The Amazing Spider-Man 2: 10 Ways The Reboot Is Superior

6. Martin Sheen And Sally Field As Uncle Ben And Aunt May

Such perfect casting as this requires more than a single line of reference; it requires a whole discussion point of its own. I mentioned before that Cliff Robertson and Rosemary Harris were good in their respective roles but their sole function was to spout wisdom and nuggets of self-awareness at critical moments throughout the trilogy. They seemed too removed from Peter's life, even before he was bitten by the spider in Spider-Man. They were very fond of each other but the generation gap suggested they don't really get each other. But in comes President Bartlett - sorry - Martin Sheen, and suddenly we have a connection between Uncle Ben and Peter Parker that is warm, supportive, filled with moments of wisdom that show they truly get each other. Uncle Ben understands Peter's attraction to Gwen Stacey, his desire to learn more about his father and his general sense of trying to find a purpose in life; this is what makes his death so tragic. In Raimi's version you feel like Peter has lost a parental figure. In Webb's version you feel like Peter has lost a core part of who he is. Sally Field is also a revelation. You might have felt sad when Raimi's version of Aunt May lost her husband. In Webb's version you feel that pain. Even after Ben's death she doesn't struggle to grasp who Peter is becoming; she connects with him, sharing her frustrations as well as her love for her nephew and you truly get a sense that together they are trying to rebuild their life together. Had Aunt May disappeared from Peter's life after the first Spider-Man you would have considered her just one chapter in his story. But in Webb's version, May still has a big role to play in Peter's development and this is going to be a great thing to behold.