The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) @ 倫敦達人 The Explorer

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I'm a skeptic on this upcoming "The Amazing Spider-Man" movie in 2012. Before I tell you why I'm a skeptic, let me give you a lesson in modern economics here,

In economics, I learn a concept of diminishing marginal unity (or benefit in this instance). When Tobey Maquire's Spider-Man (2002) came out, the concept, the movie and the whole Spider-Man thing were fresh and the movie was fantastic. I watched it again and again. Say, I paid NZD $10 for Spider-Man (2002) and I think my enjoyment was almost worth of NZD $100. My excitment was almost 10 times greater than the movie ticket itself, which explained why I bought the DVD shortly after it was released to the market. Tobey portrayed Peter Parker really well - mainly a teen age child with lots of energy (excessive) and from a less than perfect middle age family (living with uncle and aunt). Kirsten Dunst did a fantastic job being Mary Jane Watson. J.K. Simmons played probably the best chief editor (J. Jonah Jameson) on the big screen of all times <- I always fell off from chair when he started shouting at people.

Spider-Man 2 (2004) came out which was equally outstanding, to my surprise. Alfred Molina's Doc Ock was outstandingly portrayed. Alfred played a villian with great emotions (reflected from the sadness of losing his wife) throughout the firm. However, the law of diminishing marginal unity kicked in. Movie ticked remained to be NZD $10 but my excitment diminished down to about NZD $80.

Spider-Man 3 (2007) released and the moment I watched it - the movie lost me and certainly failed to surprise me. The movie was a drag and a black spider didn't really make any cinematic sense, whatever it tried to do. My excitment was about NZD $10 (when the movie ticket remained unchanged at NZD $10).

Now let's move on to why I'm a skeptic on this upcoming "The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)". I realise it is not "Spider-Man 4", but "The Amazing Spider-Man". Clearly we will see a new and younger Peter Parker by Andrew Garfield and the latest movie is directed by Marc Webb. I find it very hard to imagine if any actors can do a better "Peter Parker" than Tobey Mcquire and if the Spider-Man movies can be topped without the genius director - Sam Raimi. So I don't know if I should even go and pay for the 3D cinema experience to watch "The Amazing Spider-Man" on 3 July 2012. Can this movie be better and more impressive than Spider-Man 1 & 2? What will be marginal benefit be if I had to pay for the movie ticket now say GBP £15? Will the excitment be GBP £150 worth?? I don't know and I doubt it.

My Million-Dollar Question to myself, or to you, or to the director is: Why don't the film director think of something else, a combination (including Spider-Man in a larger team), a team up of superheros (pair Spider-Man with another hero), or moving to a different superhero project?? There must be a better alternative than producing one more "Spider-Man" movie (regardless of being "Amazing" or being "Instalment No. 4).

In saying so, there is one actor/character that I'm very surprised to see <- Rhys Ifans/the Lizard in the cast list. Rhys Ifans played this funny and goofy character - Spike in Notting Hill (1999). He was exceptionally funny, played alongside Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. Our family still watch Notting Hill and the movie constantly being re-played on BBC. I'm glad to see Rhys make it to big budget Blockbuster firms like this one. I might pay to watch him play the bad guy, you never know!

I have the same doubt for the upcoming "Man of Steel (2013)". Can you move on from making the same old movie again, again and again? At least do a movie with Superman and Batman all in together, or a Justice League movie (like Marvel's Avengers)? But hey, if Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins' director) involved in the story writing, there could be something interesting there. Please surprise us.