What aunt_zelda Thinks: The Amazing Spider-Man

[aunt_zelda]

I am so HAPPY right now!

I tried to keep my expectations low, and to stay neutral, and to avoid reviews at all cost. I wanted to go, hoped it would be good, and kept the thought of Andrew Garfield's talent and prettiness as a comfort even if the film was bad. 

And it was a GOOD movie! I'm so ... HAPPY! 

It was just an all around good movie. It was a great origin story. It did everything it had to and covered all the bases and did it well. I liked the intro, how we didn't really get what was going on, but neither did tiny!Peter. I liked the training montage. I liked the way he built his gadgets and costume. I loved Gwen Stacy (DAYUM those legs! <3) and how she was smart and teased Peter and was amused by his stuttering and adorkableness and was capable without being all "I must be Strong Action Girl now!" ... it was believable, y'know? I loved Stan Lee's hilarious cameo.
I loved Dr. Connors and how he was never entirely an evil unrepentant villain (if anything the guy planning to test Veterans unscientifically was the evilest guy in the movie and he got away scott free!), how I always understood his motivations and saw his raw humanity bleeding through, and as a giant lizard I thought he looked gross and great. (I've heard people complaining about the special effects, I didn't see anything wrong with it. Could it have been better? Maybe. But it was just fine to watch, it wasn't awful or even bad.)
I loved Peter's early days after being bit, smashing stuff and twitching and such. That was all done really well. 
I loved Uncle Ben and Aunt May, they were real fleshed out characters even though we didn't get to hang out with them much, they were always REAL. Uncle Ben's death was sudden and perfect and heartbreaking. I loved how the jock at Peter's school (what was his name? Flash?) tried to express his condolences to Peter about his uncle and ended up getting slammed against the lockers for his trouble, that was very realistic and I enjoyed it a lot and no I'm not tempted to ship them like crazy what are you talking about and I loved how at the end of the movie the jock was trying to be friendly.
And I LOVED the bit with the construction workers at the end. I started crying, because I'm such a sap, but that got to me, the average people of the city helping out their local superhero. We are the 99%! Who needs billionaires and assassins and super soldiers? We've got a teenager who teams up with the police and gets helped by construction workers!
I loved Hipster!Peter. I loved him so, so much. He is so pretty it hurts. GUH. WEAR THE HIPSTER GLASSES MORE OFTEN, ANDREW GARFIELD. NOW TAKE YOUR SHIRT OFF SOME MORE. LET ME DRAW YOU LIKE ONE OF MY FRENCH GIRLS. 
Also the music was good. It never distracted me from the movie, it worked together with all the other components. 
I liked how at the end, just as I was getting horribly frustrated with Peter for not telling Gwen why he wasn't there for her at her father's funeral (Jesus Christ, Peter just tell her "your dad told me to stay away from you and then he died. So ... awkward. But I'm an asshole for not being there to hold your hand at his funeral. Feel free to smack me for that, I deserve it") ... Gwen realized her dad had made him promise to stay away from her. And then the final scene they hint that he's not gonna stay away from her. Yay! Just keep her safe from the bad guys, Peter, and you don't have to feel like you're breaking your word to her dying father! 

I just ... loved this movie. I'm sure I'm forgetting things I meant to talk about, but basically I loved everything and the only things I didn't like are so tiny nitpicky things that they don't even bear mentioning.

Unless someone reading this didn't like it, and would like to discuss that? I'm totally up for that! 

I'm so happy ... *squees off into the sunset*

Comments

[tju-tju-tju-tju.livejournal.com]

and no I'm not tempted to ship them like crazy what are you talking about

DUDE OMG NO YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND that is probably one of my favorite parts of the movie, how they got that relationship so right, unlike in the first movie where Flash was just a stereotypical, unredeemable bully. In the comics he was actually a good guy deep down and he and Peter became friends after high school. AND HE IS THE BIGGEST SPIDER-MAN FANBOY IN THE WOOOORRRLLLDDD in the comics and I effing loved the nod to that at the end with the shirt.

"The chicks seem to dig it." Sure, Flash. Sure.

