in their presence. This is a clear example of the defense mechanism of regression, which is a temporary or long term reversion of the ego to a less developed state, i.e. acting childishly, or wildly. In response to these outbursts, Wolverine usually abandons the team for a while, usually retreating to the seclusion of the wilds, so he can express his animal nature until he has them under his control again. This process represents Wolverine’s desire to not only control the needs of his id, but also to satisfy them as well. Wolverine recognizes that there is a beast inside of him, but he chooses not to let it overwhelm him, unlike his rival Sabretooth.

And everyone knows, Honey-Badger doesn’t care.

Of course, anyone who knows Spider-man will realize that his sense of self-consciousness is a key part of his character. Whether from his comedic monologues while web-slinging or the agony he displays over his failures in his personal life, Spider-man regularly shows himself as a character that is well aware of his own struggle to satisfy his personal desires in the context of reality. However, whereas Wolverine is a character that has trouble controlling his id, Spider-man’s key aspect as an analogue for the ego is the conflict he has with his super-ego. Like most superheroes Spider-man’s chief goal is to use his powers in socially responsible ways, as referenced in his motto “with great power comes great responsibility”. However, unlike most superheroes his will to do good is motivated almost entirely by the sense of guilt he feels for not having done enough to prevent his Uncle Ben’s death. Peter Parker blames himself for the death of his Uncle Ben, because he had an opportunity to stop his killer beforehand, and in response to the guilt he feels, he has resolves to become a socially responsible crime fighter as penance. This is a prime example of how the super-ego can punish the ego, as Parker’s super-ego is using the feeling of guilt to motivate him to act socially responsible. His feelings of guilt have caused Parker to attempt being a model citizen by using his powers to aid his world, often with the price of causing him sacrifice much of his personal life due to his service.

“Lost my job, Gwen Stacy died, Aunt May died, had to give up my hot wife to get her back. Good news is that things can’t get any worse for your friendly neighborhood Spider-man.”

It should be noted that Peter Parker, may not even like being Spider-man that much. In several story-arcs he often feels relieved when he loses his powers, because it also means a loss of his responsibilities to society. You can’t really blame him either. Despite his self-sacrifice, Spider-man is usually treated with intense cynicism from the very authorities he is trying to help, and is heavily criticized by the media of his world. Worse still, his Spider-man persona very often causes those he cares for most to be put into immediate danger, ironically contradicting his major reason for doing it in the first place. However, even when he fails to protect the ones he loves, such as Gwen Stacy, he usually chalks it up to him not trying hard enough, and soldiers on through the process with a new resolve. This too is a reflection of how the Super-ego punishes the ego, as it is an example of the use of its use of inferiority to prompt Spider-man to put even more energy into his self-appointed social-service. Parker’s story is one of someone who tries to satisfy the needs of his id, but completely fails due to the domination of his super-ego. Despite watching his life continuously crumble around him, he feels morally unable to abandon his duties as Spider-man, revealing how crucial it is for the ego to balance the needs of the id and the compulsions of the super-ego to prevent psychological, mental, and even physical tragedies.

To put it briefly, I hope all this has shown how Freud’s structural model of the psyche has helped characterize some of the most popular superheroes in comic-books, while also giving them internal conflicts that serve to make them interesting. On their own, these characters are incredibly fascinating, but finding what makes them tick gives them adds layers of depth and dimension making them seem like real people, rather that creations of fiction. At very least, discussing the psychological motivations and failing of one’s favorite superheroes and could cause their fans to be slightly more introspective about why one likes them in the first place.

Movie Review: The Dark Knight Rises

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Preface:

One of my fondest memories as a young child was when my father first introduced me to Star Wars. We watched the entire original trilogy in one night, and needless to say, my six year old mind was blown as I instantly fell in love with the universe’s story, characters and soundtrack. However, what left the biggest impression on me was noticing how much my father appreciated these films. My dad is the type that likes to add his own commentary track during movies, and while this is incredibly annoying during all other movies, discovering how the Star Wars trilogy influenced him and his generation, and how it changed film in their time, has always been a major part of why I appreciate the franchise.

