As fans all know, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was expected to do a lot better than it actually did. Only grossing  $708,185,060 at the box office it was the lowest performing Spider-Man movie.  So why did people hate it? Common complaints are too many different plots going on, too many characters, and the movie is too long; some of the same things that  killed Sam Raimi’s trilogy.  So what can be done to get the Spider-Man cinematic universe back on track?  I’ve come up with a list of seven things that may help future installments do better upon their release.

Stick To One Villain

What a lot of people complained about with The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was the same issue they had with Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3: there were too many plot lines and characters crammed into one movie. One of the reasons this happens is because there is more than one villain implemented into a single film. This means that the movie now has several character set-ups to be executed in a limited amount of time, usually leading to important background information being dulled down or simply left out. And that really ticks off some fans. Villains such as Green Goblin in Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Venom in Spider-Man 3 suffered that fate. I  know a Sinister Six movie is coming, but as far as The Amazing Spider-Man series goes, perhaps just focus on one villain.

There are simply too many main characters to contend with revolving around Peter Parker as it is.  As a side note, if they insist on throwing in numerous villains, don’t throw in a classic villain like the Rhino and give him 5 minutes of screen time. The marketing campaign made it look like Rhino would be a big part of the movie that fans like myself were looking forward to. Instead he was just appeared at the very end; almost as if it was more of a cameo appearance.

Peter’s Parents Are Important.  Show Us.

In the first ASM movie, Peter is trying to decipher the mystery surrounding his parents, which tied in directly to the story and also gave him a connection  to Dr. Conners, who was the film’s main antagonist. It actually had a major purpose to the story line.  In the second movie, not so much.  Yes, there was a need to tie up loose ends, but it felt rushed. Almost as if it was being dismissed  to make room for the Green Goblin and the main villain Electro. Perhaps if it was left out of the loop entirely, new characters would have had more time to develop.  While I was watching the movie, I really felt like Peters parents had the least to do with the current plot, aside from the tidbit of info stating that the serum would only work with Peter’s bloodline. This also created a pacing a problem. Taking away this aspect might have made the movie not so unbearably long. So bottom line, have side stories tie into the main story in the next film for the sake of pacing.

Calm Down On The Slow Motion

I don’t know about you all, but for me, overuse of slow motion during action scenes should stay in Michael Bay films.  There’s nothing wrong with slow motion every now and then, and heck, I would even say that when using it in the case of the Spider sense, such as during the times square battle in ASM2. That was actually smart, but the way they used it for almost every different move in the final battle with Electro just ruins the action. Spider-Man battles are supposed to be fast paced,  frantic, and all over the place. They’re supposed to keep you on the edge of your seat. That feeling can’t be accomplished if you keep slowing it down so we can see every little detail and it makes it really hard to get into the battle. It literally takes focus off the battle and just says “Hey take a moment to look at how good out CGI effects are.”

J.K. Simmons As Jameson

 J. Jonah Jameson is a VERY important character in the Spider-Man mythos, and yet he’s been just kind of glanced over in this new series so far. In the next movie, there really needs to be scenes with not only Jolly Jonah, but the whole Daily Bugle office, like Betty Brant and Robbie Robertson. Seeing as it’s the source of Peter’s money, as well as a primary resource for him to learn about the latest crimes and criminals in the city, this is certainly a missing touch that would I feel would improve these movies. Seeing Peter struggle with a regular job, an irate boss, co-workers and a less that desirable paycheck is part of what makes him a relatable character. No one can play this role like actor JK Simmons. His ability to nail the character of Jameson is unmatched as we have seen from the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies. Simmons has stated that he would return as J.J for this new series if they asked him to reprise the role. This can add another aspect of comedy and enjoyment that would really refresh the series.

Pete’s An Everyman.  Put A Little Gum on His Shoe…

Arguably one of the most important things the makes a Spider-Man adventure different from other superheroes and a staple trademark of the character is to have everyday problems. Things we can relate to as ordinary everyday people. We saw this a bit in the first ASM, and of course, all the things with Gwen Stacy and Peter hiding his identity from Aunt May do qualify. But I’m sure fans of the comics and common audiences alike would like to see some classic scenarios. Perhaps revolving around Peter at college, his money problems and his lack of sleep causing him to mess up while being Spider-Man. We want to see him forget his homework in his locker and miss appointments. This emphasizes that even though he is Spider-Man, he still struggles with everyday life, like we all do. I think that taking a cue from the comics and bringing in those everyday scenarios would expand on that classic Spidey aspect of humor and storytelling

How The Hell Are Peter and Harry Friends?  Tell Us!!!

Peter and Harry catch up after years of separation.

Here we have two best friends since childhood, now turned against each other as enemies! And yet, we have not really seen too much into their friendship. With it clear that Harry will be returning as the Green Goblin, as well the one responsible for Gwen’s death, I’m sure we’d all like to see some childhood friendship scenes. It would really emphasize how horrible and hurt Peter must feel battling his best friend. There is confusion, anger, and sadness that could be brought out of it, if the past between Peter and Harry had been made more prominent.

Proper Venom And Carnage

Of course with talk of this upcoming Venom movie, I think it’s obvious that a proper version of Venom can really bring new life into Sony’s Spider-Man universe, especially if Carnage is joining. These are the two top ranking characters of the spidey-verse besides the web slinger himself. A proper rendition of Venom and Carnage has more than enough potential to get Sony back in the game and fill every seat in the theater. Those two villains alone, if executed properly, could boost the Amazing Spider-Man movies into the top ranked renditions.

So there you have it, seven things that I think could help Sony salvage their future Spider-Man movies and spinoffs. The first movie showed amazing potential, and I think because of that Sony jumped the gun and tried to go all out in the 2nd movie, and for that it suffered. Perhaps keeping certain mistakes in mind and listening to fans, they can rectify those mistakes and bring Spider-Man back to his proper glory in the history of cinema.