As far as Hollywood cash-grabs go, Amazing Spider-Man isn't harmful but it is insultingly obvious. It also underlines a reoccurring problem with the Spider-Man franchise in general: The absence of a singular vision.

Say what you will about their chemistry but Dunst and Maguire made this kiss synonymous with Spider-Man.

In 2002, producer Laura Ziskin and Marvel Studios' Avi Arad officially revived the flickering superhero film genre with Spider-Man (2002). The movie surprised critics, was a box office hit, and put cult director Sam Raimi on the A-List, along with actors Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire. In a huge way, it also would continue the seemingly unstoppable forward motion that would become Marvel Studios as we know it today.

Dafoe's performance could have rivaled Jack Nicholson's in 1989's BATMAN if it weren't for the poor costume choice.

By the time the announcement for Spider-Man 2 (2004) had arrived, Ziskin, Columbia Pictures, and Marvel now had the model for success and a larger budget to boot. Surprisingly though, David Koepp wasn’t invited to return. Instead, the script for Spider-Man 2 went through multiple drafts by multiple writers. The list included Michael Chabon (The Adventures of the Amazing Kavalier and Clay), Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (Smallville), and, finally, Ziskin's husband Alvin Sargent (Ordinary People).

Before MARVEL's THE AVENGERS, Spider-Man 2 had the most impressive superhero battles in film ever.

Molina's Doctor Octopus gave the villain a personable quality never reached in the comics.

Regardless, the movie is easily the best of the series. More importantly, theatergoers and critics gave the film a unanimous thumbs up, justifying the too-many-cooks structure. Unfortunately, this method would lead to the franchise's undoing and, arguably, much-needed rebooting.

End of Part 1

To Be Continued Tomorrow in The Tangled Web of Spider-Man on Film Part 2: Spider-Man 3 and Amazing Spider-Man!