After viewing the Dark Knight Rises, I believe that it is safe to say, that in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy my generation has found its Star Wars. I am fully aware that Peter Jackson’s fantastic Lord of The Rings trilogy is also a top contender for this honor, but whereas I see the LOTR films as an adaptation of a book series written for readers in the 1950’s, Nolan’s Batman films are works that were written specifically as films and carry messages for the world we are living right now. The Dark Knight trilogy often contains subtext that touches upon a multitude of hot button issues in today’s America such as: terrorism, class warfare, the ethics of wiretapping, economic depression, etc. Drawing a comparison between Star Wars and Nolan’s Batman films is an apt endeavor, because the films mirror each other in content, as they both chronicle the hero’s journey (albeit that Star War’s hero is the traditional hero archetype, while TDK opts for the dark hero archetype), while also being identical in quality (first entry is a good start; second is the best, because it has the characters at their lowest points; the third is the worst, but provides a fitting end). In addition, much like how Star Wars revolutionized the way film industry perceived special effects and cemented the appeal of sci-fi/fantasy films; The Dark Knight trilogy has highlighted the importance of dramatic writing in action movies, while helping the superhero genre gain a strong foothold in Hollywood. One day, after I make good on my promise to turn this into a blog about pop culture analysis, I’ll do an entry extensively deconstructing the two trilogies side by side, for the purpose of showing the ways they parallel each other.

Truly the greatest picture on the internet

For now though, I find it fundamentally important to praise Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy while its final installment is still in theaters. I had the extreme pleasure of attending The Dark Knight Marathon that several theaters across the country had offered. I was surprised at how, despite sitting in one seat for over 8 hours, my mind was completely absorbed by all three of the films, (especially the first two which grow better with repeated viewings). At the end of it all, the story told by TDK trilogy left me in a state of catharsis that I have not felt through cinema for a long time. I hope in the years to come I experience more movies that affect me on the same level these movies have, but for now I’m certain that if I ever have kids, I’ll be sure to introduce them to TDK trilogy while they are still young.

The Actual Review:

I’m not sure if anyone’s been able to tell by now, but I’m a bit of a Batman fan. To be honest, fan is cutting it short. I am one of those hyper-aggravating hardcore fan boys who worship Batman as if he is an all knowing and infallible god, and the true model for humanity. The kind of guy that dislikes Superman strictly for all the reasons that he is different from Batman. If I seem quiet or unable to maintain my focus at any time it’s probably because I’m either thinking about the novel I am writing, the screenplay I should be writing, the animated series I desperately want to produce when I am older, or all the ways Batman could beat up your favorite superhero simply because he’s Batman.

Bitches don’t know about my contingency plans

So yeah, I am the worst kind of person. Yet, all this being said, I’ve always been able to stay objective regarding the Christopher Nolan films, usually going into them with feelings of skepticism and a desire to criticize. Maybe it’s because my fanboyism requires me to hold Batman to a higher standard in terms of quality and fidelity to the source material, but I have never claimed that a Batman film was going to be great, or even good, until after I had seen it. With that in mind, I have no trouble saying that The Dark Knight Rises is an outstanding film that is sure to be among the best this year, and although it does contain a few very noticeable flaws in key areas, it offers a strong conclusion to The Dark Knight trilogy.

Let me start with the bad, in the hopes that I’ll make my way to the good. Interestingly enough, the most apparent misstep of this movie seems to be with its narrative. Don’t get me wrong, the overall story is near perfect and serves as another basis for my unnatural jealously of Christopher Nolan’s writing talents, but the way in which it is paced and structured present unavoidable problems, leaving it as a film with a damaged narrative rhythm. To briefly summarize, the story begins with Bruce Wayne, having spent the eight years since the events of The Dark Knight as a retired super-hero and social recluse, faced with the challenge of retaking his Batman persona for the purpose of stopping Bane, an intelligent yet intimidating terrorist with links to the first film’s enemy organization, The League of Shadows. Much like comic-book story the film is based on, Batman’s first physical encounter with Bane leaves him physically and spiritually broken, and he must learn how to repair his body and soul, for the purpose of defeating Bane before the villain destroys Gotham. Overall, The Dark Knight Rises is very dense and complicated, and filled with all the expertly executed plot-twists and character turns that the world has come to expect from a well crafted Christopher Nolan film, but I had to condense the story to this level to expose its structural weaknesses. The fact that Bruce Wayne starts out retired as Batman, presents the film’s first problem because it creates a situation where Wayne must first relearn to be Batman, which hesitates the major action for a significant amount of time. Part of the reason The Dark Knight was such a cinematic success was because Batman Begins had already set everything up, which left more room for Batman to be Batman. While on its own this wouldn’t be a major issue, when coupled with the fact that Batman has to rebuild himself again after Bane breaks him, Batman’s first major transformation seems redundant, and slows the narrative pace to a somewhat tedious progression.

