Gwen Stacy is an actual character.
Captain Stacy is an actual character.
No they are not. They are plot devices like in SM3.
And especially Gwen is so unreal - head Assistance of Connors with access to everything in Oscorp and in love with Peter from the start...
You might dislike The Lizard's portrayal but he was a better villain than Sandman and Venom (in the context of the films, and in the comic as well)
"Better villian"? Why? He created a computer animation to show the world how he wants to take over New York and builds his secret labor in the near of Peter's high school so that Peter could find it just in time to save the day.
His serum made lazy lizards which have done nothing to the people in New York.
BTW: He killed Stacy like Venom killed Harry in SM3.
/edit: And the connection to Peter is hilarious, too. Friend and Co-worker of his dad, working for Osborn, boss of Gwen, killer of the father of Peter's girlfriend...
Uncle Bens death might have been altered but we won't find out 2 movies later it was really the Burglar's partner who pulled the trigger, before he goes on to become the Shocker or Hypno Hustler or something.
Right. In ASM we find out that Ben is responsible for his own dead. How stupid you are trying to outwrestle a younger, bigger and stronger guy over a weapon? Good candidate for a Darwin Award.
Nothing in ASM is deep or make the characters interested. Peter got everything he wants, he does not need to fight for anything. There is nothing in this movie which gives me a reason to care about them.
Even after the dead of captain Stacy the girl came back for him...
And so yes ASM is in best case as good as SM3. For me it's much more worse.