Spider-Man is arguably the most popular and iconic superhero of all time. In this article I will be comparing the decade old (as of May 3rd of this year) original Sam Raimi film and the 2012 Marc Webb remake.
Story
Spider-Man: Orphaned at an early age, Peter Parker lives in Queens, New York with his beloved Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Peter leads the life of a normal student, working as a photographer at the school paper, pining after the beautiful Mary Jane Watson and hanging out with buddy Harry Osborn. On a school trip, during which Peter and his classmates are given a science demonstration on arachnids, Peter is bitten by a genetically-altered spider. Soon after, he discovers that he has unusual powers: he is endowed with the strength and agility of a spider along with a keen, ESP-like "spider-sense." Peter first uses his powers to make money, but in the face of a tragedy that hits close to home, he vows to dedicate his life to fighting crime, taking to heart the words of his beloved Uncle Ben: "With great power comes great responsibility." Meanwhile, megalomaniacal businessman Norman Osborn, Harry's father, is undergoing some changes of his own. An experimental formula has gone awry, increasing his intelligence and strength but also driving him insane. He is now the Green Goblin, Spider-Man's arch enemy, who will put young Peter Parker's vow to fight crime and help innocent people to the ultimate test
The Amazing Spider-Man: Peter Parker, an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy, and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents' disappearance -- leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors, his father's former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors' alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.
Both films have a similar story, both envolve Peter's transformation from a boy to a young man dealing with responsibility, and the consequences that come with being a hero. While also both deal with Oscorp as a key element in the film their both different while the original deals with his love Mary-Jane Watson (in their version, his first love) while the remake sticks to the comics as having Gwen Stacy as his first love. The original deals with the original comics while the remake deals with mixing in the original comics with the ultimate comics. Remember how I mentioned Oscorp playing a key factor in both films, well Oscorp gives us our villains. The original gives us arguably Spider-Man's most popular and dangerous adversary, The Green Goblin while the remake gives us again one of his most dangerous enemies, The Lizard. Both films have a unique look and unfamiliar directors. Here I will go over each of these as I compare the differences and similarites to each one and go into some of the history of the characters.
Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Tobey Maguire is a excellent actor and from what I've heard, so is Andrew Garfield. They've both played the iconic superhero but in different stages of his life. Tobey played the character at the end of Parker's high school life, going into college and getting a job as a photographer while Andrew plays the Peter Parker that is still in school. Both outcasts and both actors played the character at stages of their career where the films boosted their career while their unfamiliar to the general audience. Tobey's Peter and Andrew's Peter are similar as being the shy science nerd, who gets bullied and has a crush on the prettiest girl in school. Tobey's was closer to the classic comics where he went into wrestling as a way to get money. Andrew's is taking the character in a different direction and seperating from the comics. The original film focused more on Peter building his confidence and again going from boy to man and getting into the real world and transitioning into a hero. The new film focused on Peter in high school trying to discover what happened to his parent's after they left him at his Aunt and Uncle's to live with and focus on the more nerd side of him and getting his confidence and becoming a hero.
Kirsten Dunst as Mary-Jane Watson and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy
Two completely different characters played by two completely different actresses. Gwen Stacy is the pretty but shy girl who eventually falls for Peter Parker and at one point it was suggested she would be his soul mate that is until the end of the Gwen Stacy saga where it looked as either Green Goblin killed her before Spider-Man saved her, or when Spidey caught her, she broke her neck due to the fast pace she was falling and his webbing stopping the momentum. Mary-Jane Watson, the girl next door. Peter's Aunt kept trying to get Peter to meet Mary Jane, when he finally did the most famous words of Mary Jane came out of her mouth "Face it tiger, you hit the jackpot." Now the films are different. In the original Spider-Man they took both girls and made them into one Mary-Jane Watson then later in the trilogy introduced Gwen. The remake has Gwen in high school with Peter and she works at Oscorp (her boss being Dr.Connors) and she is the same as Peter but more open and because of his shyness but also his smarts and his (possible) one time outburst of rage against Flash Thompson. I would name their similarties but the only similarties they have is their love for Peter Parker.
Villains: Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborne/Green Gobline and Rhys Ifans as Dr.Curt Connors/The Lizard
Norman Osborne was a man destined for greatness. But in order to try and save Osborne industries he had to test the formula on himself and it completely transformed him into a mad man. In the comics Green Goblin got fed up with Spider-Man and followed him home and that's how he found out his secret, in the film Norman found out at a thanksgiving dinner when Peter lied about a cut that he recieved. Norman then found out then that Spider-Man is the person he thought of as a son, Peter Parker. Willem Dafoe played him as a dual role and a dual personality and it worked extremely well. In a way I thought of it as Norman trying to fight off his inner demon at first. In the 2012 Spider-Man remake known as The Amazing Spider-Man, Peter faces yet another very dangerous foe but in a different form. Another Oscorp scientist, Dr.Curt Connors (as stated in previous articles, my favorite CB villain.) Curt Connors was an army surgeon but when caught in a blast, he lost his right arm and became a biologist. He became fascinated with the fact that some reptiles can regenerate missing tails or limbs. Testing a serum on himself, he regrew his arm but became a reptilian monster. In the film, he was a partner of Peter's dad, Richard. But a science formula was never finished that they started and couldn't figure out. Peter finds Curt and Peter shows that he figured it out, thus Connors using it for the forumla he intended to create. Thus at that moment, he regrows his arm and becomes a monster known as The Lizard. Their different in the sense of their motives and the character behavior and their origins but also in who each of the characters are. But their similar because of being Peter's mentors and they took their love for science and it transformed them into monsters that are hell bent on world domination in their own way while also wanting Spider-Man dead.
Directors: Sam Raimi and Marc Webb
Both unfamiliar directors. Raimi known best for Evil Dead and the Spider-Man trilogy while Marc Webb has only done one movie. While both were strange choices to helm Spider-Man based on their filmography. Raimi was a good choice because of his passion for Spider-Man. Marc Webb known for being a director for music videos (I will note he directed Here without you by Three Doors Down and Call me when your sober by Evanescence.) He also directed a movie with very much praise, 500 Days of Summer. So in ways they were great choices to helm Spidey. I really can't name a similarity between those two so I'll name differences. Their different in the sense that Raimi had a cult following because of his Evil Dead films. Marc Webb again, directed music videos and did 500 Days of SUmmer so he's basically unknown. So it's risky for him to helm this for a second film.
Also one other difference I can name between the films is not only The Amazing Spider-Man having more of a real tone and feel to it but also the original, Peter had organic webbing while the remake is closer to the comics and has the web shooters.
Closing thoughts: I grew up on Spider-Man like many and he is my second favorite superhero of all time. I thought the films were great and I am really looking forward to the remake. I think the films did a good job with the directing choice, acting choice and villain choice as well as many other things.
Whatya think? Did I miss something? What's your thoughts between the two film? Comment below and be respectful please and thank you.