2) The Amazing Spider-Man
Alright, so to claim that everything about the latest Spider-Man franchise has really worked may be overreaching, and this author in particular was skeptical about another trio of web-spinning movies being green-lit before Tobey Maguire had even finished clambering out of his red-and-blue rubber suit. But there’s no denying that the latest Spidey franchise certainly has its own unique charm, despite the second installment being somewhat overstuffed.
What has been quite so refreshing about the latest Spider-Man reboot is how the movies have a confident sense of humor about themselves without ever going overboard into campy territory. Spidey has been transformed into the kind of wise-cracking superhero who was such a hoot in the cartoon series of the nineties, and we’re left to laugh with him as he mocks the absurdity of any situation he finds himself in. Andrew Garfield is a good fit for the role, turning the timid Peter Parker of the previous franchise into a self-confident superhero with hubris.
The latest franchise is – in some ways – a little closer to its comic book origins (such as Spidey using web-shooting wrist cannons rather than sticky goo bursting from his fingertips), and whilst Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy was undeniably entertaining, there is certainly something to be said for Marc Webb’s reboot.
Whilst a healthy platform appeared to be set for a thrilling finale film, recent news suggests that The Amazing Spider-Man 3 will no longer take place, with Spidey instead being set for yet another reboot to become part of the expanded Marvel universe. Will audiences get sick of the web-slinger adopting so many different forms though?