The Amazing Spider-Man

movies starring Andrew Garfield may not have been the best the series had to offer, but there are some parts of the movies that continue to get worse with time. Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy exploded the popularity of the web-slinging hero to new heights in 2002, but despite plans to create a large franchise which would eventually include the Sinister Six, Raimi’s trilogy was stopped short in 2007 with Spider-Man 3.

Then, just five years later, Sony rebooted the live-action series with a new lead replacing Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker. Andrew Garfield took the reins in The Amazing Spider-Man movies, while Marc Webb was chosen to direct. Once again, plans to build a larger franchise were made, but the series only survived to get one sequel in 2014, before Marvel Studios was allowed to step in and take creative control. And while there was a lot to praise The Amazing Spider-Man for, there were also elements that we were glad to see end with The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

10

The Amazing Spider-Man’s Villains Are Some Of The Worst

In the Raimi trilogy, legendary actors like Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molina were cast to play iconic villains like the Green Goblin, and Doc Ock. This was always going to be a challenge to follow-up, and that can be seen as early as Spider-Man 3, when the villains of the story failed to command the same gravitas as the two earlier entries. However, The Amazing Spider-Man had an even worse time with its villains.

While there were some highlights, Electro, the Lizard, and the Green Goblin all failed to capture a sense of menace. This has only been made worse when comparing these villains against the rivals that Tom Holland’s Spider-Man would face, including many of these legacy characters. But in addition, he also fought Michael Keaton as Vulture, and Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio.

9

Changing Spider-Man’s Backstory

Peter Parker has always been the character that anyone can connect to. He is an everyman. A boy in a mask, uncertain of himself, but always trying to do what’s right. And the incredible part of his story is the fact that by sheer coincidence, he was bitten, and managed to gain superpowers. This idea has been magnified in recent years with further adaptations of that narrative appearing in movies like the Spider-Verse saga.

However, in The Amazing Spider-Man, Peter is the intended victim of a spider bite, and he is the only person who could have gained powers. His father, Richard Parker, was behind creating the enhanced spiders, and he engineered them using his DNA, which meant that Peter was one of the only people who could ᴀssimilate their powers without consequences or side effects.

8

Andrew Garfield Is Still Too Cool To Play Peter Parker

One of the biggest issues with Garfield’s portrayal of the character is not actually how he appears as Spider-Man. He does a great job being quippy, cheeky, and charming. However, an issue arises when looking at Garfield’s version of Peter Parker. Namely, the fact that he is simply too cool to be Peter Parker.

Peter Parker is a nerd. And not a popular nerd, but a nerd who struggles to fit in. Garfield brings a suave, laid-back, and carefree nature to the character that simply does not make sense. With Holland bringing Peter back to a state that is more in tune with his comic book origins, Garfield’s cool Peter is even less acceptable than he was in 2012.

7

Peter Parker Beginning To Bully Flash Thompson After Getting Powers

Now, arguably, there is a lot of comic book source material that shows Peter becoming kind of a jerk with a short temper after getting powers. As he adjusts to his new powers, and finds himself able to stand up to his bullies, Peter goes a little crazy with power, relishing the discomfort that he can cause the bullies who made him miserable.

However, in The Amazing Spider-Man, Peter takes things too far. In the comics, Flash Thompson and Peter have a love-hate relationship, and Flash coming to try and console and befriend Peter in The Amazing Spider-Man seems to hint at this. But Peter just becomes more aggressive and less willing to restrain his abilities. It’s not a good look, and this fall into despair seems to be reinforced by what comes after the credits roll on the second movie.

6

“Given Up On Peter Stuff”

In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Garfield’s Peter Parker tells Maguire’s that he gave up on the Peter stuff. After Gwen Stacy died, Peter clearly wasn’t able to manage his feelings anymore. This is further reinforced by the idea that he stopped pulling his punches. Exactly how far he went with things, and what became of his life, is unclear, but it seems certain that it was incredibly dark.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t align at all with the message that Peter’s Uncle Ben left him with before he died, about power and responsibility. This ideology is pivotal to every version of Spider-Man, and the fact that Garfield’s Spidey simply discarded that sacred wisdom is a huge disappointment. Thankfully, things appear to have improved by the time he departed the Sacred Timeline.

5

Spider-Man Fails To Keep His Idenтιтy A Secret

Another aspect of this Spidey’s reckless behavior comes in the way that he failed to keep his biggest secret a secret. In the Raimi trilogy, Peter Parker keeps his secret from his best friend and his girlfriend until it becomes vital to share the information in Spider-Man 3, years after he first gets his powers. In the MCU, Peter accidentally reveals his secret to Ned, and eventually his girlfriend is also let in on the secret, but Aunt May didn’t find out until the rest of the world did.

In The Amazing Spider-Man, Peter lets the secret slip to his girlfriend in the same movie where he gets his powers. This decision also has the knock-on effect of informing his best friend, Harry Osborn, that he is Spider-Man. Evidently, things get a lot more difficult once Harry knows his secret, but that was only because Peter was so quick to start sharing.

4

Refusing To Donate Blood To His Dying Best Friend

Of course, Harry has high hopes that his dear friend will be willing to share, because he just so happens to be suffering from a disease that is killing him. In desperation, he reaches out to his friend, and asks for help, hoping to have Peter donate his super blood, and heal Harry from his illness. Owing to the unique genetic code, Peter is hesitant, but more than that, he is unwilling.

Peter is evidently a clever kid. Harry is extremely wealthy, and has access to the greatest minds on the planet. If the pair chose to try and work together, it’s very possible that Peter’s blood could have been refined to find a viable cure. But instead, Harry feels compelled to try something more experimental, and he transforms into the Green Goblin.

3

The Sequel Dropped Off In Quality

When it comes to the Spider-Man film franchises, The Amazing Spider-Man had the worst sequel of the bunch. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 introduced harrowing moments that would shape the character and stories for years to come, but in terms of villains, and narrative, it was a weak and disappointing mess.

This is further highlighted by the need to retcon and adjust the way the villains from this movie act when bringing them back for No Way Home. There was still potential to make the franchise into something strong, but it felt as though the sequel struggled to make sense of the source material.

2

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Wasted Jamie Foxx As Electro

And expanding on the terrible villain aspect of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Jamie Foxx was completely wasted on the movie in his role as Max Dillon, aka Electro. Foxx is an incredible action star, and someone who has diversity and talent worthy of tapping into. However, Max Dillon was a whimpering shade of a man who struggled to make sense of reality.

This character could have been interesting, but instead, it felt grating. It was also a weird way to set up a villain for Spider-Man, with a previous fan simply becoming disappointed in not receiving more recognition and kindness from his Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. The entire character was half-baked, and Foxx did what he could with it.

1

The Lack Of A Spider-Man 3 Left The Franchise On A Heartbreaking Note

As much as there were weaknesses in the series, the huge cliffhanger, with Gwen Stacy having died, was one of the most upsetting and disappointing endings of all time. It’s no wonder Garfield’s Spider-Man went down such a dark road, but it doesn’t absolve him from his mistakes. And anyway, Spider-Man is meant to be a beacon of hope, not ongoing despair and paranoia.

With no third Amazing Spider-Man movie, the franchise was hanging in the balance, until a minor update was finally offered up in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The MCU has evidently healed some old wounds for Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man, but it would have been even better if the franchise could have seen him achieve those results himself in another The Amazing Spider-Man film.

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