That aside, however, The Dark Knight Rises is successful in almost all of its other endeavors. As any conclusion should, it builds the action to the highest in the series, and creates an atmosphere fully appropriate for the film’s level of drama. The script features great dialogue from all its characters, and even attempts at being genuinely funny in certain moments. The music also greatly aides the film, as scenes such as choir boy’s recital of the national anthem and the chants of the prisoners within the pit heighten the emotional objectives of their moments faithfully. Naturally, the film is also filled with some relevant thematic subtext, from it’s allusions to class warfare and social inequality, to its handling of Batman’s spiritual resurrection. However, the film does not seem to have a well-established central purpose, as the other films did. Still, the final moments of the TDKR are entirely satisfying, as they conclude the story of the trilogy reliably and provide an appropriate amount of closure for its most beloved characters.

As expected, all of the actors give admirable performances in their roles. As usual, Christian Bale plays a great Bruce Wayne/Batman, and fully engages the viewer’s interest in his struggles. Although I criticized the beginning, I am a fan of TDKR addresses in the immense spiritual and physical strain that being Batman has inflicted on Bruce Wayne, as it helps to reestablish that this is a more realistic portrayal of the Batman universe, and that even if Batman can survive the seemingly impossible lifestyle of an unarmed vigilante, such a lifestyle would naturally degrade his body in a short amount of time. My only real gripe is that because of those two sections in which Bruce Wayne has to prepare himself for the challenges he faces, Batman is barely in the movie. Out of all the Nolan Batman films, this film might feature Bruce Wayne as Batman the least, which is a bit disappointing because this is the last we will ever see of him. I realize that in Batman stories the villains generally steal the show, and Nolan’s films focus more on characterizing Gotham City, but it would have been nice if the last Batman film gave its titular character a little more screen time.

Sadly, the major villain of the movie, Tom Hardy as Bane, was a bit disappointing. Hardy certainly looks the part, minus that strange mask that is never properly explained, and his lines are definitely well written, but the entire role is undone by the character’s voice. I’m really not sure why Nolan opted to replace Bane’s typical gruff Spanish accent and his fierce disposition, for those that resemble a British aristocrat, but the contrast between the character’s voice and his physical appearance seems very unnatural, and could possibly ruin the viewer’s connection of the character.

When we finish our tea and crumpets you will have my permission to die

Although Bane is most certainly one of the most intelligent members of the Batman rogues gallery, his capacity for extreme brute force has always been his key characteristic. If he was played off as an angrier more brutal character, who was still capable of pulling off the elaborate plans of Ra’s al Ghul and the Joker, the character would have earned his place among his contemporaries, but unfortunately his inability to bring something new to the table makes him the worst villain in the series.

Still, everyone in the supporting cast is exceptional, and do a great job of carrying TDKR where the protagonist and antagonist fail. As usual, Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon, and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox portray their roles naturally and contribute in major ways to the action of the film. However, Michael Caine as Alfred gets written out of the plot fairly early in the beginning and doesn’t return until the film’s memorable final scenes. Jason Gordon Levitt as John Blake almost steals the entire movie and makes you wish for a sequel in which he could play a bigger role. Going in, I had my doubts about Anne Hathaway playing Selina Kyle, because I thought she lacked the raw sex appeal that previous Catwomen possessed, but her performance fit the way the character was written perfectly, and probably ended up being the most noteworthy.

Sex appeal isn’t everything, I guess.

Finally, Marion Cotillard’s role as Bruce Wayne’s love interest, Miranda Tate, seems unimpressive at first, but earns its place in the story before the very end.

