One decade ago, Sam Raimi directed Spider-man 2 which became a beloved classic and still stands today as one of the finest superhero films of all time. When Marc Webb directed the reboot, the Amazing Spider-man, he managed to create a stronger origin story than the 2002 version, but he was unable to top the 2004 sequel as the strongest Spider-man film. This time, Marc Webb has made his own sequel, which was an improvement over the first, but did he finally manage to beat out the classic with his Amazing Spider-man 2, or does Spider-man 2 still outshine all of Webb's efforts? Let's go bit by bit comparing the two versions. (warning: minor spoilers for each film may occur)
Main Lead:
Andrew Garfield vs. Toby Macguire: Both actors have brought Peter Parker and Spider-man to life. They played the same character in essence, but both used different aspects of the character to deliver two very different version. Toby Macguire's Peter was a lovable, shy nerd who wore geeky glasses and was constantly bullied. Garfield provides a Peter that is more of an outcast than stereotypical nerd, filled with teenage angst and awkwardness around others. While that may sound less likable, Garfield's portrayal is actually more realistic and relatable. He makes for a more engaging person. As Spider-man, both are very similar. Both play a light, hearted cocky hero. But overall, Andrew Garfield did manage to win narrowly in his debut as Spider-man. But in this movie, he takes it by a mile. Andrew Garfield has grown into the role and delivers the cocky wisecracking that is true to the comics and makes him enjoyable. Toby tried a similar thing in Spider-man 3, but ended up looking emo. So that kind of loses the battle for Toby. Andrew Garfield wins. 1 point for Amazing Spider-man 2.
Female lead:
Emma Stone vs. Kirsten Dunst: This one is no contest. Emma Stone is just a better and more popular actress. And her character Gwen Stacy is what females should be in comic book movies: someone who actually makes a difference. Gwen is intelligent and good natured, like typical female lead, but she also is very feisty and independent. She is integral to the defeat of the villains and she won't back down from challenges. In fact, she embraces them. When her love interest goes to fight Electro, she comes along, despite his attempts to keep her in the sideline. She barges straight in the thick of things, and that makes her so much more likable than Mary Jane. In comparison, Mary Jane just screamed and played the damsel in distress. Emma Stone wins. 2 points for the Amazing Spider-man 2.
Villain:
Electro + Green Goblin + Rhino vs. Dr. Octopus: This may seem unfair for Spider-man 2, because its 3 on 1, but it is actually because of this Spider-man 2 wins. Alfred Molina played what is the most popular and beloved Spider-man cinematic foe and even rivals Loki and the Joker. The story of a scientist who's dream goes awry and kills his wife, as well as putting him under the control of his own mechanical arms was beloved. Fans could sympathize with his plight, as his motive is crystal clear: he just wants to accomplish his dream and finish what he started. He eventually decides to give up his dream and destroy his creation for the greater good and plunges into a river along with his life's work. It was a beautiful story and is unrivaled by any other Spider-man villain. The Amazing Spider-man 2 brings in 3 villains. The first villain, Max Dillon is a shy outcast, with no friends or family. A series of unfortunate events on his birthday drive him insane and turn him into the villainous Electro. His motives are a little unclear, but you can understand his plight and feel a little bad for the lovable Max Dillon. However, as Electro, he just becomes visually stunning and had no character left once he embarks on evil. The Green Goblin is Harry Osborn, who is dying of a genetic disease that killed his father. Harry tries to obtain Spider-man's blood as that is the only thing that can cure him, but Spider-man refuses. This drives Harry over the edge and the desperate Osborn enlist Electro's help to obtain venom, which does cure him, but temporarily turns him into a goblin like creature. The Green Goblin is scary but its unclear why he exactly decides to attack Spider-man after his transformation. Revenge for refusing to save him, which doesn't even matter as he lives anyway? Insanity induced by the Goblin serum? It's very unclear. And Rhino is very unknown, just appearing for an unfinished battle to lead into the next movie. Overall, Green Goblin and Rhino can be forgiven unlike Venom in Spider-man 3 because they are there to set up future installments and reappear as part of the Sinister Six. But until the next movie comes to flesh them out, Dr. Octopus takes it over all of them. If maybe they had cut down on the number of conflicting villain stories, maybe one could have risen over Dr. Octopus, because they all have so much potential, but they are just to small in a big movie to win this. Dr. Octopus outstrips all. One point for Spider-man 2.
