Why see "The Amazing Spider-Man" when Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man 3," with Tobey Maguire as the web-slinger, was a mere five years ago?
The stars at the red-carpet premiere Thursday night in Westwood were ready with answers.
"We go from the very beginning when he [Spider-Man] was orphaned and all through his first love," Emma Stone, who plays Spidey's gal pal Gwen Stacey, told TheWrap. "We met her in 'Spider-Man 3' but this is a very different version of Gwen."
Also read: 'Amazing Spider-Man' Premiere: Red Carpet Photos
It might also be mentioned that Mary Jane Watson, played by Kirsten Dunst in the Raimi Spideys, does not appear in the reboot.
Andrew Garfield, who got the role of the title character after his critically acclaimed work in "The Social Network," also touched the film's distinct focus on Peter Parker's family situation and its appeal to audiences:
"Every one of us feels like an orphan in a strange way. And obviously Peter Parker is one of our most famous fictional orphans," he told TheWrap.
And, added Stone: "It's in 3D, which is new. That's literally and visually more!"
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But in perhaps one of the most interesting takes on the reboot, co-star Rhys Ifans endorsed "The Amazing Spider-Man" as a stand-alone film by comparing it to Shakespeare. The classically trained theater actor who takes on the villanous role of Dr. Curt Connors (a.k.a. The Lizard) said: "Great Shakesperian charaters — all of them — have moments where they speak directly to the audience, and Connor has the opportunity in speaking to his computer. Therefore, you address the audience directly."
Despite its distinct qualities, director Marc Webb faced intimidatingly heightened expectations when he came on board the project.
Also read: 5 Things That Are Different About the New 'Spider-Man'
"It was terrifying," said Webb, whose only noticeable film credit is the 2009 sleeper hit, "(500) Days of Summer." Ultimately, however, Webb chose to view the film as more of an opportunity than a risk: "The kid in me was like, 'Are you kidding me? You gotta do this!'"
Webb's inner kid may have been on to something. Current tracking is strong for the movie, with analysts predicting it will earn $125 million during its opening weekend.
As for the sequel? Click on the video below to see what Andrew Garfield had to say about a second installment:
(Top photo: Getty Images)