My apologies for the late time of this posting. I was in L.A. all morning in meetings, upon whose completion I immediately had to rush to the airport (where there's no free Wi-Fi, those bastards!). I've since been in the air or eating until now, when I finally have a chance to post our Versus poll from the friendly confines of the Denver International Airport. Namely:
I enjoyed the Batman versus Batman discussion last week, so I went to the well again in light of the recent Spider-Man flick. Also, I ignored my long-standing "no nerd fights on the Internet" rule and got involved in a bit of an imbroglio on a prominent super-hero site about the alleged deficiencies of "The Amazing Spider-Man" and its titular star.
So I turn it over to you, gentle readers, as I duck beneath a hastily-erected barrier sure to be proof against the ravages of Nerd Spittle. Who is the superior Spider-Man, the character portrayed by Tobey Maguire, or the more recent Andrew Garfield?
Have at thee!
No poll, Jeff?
Regardless, I chose Andrew Garfield.
I’m gonna go with Garfield, he looks, sounds, acts and backflips the part. Also, he wasn’t an emo Spider-Man so that gives him a dump truck full of points over 0 that Tobey Maguire gets on account of Spider-Man 3.
Garfield is sweet he should of always been spidey
Dang it, I was in a rush and forgot to paste it in. Now I am on the plane and can’t get to it for a couple of hours. Sorry!
I vote for Garfield’s recent performance of Spider-Man. He was more believable and had more of an edge. I just saw the movie last night and thought it was way better than the previous flicks.
First Post On This Site and i am very excited to get involved and i say…- Andrew Garfield as The Amazing Spider-man!
In this movie Andrew Garfield is smarter (my view) than the Tobey Maguire Spider-man. When it is Spider-man vs. Spider-man it is hard to tell who would win because they both have the same powers but it all comes down to intelligence…
I like the Andrew Garfield/Spider-man better because the Tobey/Spider-man is just a little to cheesy for my taste. Andrew Garfield was perfect.
By the way i do like the old Sam Raimi Spider-man movies and i like Tobey as spider-man but i think that Andrew Garfield just did a better portrayal…
As i said in my other post i am new to this website and will take a bit to get used to but… Jeff Hebert how can i get/make an avatar/profile picture?
Have yet to see the new one. Have read and heard mixed responses. A recurrent theme in the reviews I’ve read is that we don’t need to see an origin story every damn time. And in this case it’s not just fanboys who don’t need to see the origin, it’s pretty much everyone on the planet who became fully aware, with the incredibly recent and well-attended Raimi films, of the radioactive spiderbite/dead uncle/with great power comes etc/shoulda grabbed that thief story line and can we get ON with it already.
Maybe I’m too deep into nerd country not to think that anyone who doesn’t already know all these origin stories (not counting the more obscure characters–I mean, yes, Bulletman would need an origin story) would probably not be the ones who want to see these movies. And I for one wouldn’t mind being thrown into the middle of the action and left on my own to figure out what’s what. But of course the producers are interested in trying for the widest audiences possible; I get that.
So what’s my point? I don’t know, maybe I just like bitchin.’ I guess I’m asking if I’m alone in this viewpoint on origin stories. But I don’t want to hijack the thread. If anyone cares to address this in addition to their response to the actual question at hand, I’ll read it with interest. Or you can ignore me completely (probably your best course as a general rule), but I value the Machinists’ opinions in helping me to decide if my movie-going dollar should go toward this film. So far I’m seeing a lot of Garfield love.
I agree, I have yet to see the new spidie, And I may not, if it’s just a retread of the origin story. We don’t need Origin stories for any character they have an action figure for!
I say Toby, He was smart enough to get there first, and get there with Kirsten Dunst!
i have to go with the old one it has the oringal ccostume
I honestly don’t know how to rank this one. Yeah, Garfield brought some witty banter to the role, but it’s not like Maguire was lacking in that area. Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker was a little darker and edgier, but if you’ve read a copy (probably digital) of Amazing Fantasy #15, that’s not far off what Parker was like then. And while I found Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker more likeable (most of the time), there was a sort of goofy charm that Garfield could evoke.
This would be much easier if it was Kirsten Dunst’s Mary Jane Watson vs. Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy, the latter of which I found considerably better portrayed.
I’m going with Andrew Garfield for one simple reason. We have not watched him bop around like a jackhole down 53rd Street, acting kind of slimy, in a disappointment like Spider-Man 3. At least not yet, and hopefully not ever.
Tobey Macguire did an excellent portrayal of Peter Parker in the first film. It wasn’t his fault that Spider-Man 2 & 3 were disappointments. He stayed true to the character, given the storylines the films had him working with. The slick nastiness of his symbiote Spider-Man was certainly a new twist on the super-aggressive persona that overtook Parker during that period of his storyline. It was odd but fitting as an update.