Story:
Spider-man 2 wasn't ambitious and tried to just be a entertaining summer blockbuster. It told the well made tale of Dr. Octopus, it kept things simple and minimized subplots and Easter eggs and setups. It managed to pull that off beautifully and create a well made script. The Amazing Spider-man 2 on the other hand, is too ambitious. It tries to be a fun summer blockbuster as well, but also tries to tell a love story, an action movie, and set up the next films in the series. It tries to tell too much and is ultimately a little sloppy. With two villain origins, a subplot with Peter's parents, the relationship between Peter and Gwen, and a lot of Easter eggs and dangling story-lines to lead directly into the 3rd movie, a lot is going on, making a crowded narrative. It is ultimately more of a setup and launch for the Spider-man cinematic universe, which builds towards the Sinister Six. It destroys the standalone element of the story. There was so much potential and it ultimately wasn't anywhere close to the level of bad that was Spider-man 3 or Batman and Robin, but when they handed the story to the writers of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, it was never destined to be great. Spider-man 2 wins. 2 points for Spider-man 2.
Harry Osborn:
Dane Dehaan vs James Franco: Harry Osborn is the only character from the previous trilogy besides the Parkers. So he is also a comparable aspect of both films. This is very tough to choose as both are played by great actors, but Dane Dehaan's acting takes it slightly, as he delivers a charisma and villainy that Franco never managed. His interactions with Peter are so well acted, that in just a few scenes, their friendship is as well established as it was in the previous trilogy, where it took 3 movies to do so. Also, both eventually become the Green Goblin (I know Franco become the goblin in #3, so it's not valid in this comparison, but whatever). Franco was building a great story arc through the trilogy to finally become... a flying surfboarder. His version of the Goblin was not a villain for the ages. Dehaan's arc is more rushed, but his Goblin looked evil and scary, really making an effective villain. And while his fight scene was short, he killed Gwen Stacy, putting him on a whole new level and he will return. When he does, the enmity between hero and villain will be personal. Dane Dehaan wins. 3 points for Amazing Spider-man 2.
Supporting Cast:
Spider-man has traditionally has a large array of supporting characters, that make his personal life just as interesting or even more interesting than his life as Spider-man fighting villains. Both Spider-man 2 and the Amazing Spider-man 2 draw on some of the characters to recreate the drama that made Peter Parker's life so fascinating. Both films use Aunt May and Harry Osborn as key supporting characters. The Amazing Spider-man 2 wins in that regard, as Sally Field and Dane Dehaan beat out Rosemary Harris and James Franco. However, when it extends further, Spider-man 2 wins. Spider-man 2 features notable members of the Daily Bugle, including Betty Brand, Robbie Robertson, and the irreplaceable J.K Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson. The Amazing Spider-man 2 supporting cast includes... a few notable names from the comics such as Felicia Hardy and Alistair Smythe, and a few shady OsCorp guys. None of these amount to much more than a wink to die hard fans and can compete with richness of J. Jonah Jameson. Spider-man 2 wins. 3 point for Spider-man 2. The score is tied and the next and final section will be the deciding factor.
Overall Experience:
While the first Amazing Spider-man tried to differentiate itself from the first Spider-man by becoming grittier, the Amazing Spider-man 2 decides to embrace the liveliness of comic book movies. The result is Spider-man 2 and Amazing Spider-man 2 having that comic book feel to them. Spider-man 2 is a classic Spider-man film, but Amazing Spider-man 2 is the Spider-man film. With probably the best costume of them all and truly capturing the personality of Spider-man, with his wisecracks and joking manner. The comedy is excellent and I haven't had this much fun in a movie since the Avengers. A nothing has come close to the Avengers' level of fun since this movie. And then the special effects. Where do I begin. Spider-man 2 had a bright palette in its action scenes and the train scene is memorable to this day, but the spectacle of the Amazing Spider-man 2 is gorgeous. The scenes with Electro are stunning and no movie to this date has had special effects this mid-blowing. They really kept me engaged with the movie and all and all, blow Spider-man 2's outdated cheesy effects out of the water. Amazing Spider-man 2 wins. 4 points for Amazing Spider-man 2.
Verdict:
I'm definitely in the minority, but I honestly enjoyed the Amazing Spider-man 2 more than Spider-man 2. It was a close match with the final score being 4-3, but Amazing Spider-man 2 takes it. Sorry, Raimi fans.
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