movie

5 Compelling Reasons Why We Need Tobey Maguire To Return As Spider-Man

Spider-Man 2 is my favorite superhero film of all time. Anyone who’s been within earshot of me during any conversation about cinema in general should know this. I say it loud and unapologetically.

And it’s not only because Tobey Maguire will always be my default live-action version of Spider-Man (though that’s true too). It’s also because of Sam Raimi, and his distinct vision for Peter Parker.

tobey maguire spider-man

I hated the first Amazing Spider-Man, and I only barely liked The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Again, this actually has little to do with who was wearing the mask (most people agree that Andrew Garfield was at least fine, if not great in the role).

These movies just lacked the same depth and quality that we got with the first two Spider-Man movies in 2002 and 2004. And with Tobey Maguire getting on in years, it seemed like a great idea to just reboot the whole thing just five years after the disastrous Spider-Man 3.

tobey maguire spider-man

And now we have a new Spider-Man reboot on the horizon. Marvel and Sony have officially struck a deal to share the same version of this character within both Marvel and Sony’s cinematic universes.

It’s exciting news, but it also means Andrew Garfield is almost certainly done with the role, and we have to start all over again. Again.

I would have liked to keep Andrew Garfield in the mix, and there’s still a slim chance he might. But I would much rather we come back to Tobey Maguire, and here’s why.

1. It would be more faithful to “Civil War.”

tobey maguire spider-man

For what Marvel wants to use Spider-Man for, bringing Tobey Maguire back is actually perfect. Amidst reports that Marvel and Sony want to keep Spider-Man in high school, fans who actually read comics are getting frustrated.

We’ve experienced high school Peter twice now (seriously, I can’t handle Uncle Ben dying again), and Marvel is planning to debut the character in Captain America: Civil War.

One of the biggest reasons Marvel is bothering to make this deal (which they’re reportedly getting little financial value from) has to do with the fact that “Civil War” makes little sense without Peter Parker and Spider-Man.

Spider-Man’s role in “Civil War” is key because he’s the relatable center of conflict stuck between two people he respects. Its through Peter that we’re able to feel the real struggle between Captain America and Iron Man during their spat over privacy, a theme Marvel has been carefully building up with Phase II of the MCU.

And in “Civil War” (the comics version), Peter Parker isn’t in high school. He’s not even in college. He’s a high school science teacher years after first becoming the webhead.

That may seem like a little detail Marvel can just ignore, but it robs the story of a lot of the impact gained from when Spider-Man famously unmasked himself in public in order to support the Superhero Registration Act (and Tony Stark). But we’ll get to that later.

2. We haven’t finished Sam Raimi’s story. 

tobey maguire spider-man

Spider-Man 3 ended with the death of Harry Osborne, but we have no idea what truly became of Peter. He might have married Mary Jane, and the death of his friend could have prompted him to hang up his mask for a while.

This would explain his absence during the Battle of New York in The Avengers, which could then explain why he’d consider becoming Spider-Man again.

It could be during this time that he gains the attention of the Avengers during the prelude to Civil War, eventually leading to his famous unmasking to a public that’s known him as Spider-Man for years.

If they reboot the franchise again, then this moment won’t be nearly as powerful. Any new Spider-Man they throw in there will just be yet another actor we’re not used to.

How are we supposed to believe that the public cares about this Spider-Man if he hasn’t really been around much? Marvel could make it work because they’re Marvel, but it would be a missed opportunity.

3. The unmasking would be way more epic. 

tobey maguire spider-man

Can you imagine if the guy taking off his mask was Tobey Maguire, the guy who’s been Spider-Man in most of our heads for the last 13 years? And think about the impact of having JK Simmons reprise his role as J. Jonah Jameson and witnessing this from his office at the Daily Bugle. It’s just perfect.

And it even works within the Sam Raimi timeline because Maguire could easily be a science teacher by now. Unlike a new Spider-Man or bringing in Garfield, it actually fits.

Of course, this would sort of work for Garfield, too, but it still doesn’t fit quite as well. Unlike Garfield, Tobey’s Spider-Man is the Sam Raimi version. He’s the guy we’ve actually seen a consistent, compelling story arc with.

4. Tobey Maguire is a better Peter Parker than Andrew Garfield.

tobey maguire spider-man

Garfield did a great job, and he brought a faithful take to the character that Tobey could learn from. But Garfield was better at being Spider-Man than than being Peter Parker.

In contrast, Tobey Maguire nailed the character of Peter Parker. He was a lovable weirdo who never seemed comfortable in his own skin, unless he had the mask on. Garfield, by comparison, was never a believable outcast.

He spent most of his time charming Gwen Stacey and investigating something about his parents, or something. With Garfield, I just didn’t connect with him as Peter in the way I did with Maguire, which is a shame because, again, I had a great time watching him as Spider-Man.

5. Sony could still keep Garfield.

tobey maguire spider-man

Rumor has it Sony still wants to do Sinister Six and Venom. So my conspiracy theory of the week is that we could also see The Amazing Spider-Man 3 with Andrew Garfield still doing his thing, while Tobey returns to the fold with Marvel. Everyone wins, pretty much.

