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Total Film went along to view the sneak-peek footage of The Amazing Spider-Man this evening, as did anyone else who was lucky enough to snag tickets when they became available last week.
The footage was simulcast around the world, giving footage-hungry fanboys (and girls) a glimpse at a film that’s been kept surprisingly tightly under wraps, considering it needs to prove itself against superhero big guns The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises this summer.
So what did 'A Sneak Peek Into The Untold Story' actually reveal?
Well, via the magic of modern-day satellite technology, simultaneous events in LA, Rio, London (hiya!) & NYC were hooked up.
Director Marc Webb was in LA, Emma Stone & producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach rocked up in Rio, London was treated to the Welsh charms of Rhys Ifans and Andrew Garfield was in Spidey's hometown of New York.
First off, the audience donned 3D glasses for a look at the new trailer. In a year of Avengers, Hobbits and one Dark Knight, The Amazing Spider-Man needed to stand up and be counted, and this new trailer (set to arrive online in a matter of hours) will definitely get people talking about the webslinger.
The stereoscopic visuals justify the 'shot in 3D ' effort, with the New York cityscape looking particularly sparkling with the added dimension.
As Webb has promised recently, the trailer shows off a Spidey with something of an attitude, cracking wise with crims, ably taking down a bunch of SWAT police when surrounded, and demonstrating some dexterous alley-bound fight moves.
Garfield looks nimble and lean inside the suit, and the fighting (and web-shooting) - while still obviously inherently fantastical - crackles with the kind of reality-bites grit and texture we've not yet seen in a Spider-flick.
There are brief, teasing glimpses at Rhys Ifans Dr Curt Connors in his Lizard form, but not quite a full reveal. Watching his claws tear through cars during a bridge set piece hints at a more physical challenge than Spider-Man's ever faced on screen.
Also seen in the trailer (and expanded on in the eight minutes of unfinished, presented-in-2D footage that followed) is the relationship between Garfield's Peter Parker and Stone's Gwen Stacy, which benefitted from an easy, sweet chemistry and some genuinely funny lines.
The additional footage also saw Spider-Man rapid-firing a goon with his patented web-shooters - with Garfield showboating like you expect a teenage crime-fighter to - and gave further hints at the big battle at the film's climax (buildings will fall...)
Daddy issues are likely to be the order of the day, not only with surrogate figures Uncle Ben and Dr Connors, but hints about Peter's father's past. That's not even mentioning Captain Stacy... Plus there's a look at Peter testing out his skills in a disused warehouse which feels like an arachnid Footloose .
It's a real show of confidence to reveal unfinished footage to the public, but, judging from what we've seen tonight, the team have every right to be feeling cocky.
Now where's that trailer so that we can pore over it in forensic detail...
The Amazing Spider-Man opens on 4 July 2012.
