I think, from what I've heard, that they did try to keep the budget down more compared to the Raimi Spider-Man films. We'll see I guess. I agree though, I don't want it overly dark or anything either. I'm in the camp that feels properties like Spidey don't need the "Dark Knight" treatment. It works for some characters, but not for others. That said, I do like what I see so far. I would have been fine if the Raimi films continued as well, but I like the cast/direction here so far from what I've seen. I do think, no matter how good, that this movie will have a hard time beating Avengers or The Dark Knight Rises at the box office this summer though. There just seems to be a lot more buzz with those franchises, which I'm excited for as well.