But this is less likely to happen if Sony invests in yet another reboot. While many fans probably won’t like this idea, I think it would be great fodder for the “multiverse” dimensions and realities we’ve been waiting for Marvel, Sony, and Fox to dole out with their scattered characters.

Before I go, I do want to point out that yes, I think it would be interesting to bring on Miles Morales, the half black, half latino version of Spider-Man from the Ultimate storyline.

tobey maguire spider-man

He’s a great character and would work great in his own movie, but I don’t think this is the right time and place for his story. If anything, it would make more sense to introduce him into the world already established by Marc Webb and Avi Arad.

Also, as big a fan as I am of Donald Glover, he’s just way too old at this point to be Miles Morales. Maybe in a different timeline, that’s not the case.

What do YOU think? Should Tobey stay or should he go?

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Review: ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water’

Regular readers know that I’m a massive fan of the SpongeBob series pre-2005. That, of course, includes the first big screen adaptation of the cartoon ten years ago.

I’ve hated how the series has changed since then, but I was hoping to enjoy the first movie’s sequel, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water.

spongebob movie

First, let’s focus on the positives. Sponge Out of Water is visually amazing. Yes, there’s still a lot of hand-drawn animation, and it looks really good, especially in 3D. The textures are expertly done, and it’s one of the few 3D experiences I’ve actually preferred over the traditional viewing. And yes, the live-action CGI is beautiful.

But that’s where the positives end.

Sadly, I hated it. I laughed…maybe twice? I can’t really remember. It suffered from a lot of the issues I’ve noticed with the cartoon since Stephen Hillenburg left the show creatively after the first movie. The comedic timing was very poor, excellent characters like Squidward didn’t get enough screen time, and the story, while interesting, just wasn’t told well.

spongebob movie

The writing and dialogue were insufferable to me. And the moments that did work for me (like Mr. Krabs hearing the word “refund” through his headphones) were drowned out by other gags that felt incredibly forced.

Obviously, this means the movie will work for fans of the show as it currently is. Have at it. But as a longtime fan of the classic era of the show, I can’t get behind it.

And I should point out that the trailer is incredibly misleading. The majority of the movie does not take place on the surface, as it seems to suggest.

spongebob movie

In fact, you’ll notice that almost every single gag in the trailer is repeated in the live-action scenes, to the point where I knew exactly what was going to happen next with nearly zero surprises or new dialogue.

To break the movie down further, I’ll have to provide more spoiler-ish comments, which are below. You’ve been warned.

One of the most surprising errors they made with this movie had to have been with how they did the storyboards, because the sequence of events in Sponge Out of Water is almost completely incoherent. 45 minutes of the movie in the middle contribute nearly nothing to the plot. You’re just watching a dragged out sequence of SpongeBob and Plankton trying to figure out how to do this in order to that.

spongebob movie

There’s a time-traveling sequence that provides some of the better visuals for the movie, but they just come off as flat. I appreciate the show when it gets weird, but there has to be some meat or humor to it. These sequences were just thin moments that didn’t connect.

And yes, SpongeBob and Plankton spend a good chunk of the movie as a team. In theory, I loved it. In execution? I was bored. It dragged the story and completely undercut the final act on the surface, to the point where it felt like the first half of the movie could have been cut 75%.

spongebob movie

As for Antonio Banderas, he did fine. Though to be honest, I just wanted him to transform into Zorro every time he started talking.

So there you have it. If you’ve seen the trailer as many times as I have, then I recommend you skip this. You’ve already seen the best jokes (and the final 20 minutes of the movie at that). I don’t doubt that some people will enjoy the movie anyway, but I can’t find a reason why.

But hey, at least it was better than Strange Magic. Or you could just re-watch this episode like I did:

spongebob movie

Thanks for reading! If you like reading the strange things I write about, be sure to subscribe to this blog by clicking “follow” on the sidebar. Or just follow me on Twitter for updates: @JonNegroni. 

Why Do Movie Trailers Suck?

movie trailers suck

We’ve all watched that trailer. It gives away the whole movie, including key plot twists. Sometimes you watch a trailer that isn’t even close to what you get in the real movie (we’re looking at you Frozen and Kangaroo Jack).

And sometimes, a movie trailer is just plain bad, even though the movie itself is quite good. Well this week on the Now Conspiring Podcast, Maria and I delve into what makes our trailers, well trailers. Is it money? Greed? Power? Greedy power? We discuss.

Later in the show, we quickly review Paddington, American Sniper, and Blackhat. And we also cover this week’s movie news, including our thoughts on the Oscars, the new Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer, and more.

Stick around for our Netflix Recommendation of the Week, and as always, we finish the show with new Movie Releases coming this weekend.

Question of the Week: 

Why do movie trailers suck? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to subscribe to our show on iTunes for updates on every episode!

Links to cool things we mentioned:

My American Sniper review. 

How George Lucas almost directed Star Wars: Episode VII.

The second trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron (which Maria hates for some reason).

