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Word just hit on the streets that Marc Webb has been tapped to direct the new Spider-Man reboot after Sam Raimi walked away from Spider-Man 4 just a few weeks ago. Cinematical has the details of Webb vault from directing music videos to possible blockbusters (with a little (500) Days of Summer in the middle).

I love the Tobey Maguire trilogy (I even like the last one despite its flaws), so I was disappointed to see a fourth movie fall apart. However, I think Webb has some great potential to make a Spider-Man film that can resonate emotionally, rather than just another special effects film.

Here’s my list of suggestions for the Spider-Man reboot:

1. Take liberties with the story: While I initially disliked the decision to incorporate Parker’s web slinging abilities to his spider powers (in the comics he makes his own web-shooting bracelets), it was ultimately the right decision for simplicity in a film. In any case, Spider-Man has a long twisted history to pull from and it would be a shame not to tap the best parts.
2. Don’t take too many liberties: the Mary Jane & Gwen Stacy crisscrosses in the previous trilogy eroded one of the strongest elements of Spider-Man’s backstory. Have Gwen in there, have her die when the time is right (maybe not the first movie), have Peter take this hard. Maybe then, in the followup movie, you can have a little Mary Jane.
3. Service the fans: Raimi did a great job of seeding Peter’s world with people the fans knew and tantalizing them with villains like Dr. Curt Connors, but the followup to the wink was infrequently realized. (It’s too bad we’ll never get to see the Lizard.) Webb’s got a whole new start so I’d love to see some off-hand references to Eddie Brock and Norman Osborn even if they don’t show up at first, just make sure they show up eventually. Marvel is doing a great job at this with their own Avenger properties, for example: SHIELD references in Iron Man or Stark showing up The Incredible Hulk (with more to come). Steal this page from their playbook.
4. Venom: for fuck sake, get him in there. Perhaps only as Eddie Brock in the first movie, but don’t wait until the last bit of the third movie. I’d ask for a Carnage but it really couldn’t be done right with a PG-13 rating that Sony would want.

The new Sherlock Holmes movie is not anything like you’ve seen Sherlock before. However, if you’re willing to accept the re-imagining, it ends up being an excellent show. There were some fun action sequences and great imagery of industrial era London.

For all the attention put into the action, Holmes doesn’t loose his exceptional powers of inductive reasoning, which he uses throughout the film. To the critics and naysayers complaining that this isn’t Holmes like they’ve read in the books or seen Jeremy Brett portray, isn’t that the core of the character? Remember how Batman Begins broke down Bruce Wayne to his fundamentals and pieced him together as something different and yet familiar? That’s what Guy Ritchie and co were trying to do, and, in my opinion, they have succeeded.

Verdict: 4.0 out of 5.0

PS: Once scene which played prominently in the trailer seemed to be missing from the movie. In it, Irene Adler, wearing a corset and stockings, attempts to stab Holmes with her hair pin. He defects the blow, they struggle, and then she knees him in the testicles instead. At least, that’s how I pieced together bits from this trailer.

Why don’t we see this in the film? It looks like a fun scene, I mean, look at his face! I guess we have some BD extras to look forward to.

Avatar is the most immersive moviegoing experience I’ve ever experienced. It simply must be seen in 3D to witness it as imagined by Cameron and his team. You may have heard the story before but you’ve never seen it like this.

BTW, Giovanni Ribisi is such a douche in this film that I can’t help loving him.

Verdict: 4.5 out of 5.0

There’s a new trailer for Iron Man 2. I don’t need to say much more but I will.

I’m personally not watching it to avoid spoiling any exciting bits it might reveal. Hopefully, I won’t have to walk out of the theater for Avatar or some other big movie this holiday.

Also, I like the trailer page design. It seems like they’re trying to duplicate the iTunes store pages. Right now the only movies that have it are the aforementioned IM2 and the new Shrek film. Hopefully it will roll out for more trailers soon.

Sweet, a new trailer for Robin Hood directed by Ridley Scott.

Say what you will about Russell Crowe being a stereotypical Hollywood celebrity; he’s still a great actor. On top of that, no one does historical action/drama quite like Scott.

Sign me up.