Which Spider-Man do you prefer

I just watched the Amazing Spider-Man for the first time, and I was extremely disappointed.

• The acting was stiff
  
• The love interest between Peter and Gwen was forced (the gal playing Gwen never acted like she was really into Peter until the end; Kirsten Dunst, for all her faults, did so much better with Mary Jane)
  
• Uncle Ben and Aunt May were badly cast
  
• The plot stunk too much of "Godzilla"
  
• Denis Leary was the only one refreshingly real, with his deadpan criticisms and disbelief about the super villain ("Do I look like the mayor of Tokyo?")
  

I though the original Spider-Man trilogy was more fun, more "comic book" style. (I also liked the Hulk better than The Incredible Hulk for the same reason.) I don't like Toby Maguire a lot, and I've never been convinced the third movie was all that good, but I still thought it was a better run than what I watched last night. I also that having the Green Goblin, Sandman, and Doc Oc as the villains were much choices than The Lizard, and Willem Dafoe did such a better job at playing unstable; I'm not convinced it's all acting.  

I haven't watched The Amazing Spider-Man 2 yet, although I have it so I will likely watch it soon. Maybe it will change my opinion, but I doubt it.

There is a possible third selection for a poll such as this: the Spider-Man from Captain America: Civil War. However, so far he hasn't been more than a bit part, not even getting as much time as The Falcon and The Iron Patriot (or whatever his name finally ended up being). I guess we'll know a bit more about him after the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming movie, although I've already heard his Aunt May is not an old lady in that one, but someone not much older than he is. Wrong. Just wrong.

Spidey's aunt in Capt. America Civil War was already shown.  She is in her 40s maybe at the oldest.  It can work.  I am more concerned with them getting Spidey/Peter Parker right than I am them getting her right.  After all, she is really just a reoccuring extra in the story.

As for the two previous versions, I gotta go with Tobey.  His versions really brought out the struggle of trying to do real life and be a super hero.  Except for the third film, it was great.  With the third, the whole dance scene really showed that the director was over this franchise and was doing things to tick off both the actors and the fans.  They also stacked too many villians to really do a proper back story on them.  With the first two films, though, they really did it right in my opinion.

Andrew Garfield nailed the smart mouthed Spidey.  Instead of a nerdy science guy, though, he came off more as an uber-cool loner type who really didn't see a difference between his super hero self and his alter ego self.  I didn't like this version of Peter Parker because he was so cocky when he wasn't in the suit.

Here's to hoping that the new guy and this series will nail Spider Man and be the most beloved of all.

alldatndensum wrote:

Spidey's aunt in Capt. America Civil War was already shown.  

I had forgotten that; I saw that movie in the theater and now have it on BR, but haven't rewatched it yet.

alldatndensum wrote:

His versions really brought out the struggle of trying to do real life and be a super hero.

Agreed. I loved the angst he showed in trying to balance being a teenager (an uneasy task in and of itself) with being a super hero.

alldatndensum wrote:

With the third, the whole dance scene really showed that the director was over this franchise and was doing things to tick off both the actors and the fans.  They also stacked too many villians to really do a proper back story on them.

I thought they should have stopped at two; the third one was such an all-around disappointment.

alldatndensum wrote:

I didn't like this version of Peter Parker because he was so cocky when he wasn't in the suit.

Exactly.

Something I forgot to mention in my original post, one thing I didn't like about The Lizard. In the comic books he had more of a lizard/dinosaur face, while in this movie he looked more like a sleestack on steroids, but without the bulbous eyes.

I had mixed feelings about them both.  I like the way they protrayed Spidey in the first two Maguire films, but I have to admit to not really being a fan of Maguire or Dunst.  The third Maguire film was just horrible.
My son loved the Garfield versions, but I wasn't really convinced by the characters or the story (never saw the second film).

I've voted for Spiderman with Toby Maguire.

I prefer the 70's Spiderman on the Electric Company that didn't speak and had only thought bubbles

This may sound a bit odd (considering the post by Staybrite) but...

I had mixed feelings about them both.  I like the way they protrayed Spidey in the first two Maguire films, but I have to admit to not really being a fan of Maguire or Dunst.  The third Maguire film was just horrible.
I know some loved the Garfield versions, but I wasn't really convinced by the characters or the story (never saw the second film).

Fundy wrote:

This may sound a bit odd (considering the post by Staybrite) but...

I had mixed feelings about them both.  I like the way they protrayed Spidey in the first two Maguire films, but I have to admit to not really being a fan of Maguire or Dunst.  The third Maguire film was just horrible.
I know some loved the Garfield versions, but I wasn't really convinced by the characters or the story (never saw the second film).

Deja vu. 

I couldn't agree with you more.

Through The Dark Radio wrote:

I prefer the 70's Spiderman on the Electric Company that didn't speak and had only thought bubbles

When I first saw this thread I thought of the 70's TV series of The Amazing Spiderman.

^^^ That's the Spidey I grew up with

Yeah, for me it was either that or Spiderman and his Amazing Friends.