There have been so many different Spider-Man movies since 2001, and while they have been universally praised, for the most part, there’s one series that stands out like a sore thumb.
The Amazing Spider-Man movies have always been divisive ever since they were released, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was negatively received across the board. But the series still has its fans on Reddit. Between defending Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker, praising the darker and more mature tone, and applauding the villains, Reddit is on fire with hot takes about the series.
The Villains Felt Human
Reddit user Sammyjames notes that the villains in the Amazing Spider-Man series felt human, specifically citing that Electro was “just a man with no social life.” However, though that might be true about Electro, when he did finally become the villain and was able to manipulate electricity, everything that made the character human went out of the window.
The user also forgets to mention Rhino, who appears in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. The character is a one-dimensional Russian mobster, the lamest villain from any Spider-Man movie, and he was made even worse when Peter literally pulled down his trousers with webs.
They Are Better Than Raimi’s Movies
XMenOrangesTangerine claims that the Amazing Spider-Man movies are great, and while doing so they say that "they’re better than Raimi’s ones." However, Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, including the tepidly received third movie, influenced a whole generation of superhero movies that still hasn’t ended.
Not only that, but Spider-Man 2 is the definitive Spidey movie, as it expertly balances character development with explosive set pieces, and it features one of the best villains in cinema history, Doctor Octopus. If the TASM series used Spider-Man 2 as a blueprint, the movies would have been a lot better.
There Weren’t Too Many Villains
Instead of being influenced by Spider-Man 2, The Amazing Spider-Man series seemed to be more inspired by Spider-Man 3, which featured way too many villains. But Snoo32648 disagrees, as they argue that the people who said there were too many villains are the same people “that want a Sinister Six team,” calling them hypocrites.
But it wasn’t exactly how many villains there were that was the problem, but the way all of these different villains were handled at once. They each had a different motivation, and they very rarely crossed paths. However, Jamie Foxx’s Electro did inspire some funny memes.
Andrew Garfield Did The Best Job
There have now been three big-screen Spider-Man depictions. The first was portrayed by Tobey Maguire, the second was TASM’s Andrew Garfield, and the third was Tom Holland. Though fans tend to sway between the original and the MCU version of the character, Woahwoahwoahwoa’s favorite of them all is Andrew Garfield, claiming that he is “the best Spider-Man.”
But most Spider-Man fans claim that Garfield is almost too cool to play the nerdy high-schooler and that he was way too old at the time. However, though he might not have been a great Peter Parker, the actor definitely pulled off Spider-Man’s sarcastic humor well.
They Are The Best Because Of The Darker Tone
User Pistacio_killer argues that the reason why the Amazing Spider-Man series is underrated is because of the darker tone. They claim that that’s also why people were “quick to jump on the bandwagon” of hating it. But the dark tone is exactly what The Amazing Spider-Man got wrong in the eyes of many.
Peter Parker isn’t a disturbed vigilante, but a hopeful and positive kid just trying to do the right thing. A dark depiction of Spider-Man is like if a Batman movie was made that was bright, colorful, and funny, as that’s the opposite of what Batman stands for, and the exact opposite of why fans like the character.
The Amazing Spider-Man Is Mature With Spidey’s Problems
User Spanks5 calls The Amazing Spider-Man 2 the greatest spider-man movie of all time, and the reason why is because it’s “so mature with Spidey’s problems.” But an argument could be made for the exact opposite.
At the end of the first movie, Peter promised Gwen Stacy’s father that he wouldn’t continue to date his daughter, as they both knew what danger could come with that. However, Peter continued to date her anyway, and that’s what got her killed, which exactly what her father was trying to avoid. Peter Parker was immature and made light of the sage advice that George Stacy gave him.
They Have The Best Scenes Of Any Spider-Man Movie
Though RapidSheep admits that The Amazing Spider-Man “isn’t the best by any means,” they posit that the first entry in the series features the best scenes of any Spider-Man movie.
There are some great moments in Garfield’s movies, such as Spidey fighting Electro in Times Square and swinging into graduation. But most of the moments came off as shameless bravado, whether it was destroying the basketball hoop or even the aforementioned graduation scene. The sequences are trying too hard to be cool and none of it necessarily measures up to a narrative that makes sense.
The Green Goblin Design Looks Good
User JazzlikeHour4 doesn’t give much away about their opinion other than the fact that they “like the look” of Green Goblin in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. They also reply to comments saying that his laugh was amazing.
But for the most part, along with the Russian mobster version of Rhino and the overly hammy depiction of Electro, Green Goblin was just as over-the-top theatrical. As for the character’s design, Harry Osborne was covered in a mucus/gangrene-like ooze, and his gelled up hair just made viewers question why he’d go out of his way to style his hair but not take care of the rest of himself.
It Does A Great Job Of Setting Up Sinister Six
In one post, Skankhunt2099 argues that not only were the number of villains fine, but that the series did a great job at setting up the Sinister Six. They argue that the setup “isn’t a problem.” But it felt more forced than anything else, and the second installment of the series seemed like a commercial for a team-up movie that wasn’t even in production yet.
With Norman Osbourne walking passed the Vulture’s wings and Doctor Octopus’ tentacles, it felt too on the nose. While there are unseen villains that should appear in a movie, history speaks for itself, as fans weren’t at all receptive to the way the idea was being implemented, and the whole idea ended up getting canned.
The Movement And Abilities Of This Spider-Man Is The Best
User Kaka_carrot_cake456 says that the TASM Spider-Man had the best movement and abilities of all of the movie variations of the character. They argue that they weren’t “a fan of the biological webs” in Raimi’s movies.
But though the TASM version of the character is worlds apart from the rubbery looking Tobey Maguire swinging from building to building in the first three movies, it doesn’t hold a candle to what has happened in the MCU. As technology advances, CGI will continue to improve, and Spider-Man will only have better abilities and movement with each consecutive movie.