Top 5 Reasons why "The Amazing Spider-Man" is way better than "Spider-Man"

Apparently I was too excited to see The Amazing Spiderman 2 (Rise of Electro), that I impulsively bought a ticket to its midnight screening last April 30. Well at least I got a free poster as a reward for my impulsiveness.

Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) continues to fight crime as the friendly neighbourhood web-slinger. He’s having the time of his life – everybody loves him as Spider-Man, he recently graduated from high school, and c’mon he’s got a hot and smart girlfriend. As Peter helps keep criminals away, he is constantly haunted by the promise he made to George Stacy, Gwen Stacy’s deceased dad, to leave Gwen (Emma Stone) out of all the trouble he’s tangled into as Spider-Man. However, new enemies arise which would make it harder for Peter to keep his promise.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Trailer

As you watch the movie you can’t help but compare it to the 2002 version with Toby Maguire. I’m pretty sure that a lot may agree with me, so I tried to pinpoint the exact elements that made this version with Andrew Garfield so much better. Here are my Top 5 reasons why Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man (2) is so much better than Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films.

      1. The Amazing Spider-Man (2) gives us a closer look at Peter’s parents.

Right at the start of the movie we see Peter’s mom and dad, and these scenes pretty much give us an idea that they may be involved in a bigger mystery, and stress their importance in the whole Spidey story. The earlier Spider-Man movies did give us hints about Peter’s parents, but The Amazing Spider-Man 2 gives the folks a good amount of screentime, so they don’t just end up being shady figures in Peter’s past.

2. The Amazing Spider-Man presents Peter as a genius.

Yep. Not just a lucky kid who’s been granted with creepy arachnid superpowers. In The Amazing Spider-Man, we see more of Peter’s intellect, especially with the fact that he invented the web slingers, instead of the web disgustingly shooting right out of his wrists. Ewww.

3. Spidey’s more fun, and less emo – just like how he should be.

If it I try to recall Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy what I really remember was how emotional Peter Parker was in those films. He’s always confused and gloomy and depressed with how he wants to be with Mary Jane but can’t. Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man on the other hand, featured an amusing, lively, and playful Spider-Man – very similar to how he really is in the comics.

4. Awesome POV shots

Showing Spider-Man swinging from building to building is one thing, but showing how Spider-Man sees things as he swings is awesome. The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel showcased a lot of shots with Spider-Man’s perspective as he jumps and swings and “flies” over skyscrapers to save the day. These scenes also make the movie worth watching on Imax.

5. The Peter Parker – Gwen Stacy love team was the bomb!

Real-life couple Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone’s on-screen romance worked so well that we wish that Mary Jane would never come into the picture. Need I say more?

There were a lot of other items on my list on why I enjoyed Marc Webb’s films so much better, like the badass scoring and soundtrack (Hans Zimmer and Pharell Williams!), and how his films seemed to be more connected to the rest of the Marvel Universe (The Man in the Shadow, Mr. Fiers, is definitely up to no good).

The franchise was reported to have 2 more sequels after The Amazing Spiderman 2, and even spinoffs featuring Venom and The Sinister Six. But quite frankly, I don’t know how I’d feel about another Spidey movie without Gwen Stacy on it L

Credits to the images and videos used in this post go to "The Amazing Spiderman 2" and/or to their respective owners. I do not own these materials. No copyright infringement intended.

Geoffrey Ledesma