And I teared up a little bit at the stuff with the cranes too. BAWWWWW NEW YORK

[aunt-zelda.livejournal.com]

DUDE OMG NO YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND that is probably one of my favorite parts of the movie, how they got that relationship so right, unlike in the first movie where Flash was just a stereotypical, unredeemable bully. In the comics he was actually a good guy deep down and he and Peter became friends after high school. AND HE IS THE BIGGEST SPIDER-MAN FANBOY IN THE WOOOORRRLLLDDD in the comics and I effing loved the nod to that at the end with the shirt.
I couldn't help but ship it after that scene where he tries to express his condolences and Peter slams him against the lockers and he just ... takes it. He seems to understand. I wondered if he'd lost a close family member, or was just feeling awful about the situation "I beat this guy up because he called me by my embarrassing first name ... but now his uncle's dead, that sucks, I better try and make amends here ..."
And then at the end, where he's being nice and telling Peter how good he looks ... mmmmmm, I don't understand, I'm perfectly happy with Peter/Gwen, they're adorable and I love them and it's great ... but I also wanna ship Peter/Flash ... arrrrrrgh! And for some reason I can't seem to make them into an OT3 ... maybe Flash can comfort Peter when Gwen inevitably tragically dies? I don't want her to die, I'm already sad thinking about that because she's so great, but everyone knows she ends up dying ...
I didn't know he was in the comics, that's cool! Awwwwwww, shirt!

"The chicks seem to dig it." Sure, Flash. Sure.
"Have I mentioned I am heterosexual today?"
Gah, I can't help but ship them!

And I teared up a little bit at the stuff with the cranes too. BAWWWWW NEW YORK
We are the 99%! *punches the air* Keep your billionaires, we've got cranes and cops and a hipster!

[tju-tju-tju-tju.livejournal.com]

And the end when he just envelopes him in this giant hug aSDFGHJKL; I CAN'T. I've secretly shipped these two for years and it was so awesome to see that on the big screen. Flash totally has a crush on Peter, it is canon because I said so.

[aunt-zelda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was like "whoa there, I was just shipping something else entirely, now I'm shipping you two ... stop confusing me, Hollywood! It's been a very busy week at work, I don't have the energy to ship two ships simultaneously!"
Now I wanna write FANFIC for them.

I've secretly shipped these two for years and it was so awesome to see that on the big screen.
Awwwww, I'm so happy for you! I haven't really broken into the big superhero comics quite yet, I'm still on the fringes with Fables and Y the Last Man and Runaways and stuff. So I just came to the movie and was all "huh, that bully character has interesting depths and now I'm shipping him with Peter."

Flash totally has a crush on Peter, it is canon because I said so.
I agree! And now I wanna write AU fic where he somehow finds out Peter's secret identity and they start hanging out and making out and he helps fight off the Lizardman and Peter is now grappling with a side to his sexuality he hadn't really thought about before AND all the other superhero angst to deal with. And Flash just tells him to stop angsting and make out some more behind the bleachers and so Peter does. Yay!

[tju-tju-tju-tju.livejournal.com]

WRITE IT WRITE IT PLLEEEAASE I have been dying for good Flash/Peter fanfic for aaaaggggeess and have never been able to find any so PLEASE WRITE IT I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER

[aunt-zelda.livejournal.com]

I've started it. I want to finish it. It's tough though, because I'm trying to integrate him into the plot and not get rid of Gwen entirely. I think I need to see the movie again to get a hold of the plot a little better, and I'm not sure when I'm going to get to see it again (I want to see it again and this time take my boyfriend.)
But I'm writing it. I might not wait until I've seen the movie again, I'm having a lot of fun writing a sexually frustrated teenage guy.
Where do I post it, though? Obviously here at my journal, but which communities do I post links to?

[tju-tju-tju-tju.livejournal.com]

Aaaah yay!

Um, I'm not sure! You could post it at marvel_slash, maybe. There's probably a Spider-Man slash community somewhere, also. And there's AO3, of course, but I don't know if you're a member there.

[aunt-zelda.livejournal.com]

Guess what I just posted? *grinz*

http://aunt-zelda.livejournal.com/301233.html

I hope you like it ... I've been working on it on and off since I saw the movie, and it's wicked long and I'm not 100% sure about the characterization. I'm gonna hold off on posting a link at marvel_slash until I get at least a little feedback on my journal.

[tju-tju-tju-tju.livejournal.com]

OHMIGOD YAY

I'm gonna have to read it tomorrow because I am extremely tired but hellll yes I love you for writing it <33333

[ladydiskette.livejournal.com]

That was what I loved about the comic books and the animated series, is how well written they made Flash. It was as if the writer wanted to make jocks sympathetic in a good light by showing they are the same people deep down inside with feelings, fears, and emotions like everyone else.

And for a comic book that was read mostly by nerds that is a huge feat. I was actually hoping in the Sam Ramini version of Spider-Man they would do that for Flash Thompson too, but I was really disappointed they never did that, it was like he was a throwaway character.

I was a bit hesitant in seeing the movie at first, but maybe I will give it the benefit of the doubt.