Despite all the negative things I have said about it, The Dark Knight Rises more than earns its place in superhero movie history and will no doubt be one of the best films of the year. The story is well written, as are most of the character’s parts, and the film’s action, visuals, and audio help to make it a strong final installment in a truly memorable franchise. Although I wrote at length about the mistakes Nolan made with the film’s structure and villain, these faults do not betray the film entirely and are easily masked by its more positive attributes. As I said before, I watched this film in the Dark Knight Marathon, and I fully believe that it fits excellently as a finale for the trilogy, even if it stumbles a bit on its own. In the end, the films of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy are all powerful works of cinema that could easily stay fresh its viewer’s minds for decades to come…which is why it’s sad that Warner Bros are already planning a reboot. Some people believe that it’s to remake Batman to fit within a Justice League movie, and they are probably right. All the same, I’m praying that they’ll change their minds and choose to make a Batman Beyond movie instead. Sounds farfetched, but considering the god I pray to, I think it’s possible.

Movie Review: The Amazing Spiderman

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Preface:
I’ll admit it, writing a review of the new Spider-man film nearly two weeks after it came out seems a bit pointless. I’m sure that those who had wanted to see it already have, and those who haven’t probably aren’t going to, but considering how different the film is from the Sam Raimi films and the circumstances surrounding it, I feel that this attempt at a reboot is definitely worth discussing.

Despite the high volume of superhero movies that have been coming out every summer, I feel that most people were quick to write Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-man off as being an unnecessary reboot of one of the genre’s most beloved titles…and they certainly have a right to feel that way. What most people might not know is that the film’s production was really only initiated due to the parameters of a licensing contract, rather than anyone’s desire to re-work Spider-man and his origins. To make a long story short, before being bought by Disney, Marvel sold the exclusive movie rights of all Spider-man properties to Sony, in a deal that specified that said rights would be released only in the event that Sony neglected to produce films for the franchise for a specific number of years. As such, Columbia Pictures (Sony’s American film production and distribution division) now has a responsibility to produce a Spider-man film every few years, or else be blamed for losing their parent company’s only major foothold in the increasingly popular superhero movie industry.

Learning of this situation naturally can lead some people to outrage, as it has no doubt provided a situation where films are being made, not because someone wanted to relate their version of Spider-man, but because the business minds at Sony’s didn’t want to lose a valuable asset. However, similar circumstances have created great movies, such as 20th century Fox’s X-Men: First Class, which added a level of depth to the X-Men film universe, despite introducing a few continuity plot holes. Although, I am, by no means, a fan of the situation or reboots in general, I don’t believe that either should have hindered this film at all. I mean, the Batman franchise has completely saturated all forms of media, and the character has rebooted more frequently than any other, yet Batman is consistently one of the most popular comic book characters and the stories involving him have maintained a high quality.

Admit it, you would watch this movie.

My point is that despite the fact that this film was made for all the wrong reasons, there was still a sizable chance that by rebooting the franchise the film’s creators could have re-shaped the Spider-man film universe into something more engaging to their audience interesting than with what had previously been established. It’s the kind of risk that all artists and businessmen alike take every time they make anything they hope will be worthwhile. In the end, I think they broke even.

THE ACTUAL REVIEW:

Ok, now that we got that out of the way, I would like to start out by saying that I liked Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-man. There’s no way that the film will be able to compare with this summer’s other heavy hitters, like The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, but it was a solid performance over all, that reminded me of all the subtle things I like about the Spider-man universe, which is something that the Sam Raimi films neglected. Despite this, the film does stumble in a few major areas, specifically with distracting plot threads in its narrative and in its characterization of the villain, but these weaknesses do not crucially ruin it.

The Amazing Spider-man’s plot follows the formula of Peter Parker’s transformation into Spider-man in all the ways you’d expect. A teenage Parker lives on the fringe of high school society until getting bit by a genetically engineered spider which greatly enhances his physical abilities. However, it’s the death of his Uncle Ben that gives him the motivation to become a hero, and use his new found powers to stop the evil plan of a super powered villain. The story is a faithful retelling of Spider-man’s origins, and is in many ways modeled in off the 2002 film with various tweaks designed to give Parker more purpose and clearer motivations for his actions and reasons for becoming a costumed vigilante. For example, instead of randomly getting his powers while on a school field trip, Parker’s mutation is now directly caused by his own initiative to discover the truth behind his parent’s deaths and his curiosity into his father’s research. This makes Peter Parker seem like a much more dynamic character than in his previous portrayals, and throughout the film he regularly display’s a level of conviction and bravery that helps one see the links between his original personality and the Spider-man persona he adopts. Sadly, Parker’s quest to learn of his parents’ fate is ultimately one of the major things that hurts the film’s narrative, if only because it is presented as a distracting question that the film has no intention of resolving within its run-time, presumably saving the answer for a sequel. The same is true for Parker’s hunt to find Uncle Ben’s killer which is a plot point left unresolved by the end.

