10 Ways The Amazing Spider-Man Was Better Than Homecoming
Homecoming is NOT the "perfect" Spider-Man movie.
After the colossal failure known as The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sony decided to team up with Marvel to give audiences another Spider-Man reboot with yet another new and fresh-faced actor donning the colours of America. With a younger lead, a unique cast of characters and Marvel’s auteurist stamp of comedy, this “fresh” attempt at milking the Spider-Man cash-cow resulted in a light-hearted comedy that both audiences and critics enjoyed.
Unlike Andrew Garfield’s efforts at updating the Peter Parker character by representing the not-so-geeky social outcast, Tom Holland was universally praised for his portrayal of the awkward nerd and friendly neighbourhood superhero. Neither of their movies were judged to be as stellar as Sam Raimi’s genre-defining trilogy, but, with the fowl taste of Paul Giamatti’s Transformers Rhino still lingering, Jon Watts adaptation is certainly favoured more than Marc Webb’s.
While its sequel is undoubtedly an abhorrent mess that reeks of studio interference, The Amazing Spider-Man is an underappreciated adaptation of the iconic origin story of geek gets bitten by spider. It had charm, drama and captivating performances, and was in many ways more amazing than Holland’s recent portrayal of the web crawler that everyone loves rather than shrieks at.
10. Stan Lee's Best Cameo
Starting with a point that no one will object to, the Stan Lee cameo in The Amazing Spider-Man was vastly superior to the one in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Inventive and funny with Spider-Man and the Lizard destroying Lee’s library as he listens to (presumably) very loud music through headphones, Marc Webb had the honour of directing the iconic and lovable old man’s best appearance in a movie so far.
While that was charming and creative, Homecoming opts for a cameo that is all too similar to the common "there's Wally" appearances that Lee has had in way too many Marvel productions. The Marvel Godfather simply shouts out of a window and amusingly hints at being a playboy among the elderly (which is likely as authentic as superhero films will ever get).
With Stan Lee being an inspiring God among geeks, it was refreshing to witness a cameo of his that for once was entertaining rather than a lazy obligation. It's a shame that The Amazing Spider-Man hasn't inspired other directors to be more inventive with their mandatory Stan Lee appearance, but the shenanigans at the library will remain a highlight of the Godather's prolific IMDB portfolio.