andrew garfield spider man

Is Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man Run Underrated?

When it comes to the character of Spider-Man, we’ve seen it all. From Raimi’s iconic trilogy to the MCU’s more tech-heavy and modern trilogy, there have been stunning animated films and a catalogue of disappointing spin-offs featuring characters like Venom, Morbius, and Kraven. Sony’s attempts to give us Spider-Man movies without Spider-Man, such as the upcoming Madame Web, often feel lackluster. Tucked away in the Spider-Verse, however, is Marc Webb’s 2012 reboot, “The Amazing Spider-Man.” Released just five years after Raimi’s third installment, it aimed to capture the darker elements of Peter Parker’s origins. Following the success of Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight,” studios were eager to make darker fare out of their own IPs. With Andrew Garfield’s resurgence in “No Way Home,” it’s time to reassess his run as Spider-Man

“The Amazing Spider-Man” was directed by “500 Days of Summer” director Mark Webb and stars Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker, a teenage orphan living with his aunt and uncle after the death of his parents who gets bitten by a radioactive spider and gains extraordinary superpowers that he’ll use to protect New York from a grave threat. The movie also stars Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, Martin Sheen and Sally Field as Ben and May, Dennis Leary as Captain Stacy, and of course Rhys Ifans as The Lizard. Now, the plot of this movie is basically a spin on the classic Spider-Man origin but made to be a little more modern and slightly more confusing. See, we’re going to get more into this when the time comes to review the sequel in this series

A New Peter Parker

Garfield’s portrayal of Peter Parker differed significantly from Tobey Maguire’s. While Maguire’s Peter was meek and dorky, Garfield’s was more of an antisocial, too-cool-for-school kind of kid. This edgy portrayal felt out of place for some fans but brought a fresh perspective to the character. Garfield’s chemistry with Emma Stone, who played Gwen Stacy, was a highlight, adding depth to Peter’s romantic life without Mary Jane Watson’s presence

Delayed Action

One criticism of “The Amazing Spider-Man” is the delayed appearance of Spider-Man in costume. The film spends a lot of time on Peter’s backstory and his relationship with Gwen before finally introducing the superhero elements. When Spider-Man does appear, Garfield’s portrayal shines, particularly in moments of heroism and tenderness, such as saving a boy on a bridge.

The Lizard

Dr. Curt Connors, aka The Lizard, played by Rhys Ifans, serves as the primary antagonist. Connors’ transformation into The Lizard and his plan to turn New York’s population into reptiles provided the main conflict. The character design of The Lizard was controversial, with many finding it more cute than menacing. Despite this, the action sequences, especially the battle at the school, showcased Spider-Man’s agility and Garfield’s engaging performance.

A Mixed Bag

Overall, “The Amazing Spider-Man” is a mixed bag. It has moments of brilliance, particularly in Garfield’s performance and the chemistry between the leads. However, it also suffers from a disjointed plot and some questionable design choices. Despite these flaws, the film offers a modern take on Spider-Man that resonates with fans of the Ultimate Spider-Man era.

Conclusion

Is Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man underrated? Given the context of superhero fatigue and the evolving landscape of comic book adaptations, Garfield’s portrayal deserves more appreciation. His version of Spider-Man brought a unique and bold perspective to the beloved character. While “The Amazing Spider-Man” may not be perfect, it remains a significant and enjoyable entry in the Spider-Man filmography. If you’re in the mood for a throwback that offers both highs and lows, “The Amazing Spider-Man” is worth a revisit.

Spider-Man in Retrospect

With recent talks online of superhero fatigue and cameo-driven muck, it gets easier to believe that the once-anticipated “Amazing Spider-Man 3” may still be in the cards for fans of Garfield’s take on the web head. But for me, I’m holding out any hype until I’ve gone back into the Marvel vault and taken a proper retrospective look at Marc Webb’s original installments and see how they stack up against the iconic and not-so-iconic films in this ever-expanding library of wall-crawling cinema.

Unique Aspects of Garfield's Spider-Man

Garfield’s Peter Parker is not so much a bullied loser but more of an antisocial, too-cool-for-school kind of kid, which, rewatching now, feels outdated. For example, both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will occasionally mumble lines of dialogue that are difficult to hear, but whereas Tobey’s Peter sounded shy and insecure, Garfield’s Peter sounds more like he’s going for a different tone.

Gwen Stacy's Role

A pretty big change is that this movie has Gwen Stacy being Pete’s love interest and there was no MJ to be found. There are plenty of instances in the comics where this is the case, so honestly, not that big of a deal. Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield’s on-screen chemistry has been widely praised, and their real-life dating added to their dynamic performances.

The Long Wait for Spider-Man

There are some good moments before Peter gets his powers, but it feels like it takes forever to get to the Spidey stuff. In fact, it’s about an hour into the movie that we finally see the suit, but it’s not until close to the end that we see Peter really being Spider-Man. Garfield in this movie really seems more like Flash Thompson than Peter Parker. When he finally goes on his first patrol as Spider-Man, he kind of comes off as mean-spirited and a little bit too much of a jerk. However, at about an hour and 15 minutes into the movie, when Peter finally gets to display some of the heroics we’ve been desperately waiting for, it is so worth it.

Costume Controversies

We all know that Garfield’s suit from “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is one of the best and most iconic suits that the webhead has ever worn. We all love the giant eyes, the classic colors and textures, and the homemade look of it all. But the costume in this movie, that’s a different story. The yellow-tinted eyes look stupid. The shoes are really weird. The whole thing just does not look like Spider-Man.

Final Thoughts

Spidey takes down the Lizard after Captain Stacy dies on the job and Peter swears to break things off with Gwen Stacy to protect her from his new life as a super-powered vigilante, which lasts for about 5 minutes until he changes his mind and then the movie ends. But then we get a post-credit scene that teases Peter’s father as a more important element in the story. At the end of the day, this movie is a mixed bag for me. But knowing what we know now and after all the later Spider-Man films we’ve gotten, this movie is more than a forgotten reboot. It’s a modern spin on a classic character and it speaks to the Spidey lovers of the ultimate Spider-Man era and gives a bold new design to the rogues and villains in this beloved universe. If you’re in the mood for a throwback that has some good and some bad and some ugly, this is ultimately a good time. So watch 2012’s “The Amazing Spider-Man.”

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