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Many Spider-Man fans weren't so thrilled about the two-part The Amazing Spider-Man series with Andrew Garfield playing Peter Parker. However, after the highly successful Sam Raimi trilogy with Tobey Maguire, the Amazing Spider-Man had difficult footsteps to follow in. As such, the expectations were high and despite the movies' many positive moments, The Amazing Spider-Man wasn't such a hit.
It's been seven years since the second movie premiered and it looked like Garfield would never reprise his part again. Yet the newest rumors suggest Garfield could once again appear as Spider-Man in the MCU. But before that can happen, it doesn't hurt to look back at Garfield's Amazing Spider-Man movies and the positive things about them that work even today.
8 The Talkative Spider-Man
One advantage that Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man has above Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man is that he talks. A lot. The comic book Spider-Man has the habit to comment on his fights and make fun of the people he's fighting even while he's doing so.
Maguire was mostly silent as Spider-Man while Garfield's superhero runs his mouth and he doesn't mind commenting on everything around him. Tom Holland then later continued this trend by talking to his artificial intelligence Karen but Garfield was the first comic-book accurate talkative Spider-Man.
7 The Action Scenes
Just like in all Spider-Man movies, regardless of who plays the titular character, whether Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, or Tom Holland, some action and fight scenes are amazing while others don't stand the test of time. The Amazing Spider-Man series has more than one action-filled moment worth watching.
A memorable scene is Electro's and Spider-Man's showdown in Times Square. The fight in Peter's school against the Lizard is also epic, especially once it moves into the library where Stan Lee works, clueless of what's happening around him because he's listening to music in his headphones.
6 Gwen Stacy Dies
Gwen Stacy's death was a big moment in the comics and it came as a shock to many of the readers. None of the movies had the courage to kill Peter's girlfriend and show the impact it had on the young superhero.
The Amazing Spider-Man did, and the devastation Peter feels after his failed attempt to save Gwen is something that resonates to this day. The decision to have Gwen die, as she did in the comics, is one of the multiple reasons why TheAmazing Spider-Man series is darker than most Spider-Man movies.
5 The Romance
Speaking of Gwen's death, the romance between Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy is one of the highlights of the series. While their relationship does start a little too fast, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone have genuine chemistry between them and manage to sell the couple, making it look believable.
In the comics, Gwen is initially portrayed as the popular girl who's way too cool for Peter to date, but in the movies, their romance has an organic feel to it.
4 More Active Heroine
While Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane was ultimately a sympathetic character, some fans were annoyed by the fact that Spider-Man constantly had to save her from danger. Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy is much more active and less fits the typical damsel-in-distress trope.
Gwen actively helps out Peter with his effort to stop the Lizard and even when she faces dangerous situations, still holds her ground. As such, she's a good role model for young girls.
3 Acting Performances
No matter what the audience thinks about The Amazing Spider-Man series, it's difficult to overlook that most of the actors give solid performances. Both Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone were already established actors by the time they made the series, and their performances reflect it.
Sally Field is sympathetic as Peter's Aunt May, and the three of them present highlights of the movie series, casting-wise.
2 Addressing The Question Of His Parents
While uncle Ben got his fair share of attention in both the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy and in The Amazing Spider-Man, Peter's parents usually draw the short stick.
However, The Amazing Spider-Man takes the time to establish that Peter didn't always live with his aunt and uncle and also addresses the question of what exactly happened to Peter's parents. While it's true that the topic still deserved a bit more space, including it at all makes the series different from other Spider-Man movies, and as such, more memorable.
1 Peter Creates His Own Equipment
In the comics, Peter doesn't have organic webs (like Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man) but has to create them. That comes with a set of challenges, such as when Spider-Man runs out of the webs in the middle of a fight.
Garfield's Peter creating his own equipment and webs is a small moment but still important because it showcases that even before he was a superhero, Peter Parker was already an intelligent and creative person. His intelligence then serves him well later on when he has to fight many of his opponents.