Spider-Man: A Comparison of the Two Series

Spider-Man is undoubtedly one of the most popular superheroes in history. Perhaps this is because he is much more interesting than many of the similar, “cookie-cutter” superheroes who plague every aspect of modern entertainment: films, comic books, and now even television.  “He’s way less boring than superman,” said Sophomore Jocelyn Brody.

The Original Trilogy:

The original Spider-Man trilogy (2002, 2004, 2007), featuring Tobey Maguire and directed by Sam Raimi, had many admirable qualities, including creating a powerful foundation for the rest of the franchise. Spider-Man’s original story is more interesting, the morals and messages are clearer, and Tobey Maguire makes us believe in Peter Parker’s dorkiness with his superb acting. Sophomore Elisa Alexander said about his character, “I loved how he was so introverted and nerdy, while they totally got rid of that in the new Spider-Man. But I also really like the new Spider-Man for his sarcasm and humor, despite his lack of depth in personality.”   Cliff Robertson’s character Uncle Ben is also memorable with his famous words, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

The major flaw of the first three films is their special effects. Of course, a movie made a decade ago will look very outdated from one made now, but the costumes, web-swinging, and computer-generated imagery (CGI) of Raimi’s trilogy simply don’t stand the test of time. The tone is also stylistically outdated, making it hard to take seriously today.

 

The “Amazing Series:

In May 2014, the second film of the new Amazing Spider-Man series, directed by Marc Webb, was released, 10 years after the second film of Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man trilogy hit theatres. Webb’s new series exceeds Raimi’s in acting, plot, and special effects, but the older series has a more defined tone and stronger morals. Webb’s new series provides a fresh spin on a worn-out story, in a world that now expects more out of their superhero films. The Amazing Spider-Man series was created as a reboot to the original trilogy after 3’s bad reception. Producers had planned to release Spider-Man 4, but instead hired a new director, Marc Webb, to oversee the development of a new story.     

Amazing and Amazing 2 both had to fight hard to earn the approval of critics and fans alike. The latest edition to the franchise failed in many of the same areas as 3. There was an overly long duration (142 minutes) and too many subplots and character arcs. Andrew Garfield plays a darker but more complex Peter Parker, and a much wittier Spidey that more closely resembles the comics. Freshman Kobi Donkoh-Halm commented on an imbalanced character focus. “The Amazing Spider-Man adds a lot of character to the heroes (Peter and Gwen), but the villains are forgettable,” he said.

 

Spider-Man 1 (2002):

• Directed by Sam Raimi

• Grossed $821 million worldwide

• Received positive reviews

• rottentomatoes.com Rating: 89% (225 reviews)

 

This film had great financial success, becoming the first movie to earn more than $100 million in a single weekend. Directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire as the titular superhero, the trilogy included two sequels, Spider-Man 2 (2) and Spider-Man 3 (3). Some, such as IACS Sophomore Elisa Alexander, consider Dafoe’s Goblin to be the best villain in Spider-Man history.

 

Spider-Man 2 (2004):

• Directed by Sam Raimi

• Grossed $783 million worldwide

• Received positive reviews

• rottentomatoes.com Rating: 94% (249 reviews)

 

2 receives constant praise as being the best film of the Spider-Man franchise as a whole.  2 received the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 2005, and was nominated for many other awards. Villain Doc Oc (played by Alfred Molina) was heralded as the best villain in the Spider-Man franchise. IACS Junior Jason McFeeley agrees.

 

Spider-Man 3 (2007):

• Directed by Sam Raimi

• Grossed $890 million worldwide

• Received negative reviews

• rottentomatoes.com Rating: 63% (244 reviews)

 

Complaints about the film include too dark of a tone, acting problems, and a script overstuffed with subplots, referred to by many as “a mess.” While it was the most financially successful of the three movies, fans gave it a rating lower than both of its predecessors.

 

Amazing Spider-Man 1 (2012):

• Directed by Marc Webb

• Grossed $752 million worldwide

• Received mixed reviews

• rottentomatoes.com Rating: 73% (284 reviews)

 

Some critics felt the reboot didn’t live up to the success of Raimi’s trilogy. The Lizard was regarded as an unimpressive villain. Others, like Joe Williams from St. Louis Today, enjoyed the reboot, saying, “This new version of an old story amplifies both the power and the responsibility.”

 

Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014):

• Directed by Marc Webb

• Grossed $708 million worldwide

• Received negative reviews

• rottentomatoes.com Rating: 53% (249 reviews)

 

It grossed the least of all five movies in the box office and was rated the worst by critics. Critics noted issues in Webb’s film that also appeared in Raimi’s trilogy, such as a busy plot, underdeveloped villains. “You can’t help feel the franchise bean counters at work,” said Simon Reynolds of Digital Spy.