Tobey is best spiderman. First three films with he was best. New ultimate spiderman is shit.
The fact that Andrew Garfield could talk with the mask on unlike Toby makes his better I believe however I aint seen the new movie yet.
Armour, you need to go to http://www.gravatar.com and upload an avatar there using the same email address you use here. Then that avatar will appear everywhere you post using that address.
Garfield – hands down
Gotta go with Garfield, as much as the movie itself didn’t do it for me (huge plot holes, bad dialoge, the Lizard being made to be to much like green goblin, 10 minute skatebording montage!) I really liked the casting of Garfield, He came of as awkward but likable, and when he put the suit on you really saw that it gave him the inner confidance that Spidey has. I would to love to see what he can do with the character in future films.
Magire was a sound Peter Parker but never worked for me as Spider-man, his lines always came off as weak and he couldn’t go ten minutes without crying in a movie!
At the moment I feel that this comparison is like “Christopher Reeve’s Superman vs Brandon Routh’s Superman”. But, since there is no third choice… I’ll get as picky as judging between Jack Kirby and Rob Liefeld. (ahem) I vote “Maguire” for lucking out with a Hollywood crew that was visually truer to the comics. Spidey has several costumes, so Garfield’s is fine. BUT this Lizard doesn’t look like a killer croc (hardy-har) – and much like Rebecca’s Mystique – is naked without the signature white top. Congrats, Tobey. It was stupidly close.
:walks away whistling the 60’s Spidey jingle:
OK, added the poll. Sorry about that, travel sucks.
I’m going with Garfield, if for no other reason than that the Maguire Spider-man sucked and down right depressing. Haven’t seen the new one, yet, but unlike spider-man 2 and 3 I’m going to see it at the cinema, as it seems to me to be better than emo/sulky/super-troubled Spider-Maguire.
Also, in combat the Spider-Maguire will probably give-up, and run home to read twilight…(I think his on “team-Eduard”.)
I haven’t seen the new Spiderman movie but I will (I never pass up a new superhero film). I still say Tobey. Partially because once I see an actor in a roll its hard for me to think of someone else playing it. But also, emo and sulky aside, the symbiote suit gives Spiderman enhanced strength, speed, durability, and badass. Tobey actually gets to use the suit, meaning he would win because at one point in his three movies he is stronger than Garfield ever was in his film.
I say Garfield, mainly cause MacGuire’s portrayal of Spidey was soooooo cheesy. And Garfield’s combat was really web based which i feel is how Spidey should fight, cause he’s a teen/ young-adult with no formal martial arts training. I just really really liked Garfield’s portrayal more.
Very strong case you worked there buddy.
I have to go with Garfield Spider Man, he had the humour of spider man down almost perfectly. I grew up with spider man as my first favorite super-hero (yeah I’m only 20 but thankfully my dad was still stuck a few years back in history so i grew up with alot of the classics) the sarcasm, as I put in the last blog about the movie, is Spider-mans way of hiding his fear from his enemies, it makes him seem sooo powerful and strong that he can be a smartass while kicking ass. McGuire might have had quiet a few good laughs in as spider man in the 3 originals but Garfield put in quiet a few good laughs into just one scene with a car mugger, I mean “CROTCH!!!” kindof sums that up lol.
As for action and suspense both tied on that point.
One thing McGuire has over Garfield is the costume was more like the original (like the new one though, really good remodel) he actually worked as a photographer in the movies, he got to use the Symbiote suit (not much of a perk since this is only Garfields first spiderman, might get the suit in a sequel somewhere), He got the girl in the end (though technically Spider Man got Gwen Stacy before Mary Jane and she died then Parker found MJ so really agian not a strong perk) and he got uncle bens killer (agian, not a strong perk since McGuires gotten 3 movies in and Garfields only at one)
Garfield in the end in the argument of which one was closer to the character wins this one.
Good one, Jeff, Good one.
First off, I think both actors did a good job of playing spiderman in their respective films. (Let’s leave Spiderman 3 ouf of this for now) Unlike Toby Maquire, I haven’t seen Andrew Garfield in other films, so I can’t say, who the better actor of the two is. Personally, I thought that Garfield represented the role of Peter Parker better than Maquire, so I am giving my vote to Andrew Garfield.
As for the costume, I think Toby Maquire had the better costume.
why not wait till the new trilogy’s over an have an even bigger debate?
i havent seen the new one. i really like the old ones. sm2 is one of the best super-hero movies ever. sm3 isnt as terrible as everyone acts in my opinion. besides the third one almost always sucks. jedi, return of the king, x3, search for spock. its almost always the second one thats the best. empire, two towers, x2, khan. i really dont have a point, i just wanted to see my new avatar up there.
I have to give it to the new one since its more accurate to the character and because the third movie with toby was just awful.