10 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching The Amazing Spider-Man Movies

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Summary

Character development for the villains in The Amazing Spider-Man movies is lacking, leaving much to be desired in terms of their treatment and depth.
The films fail to fully utilize Andrew Garfield's potential as Spider-Man, focusing too much on an angst-ridden portrayal and neglecting his quick-witted side.
The talented cast of the franchise is wasted due to overcrowded subplots and a lack of proper exploration, marking a missed opportunity to showcase their abilities.

Though The Amazing Spider-Man movies have undergone a more favorable reappraisal in the years since their release, there are still a few harsh realities highlighted by rewatching the films. After Sam Raimi's massively successful Spider-Man trilogy redefined modern superhero cinema, expectations were high for the 2012 reboot. Andrew Garfield took over the iconic titular role, later reprising it in the 2014 sequel, The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man movies were initially considered distinctly disappointing, proving divisive and failing to secure the viable Sony franchise they sought to create.
The years since have seen the two-film arc given a more favorable reappraisal, with many even voicing their hope that The Amazing Spider-Man 3 will eventually come to fruition. However, despite containing a number of perfect Spider-Man scenes, there are several distinct issues with The Amazing Spider-Man movies that become all too apparent upon rewatching them. Though they certainly aren't without merit and rightfully enjoy an improved reputation, time hasn't been entirely kind to the two movies, as elements of them stand out as conceptual missteps or failures of the source material. Here are 10 harsh realities of rewatching The Amazing Spider-Man movies.
Your browser does not support the video tag. 10 Their Handling Of Spider-Man Villains Was Inconsistent (At Best)

One of the most evident issues with The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel is the lack of character development the films give their villains. The first movie wastes its opportunity to explore Curt Connors as a character and simply has him become a mindless monster to be defeated. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 actually did a little better, with a compelling if unoriginal backstory for Electro and an interesting spin on the Green Goblin. The sequel also introduced an odd but innovative take on Rhino, but none of these villains are given the appropriate time or attention, meaning that the movies' treatment of their villains leaves much to be desired.
9 The Wasted Potential Of Garfield’s Spider-Man

Of every actor to play Spider-Man in live-action, Andrew Garfield is perhaps the biggest case of wasted potential. As a performer, Garfield is remarkably talented and brings both dramatic flair and remarkable physicality to the role. There are many moments where Peter Parker's playful edge shines through, but the films were altogether too focused on leaning into their angst-ridden portrayal of the hero. Had Spider-Man's quick-quipping comedic potential been better realized, Garfield could have truly excelled in the role, but unfortunately, the overall tone of the two films let him down.
8 The Amazing Spider-Man Movies Wasted Their Stellar Casts

One of the most blatant missteps of The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel is just how much the two films waste their staggeringly talented casts. With accomplished actors such as Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Rhys Ifans, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Colm Feore, and Paul Giamatti all appearing in supporting roles alongside Garfield and Emma Stone, the two-film franchise is positively stacked with talent. Unfortunately, the nature of its story and attempts to explore too many subplots and ideas ultimately lead to many of these actors becoming lost in the crowd, marking a missed opportunity to employ their talents properly.
7 The Parkers’ Backstory Was Never Properly Explored

One of the more original and fascinating aspects of The Amazing Spider-Man movies also stands out as one of the harsh realities of the franchise. The first film hints that Peter Parker's parents Richard and Mary were involved in clandestine research that led to their deaths, and the sequel picks up the plot thread. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 builds on the idea, showing more of Richard and Mary's backstory and furthering the mystery of their deaths. However, the plot was never fully resolved, making one of the films' most brilliant innovations decidedly frustrating upon a rewatch.
6 Their Action Sequences Leaned Too Heavily On Gimmicks

The Amazing Spider-Man movies tried something interesting in regard to their action sequences, but it didn't always come off as intended. Both films make use of spider-related gimmicks during action sequences: the first film sees Spider-Man encircle Lizard using spider-like crawling motions to cover him in web, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has the hero play out the notes of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" while fighting Electro. The use of spider-like imagery was a unique innovation, but it ultimately contributed to a style-over-substance feel, especially as the plot behind the action sequences was often poorly written from a narrative perspective.
5 The Amazing Spider-Man Failed Its Uncle Ben Story

One of the major ways in which The Amazing Spider-Man set its origin story apart from that of the Raimi trilogy was the way it framed the identity of Uncle Ben's killer. The film teased that the killer's identity was an important part of the film's central mystery and shows Spider-Man starting out his tenure as a hero by hunting criminals who resemble the killer. The film then summarily abandons the entire subplot, never resolving the question of who exactly killed Uncle Ben, despite the fact that it was presented as an intriguing and important mystery in the film's first act.
4 They Needlessly Repeated The Raimi Trilogy’s Worst Mistake

The biggest mistake of Raimi's trilogy was trying to incorporate multiple major villains into a single movie in Spider-Man 3. Strangely, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 did exactly the same thing, yielding largely the same results. The film attempts to focus on Electro and Green Goblin as major villains, also setting up Rhino by having him appear as a lesser antagonist on two occasions. Trying to include so many antagonists in a single narrative felt rushed, particularly in the second film of the franchise, and it undermined what might have otherwise been fascinating villain stories.
3 The Amazing Spider-Man Didn’t Need To Be An Origin Story

Released just a decade after Sam Raimi's trilogy opener, The Amazing Spider-Man chose not just to introduce a new version of the hero but to start from scratch. However, the decision to make The Amazing Spider-Man an origin story wasn't necessary, and it's all too evident upon rewatching. Spider-Man's origin story is one of the most well-known in comics, and had the film jumped ahead a little further in the hero's career, the film would have set itself apart from its predecessor. There were more than enough interesting subplots and ideas in the film to have forgone rehashing Spider-Man's origins entirely, and its story suffers as a result.
2 The Amazing Spider-Man Movies Tried Too Hard To Build The Sonyverse

It was clear practically from The Amazing Spider-Man's first scenes that Garfield's hero was intended to lead a franchise. The Amazing Spider-Man 2, in particular, spent a great deal of time introducing and exploring ideas clearly intended to lay the foundations for the franchise's future, hinting at future narrative arcs and the resolution of multiple over-arcing mysteries. Considering that The Amazing Spider-Man 3 simply wasn't forthcoming, these teases for the future ring decidedly hollow and stand out as a particularly harsh reality for the franchise upon rewatching.
1 The Two-Film Arc Needed Further Exploration

Perhaps the worst of the harsh realities surrounding The Amazing Spider-Man movies actually stems from their quality: there's simply not enough of them. For all their shortcomings, the world created by the two films is an interesting and creative spin on the iconic hero and his supporting characters, and Garfield's performance warranted further exploration of Spider-Man's story. His appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home proved that fans still wanted more from his version of the hero, and despite renewed calls for another The Amazing Spider-Man sequel, it appears his arc will forever remain cut short thanks to the way the two movies failed him.
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