All of the Oscars nominees in one place! 

Best Middle Earth Movie, Hobbit & Annie Review

best hobbit movie

This week on the Now Conspiring podcast, Maria and I try our hardest to determine the “best” Lord of the Rings/Hobbit movie. It might get heated.

We also review and discuss The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies and the 2014 remake of Annie.

Stick around for the end of the show when we discuss the new movies coming out Christmas Day and which ones we recommend, PLUS we talk about the controversy surrounding the pulling of The Interview from theaters.

Enjoy the podcast! Don’t forget to subscribe to Now Conspiring on iTunes if you dig the show.

Marvel Couldn’t Convince Sony To Give Them Spider-Man

spider-man marvel sony

Alisha Grauso | Moviepilot:

As the Wall Street Journal reports, an email as recent as October 30th from Sony Pictures president Doug Belgrad to Sony motion pictures president Amy Pascal revealed that the two studios were in talks to work out a deal where Marvel would oversee and produce a new (and hopefully better) trilogy of Spider-Man films that would still allow Sony to retain creative control, along with the marketing and distribution for the trilogy. 

Pretty fair deal and one that Sony should take, if you ask me. 

But it was another email from Pascal that got my Spidey senses tingling, as it was revealed that Marvel absolutely wanted to include Spider-Man in  Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

But before you get excited and start planning the “WELCOME HOME, SPIDEY” party, I’d be remiss if I didn’t include the fact that according to sources connected with the situation, unfortunately the talks have broken down between the studios. At the moment, Sony is planning on going it alone with Spider-Man, with an ominous-sounding “Spidey summit” planned for January.

I almost feel bad for Sony at this point. This whole mess makes them look even worse in the eyes of Spider-Man fans who desperately want him in the MCU. In a way, this hack seems strategic. 

Review: ‘Wild’ is Reese Witherspoon’s Best Movie In Years

Based on a true story, Wild features Witherspoon like you’ve never seen her (especially if you’ve seen Election recently). She’s broken, vulnerable, and utterly real.

It’s not enough that the story is good — Witherspoon plays Cheryl Strayed, a divorced heroin junkie who attempts to hike the treacherous Pacific Crest Trail (over 1000 miles total) to heal herself emotionally and physically. The story is also brilliantly told.

We watch her journey in the “present” filtered with constant flashbacks that range everywhere from her childhood to how quickly her life fell apart as an adult. This is a great example of how to use the benefits of a “mosaic” style of filmmaking while also keeping a level of coherence.

It’s easy to follow along, but more importantly, it’s effortless to care about Cheryl Strayed. And that’s where Witherspoon shines: maintaining the line between realism and likability.

Every step of her journey feels like one the audience is taking. Every blister, cut, scrape, and sigh of desperation is felt, in no small part thanks to a dedicated script written by Nick Hornby, coupled with Witherspoon’s commitment to her own trauma.

One scene in particular places Cheryl in her room before she’s taken a single step. Her struggle to even get her oversized gear on her back is just one indication that the running time of Wild won’t be easy for anyone involved with this film, mainly Cheryl herself.

It’s still a self-help story that leaves much of the grittier aspects of Cheryl’s transformation to the imagination (this is a Hornby script, after all). And there are just a few too many flashbacks that over-explain Cheryl’s backstory to a degree, especially when some of the final scenes could have received a little more love without stuffing the script.

Cheryl Strayed’s story of redemption is certainly a mark above other nature-centric journeys, including the more popular (and unremarkable) offerings that include Eat, Pray, Love and Into the Wild, which are also based on books.

The soundtrack is also an uplifting accessory to Cheryl’s long trek through the wilderness, combining a sense of freedom that comes with putting everything you have into a singular goal, as well as the dread that comes from that same action. “The Air That I Breathe” captures this tone in surprising ways for a throwback.

Though we never see firsthand why and how Cheryl chose this adventure has the core of her redemption, the script wisely lets us focus more on who Cheryl is at this point, setting up a journey that is as affecting as it is dreary.

Grade: B+ 

Why is the New James Bond Movie Called ‘Spectre?’

spectre james bond

Ross Miller | The Verge:

This morning, director Sam Mendes announced the official name for the 24th Bond film (Spectre), the official Bond car (Aston Martin DB10), and key cast members. Five newcomers (Andrew Scott, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Dave Bautista, and Monica Bellucci) will be joining the group established in 2012’s Skyfall: Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Rory Kinnear, and of course Daniel Craig himself as James Bond. 

Spectre begins filming tomorrow and is set for release November 6th, 2015.

I’m Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite James Bond movie in Hollywood (sorry, I had to do that).

In order, that’s Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and…Spectre. Anyone else feel like the title is lacking something?

Though to be fair, this movie won’t be lacking talent. Along with the stellar cast listed above, Spectre is thankfully gifted with the same writing and cinematography team as Skyfall.

As for the title, a rumored plot synopsis is that “Spectre” is the name of a new crime organization that Bond has to take down. So I guess we shouldn’t expect it to be tied to a third act revelation the same way Skyfall was. And that’s probably a good thing.