As with many reboots, one area that has significantly undergone change is the film’s atmosphere. For better or worse, Spider-man New York City no longer has the campy silliness that Raimi might have been trying to channel from the early comics. As is the standard now, Webb’s The Amazing Spider Man, much more dramatic and gritty, but filled with much more sarcastic and snarky characters. For the most part, I think this is a change for the better, not because it renews the world’s appeal to a modern audience, but because it works for how my generation sees Spider-man. I’ll admit my bias comes from the fact that Webb’s version is a closer interpretation of the mid-90’s Spider-man comics and animated series, which I grew up on, wherein Spider-man was incredibly snarky and self-referential, and despite his desire to do good, New York was constantly divided on whether he was a hero or a menace. I like the current tone that the film because, if handled well, I believe it will work to help to endear viewers to Spider-man in future movies. This atmosphere should also make things easier for writers to raise tension and create dramatic conflicts for the hero’s next adventure. The film also has a lot more action than the 2002 version, and it seems to be paced appropriately, as the final act builds well without dragging on.

Probably the most appealing aspect of The Amazing Spider-man lies with how the writers handled some of the characters. If you haven’t noticed by now, I really like what they did with Spider-man personality. My major issue with Sam Raimi’s films is that his Spider-man lacked attitude. As I’ve previously said, the Spider-man I grew up with never shut his mouth, and was constantly getting fresh with friends and enemies alike.

Thank God this show is on Netflix

Meanwhile, the edgiest things Raimi’s Spiderman ever did were yelling “Whooo” while web slinging through the city or calling the Green Goblin “Gobby” playfully before before fighting him. Andrew Garfield’s rendition isn’t what I would call perfect, but it is definitely a step in the right direction. His Spider-man is sarcastic and cracks jokes, and is generally better at being an entertaining character. Still, I would like them to tone down the cocky rebelliousness of the Peter Parker persona; I like how the movie gives him a greater sense of confidence and determination, so he’s not a complete wimp as was shown in Toby Maguire’s portrayal, but right now he’s walking the line between being a cool loner and being a douchey hipster.

The film’s major villain, on the other hand, was nowhere near as exciting. Although Rhys Ifans, plays a great Dr. Curt Connors, the circumstances that transform him into The Lizard are a bit too cliché, and his evil plan to turn the people into mutants seems forced in reasoning, and blatantly ripped from Batman Begins in execution. This character could have been experimented with a little more to make him seem more sympathetic, or at least given a stronger motivation for his actions. I had trouble following his Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde transformations in personality, as I couldn’t tell if the serum he takes drives him temporarily crazy, or if he is arriving at his conclusions logically.

The film also has a host of great supporting characters. Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy makes you completely forget that Peter Parker is destined to marry Mary-Jane Watson. Her character represents a refreshing change of pace of the superhero love interest, as she is not only beautiful and smart, but contributes to the action by playing a vital role in Spider-man’s attempt to save the day. Her only faults come out in the scenes where she and Garfield are forced into moments of awkward teen flirting, which is a little painful to listen to. Dennis Leary, Sally Field, and Martin Sheen all put forth a solid effort in their roles, although poor dialogue writing rears its ugly head for all of them sooner or later. Sheen, as Uncle Ben, gets it particularly rough, as he is forced, for some reason, to butcher one of the most iconic phrases in comic book history, “with great power, comes great responsibility.”

Peter…your father had a saying…Haters Gonna Hate…I want you to think about that.

In the end, Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-man is a solid effort. The film possesses basic weaknesses like unresolved plot-lines, some shoddy lines of dialogue, and a poorly characterized villain, but is saved by a dynamic and interesting hero, a great cast of supporting characters, and some well paced action. I might not be able to give this one a full recommendation for now, but I’m hopeful about this franchise’s future.