The Amazing Spider-Man Preview

You know, if you’re looking to create a buzz around a film, holding an exciting multi-national event featuring new footage and Q&As with its talent and inviting bloggers to come and write about it is an excellent idea. Such was the case with the upcomingThe Amazing Spider-Man. An even better idea is to allow said bloggers to use recording devices to accurately portray the event in order to publicise your film. There is something deeply ironic about being told to ‘please switch off your phones… and if you want to Tweet about the event, use the hashtag #TheAmazingSpiderman!’ Still, at least it means I don’t feel too much pressure to write with my usual razor sharp accuracy.

Anyway, despite that rather cynical opening paragraph, the event was actually very well put together and certainly stirred up no little excitement for the film. Taking place in several cities across the globe simultaneously, we were treated to several excitable presenters on one of Leicester Square’s big screens, each joined by cast and crew. In LA was director Marc Webb, lucky Rio de Janeiro had Emma Stone, New York boasted the presence of Andrew Garfield and live in person in our auditorium was Rhys Ifans, who was accompanied by a tamed grizzly bear called Cedric, though I may not be remembering that correctly.

The main event was the unveiling of the new trailer, which you may well have seen by now. It looked good. Really good. It’s evidently a lot slicker-looking and snarkier than the previous Spider-films and there’s more than a little bit of the Dark Knights about it (the police versus vigilante aspect, the Zimmer-esque soundtrack), which isn’t too bad a thing, provided Spider-Man can retain his own identity. I’m think I’m right in saying that Brian Blessed made a brief but memorable cameo in the trailer too, but again, there’s a chance I’m mistaken.

We then had a few Q&As from the talent. Here’s what we learnt:

• The ‘untold story’ promised in the film’s tagline will focus on Peter Parker’s parents.
• Emma Stone is as genuinely funny and charming as her reputation suggests.
• She also outlined the main differences between Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane. Basically, Stacy is rich, likes her dad and falls in love with Peter Parker, not Spider-Man.
• Rhys Ifans said it wasn’t difficult to figure out the motivation of a character that has a missing arm and is a geneticist specialising in lizards.
• Andrew Garfield is also rather funny and charming and convincingly won over the fans.
• He’s also nine feet tall, has fangs and a prehensile tail.
• I think.

We then got to see some further extended footage/trailer, which focussed on the ‘meet cute’ between Parker and Stacy, which was as enjoyable to watch as you might reasonably expect from two such well-lauded young talents (and deservedly so). Yet another charming thing in the footage reel was the fact that several effects shots were included that were far from complete, giving us some early nineties style computer graphics of cars flying around and some blue screen Spider-Man swinging fun. There was also a fair few glimpses of the Lizard, who is looking good.

Ifans stuck around after this to answer a few more slightly inane questions. One enthusiastic fan asked if the Lizard would have a snout, to which Ifans responded in his lovely Welsh lilt, ‘no, but he could smell you a mile off’. He was nonplussed about being immortalised as a Pez dispenser. He may also have declared war on the Prussian Empire at some point too.

On the way out, we all got a snazzy Spider-Man t shirt. I know that this definitely happened as I am currently wearing the evidence.