10 Worst Directing Decisions In Comic Book Movies

10. The Amazing Spider-Man: Making Peter Parker A Selfish Douchebag

One of the best things about Spider-Man is that he's always trying to do the right thing, no matter the cost to himself. It's a lesson he learned the hard way when he allowed that thief to get away and subsequently became responsible for Ben Parker's death. It's stayed with him throughout all he does, in the comics, the cartoon series and Sam Raimi's movie trilogy. Basically, he's not an irredeemably selfish d*ck. Except that in the first film of Sony's reboot of the franchise, the Peter Parker that Andrew Garfield plays is not one that fans of Spider-Man can really recognise. Everything he does is motivated by self-interest, even after Spidey's humbled by his uncle's death. He mopes around, being a sullen teenager who does whatever he likes and barely considers those around him unless they're Emma Stone. Director Marc Webb chose to make his Peter Parker just as self-involved as any other privileged teenager. Two things illustrate this better than anything else. The first is during the 'climactic' fight between Spidey and the Lizard, when Parker chooses to save the villain as a giant crane falls from the building towards the street below. Saving the dozens, possibly hundreds of police and bystanders that we know are down there isn't that important, is it? But doing right by that mad scientist who caused all the mess is just fine. The other instance comes at the very end of the film, when Stone's Gwen Stacy is grieving over her recently-deceased father. He specifically tells Peter to stay away from his daughter to keep her out of danger, which he promises he will. But he instantly breaks it, putting his horny teenage desires above honour, propriety and sticking to words given to dead men. He's a real class act, that Peter Parker. As such, he's no Spider-Man at all.
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Film history obsessive, New Hollywood fetishist and comics evangelist.