Over the years, we have had an abundance of Spider-Man films. With three reboots, seven live-action movies, and one animated movie (and more on the way), it’s safe to say that some will be better than others. But which ones, exactly? This list will highlight the best and worst of the Spider-Man franchise.
8. ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ (2012)
Columbia Pictures, 2012.
Although this may surprise some, I think that 2012’s “The Amazing Spider-Man” is the weakest link in the franchise, even more so than its sequel two years later. Andrew Garfield’s first outing as Peter Parker proved to be uninspired and bland, which in my opinion is worse than if the movie was original and horrible.
Although both “The Amazing Spider-Man” films had great acting, the script for the first entry specifically was obviously modified by Sony to play it safe. The Lizard’s motivation to “make the entire city lizards” was stupid and something we’ve seen many times before. And Spidey’s origin wasn’t special either. While there were some redeeming factors, the lack of creativity puts this on the bottom of my list.
7. ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ (2014)
Columbia Pictures, 2014.
It’s hard to believe they messed up “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.” With an amazing cast of villains including Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, and Felicity Jones—and the benefit of knowing what the predecessor did wrong—many thought the sequel would be a hit.
Yet, much like Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man 3,” more doesn’t always mean better. The film feels extremely cluttered, with bizarre motivations for each character and cringe-inducing performances all around, minus Dane DeHaan’s Green Goblin. Even Academy-Award Winner Jamie Foxx was one of the worst aspects of the film, with a horrible performance as Electro. Yet, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” did deliver us with a fantastic Spidey suit, along with great visuals. Still, not a high point for the history of Spider-Man.
6. ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ (2019)
Columbia Pictures, 2019.
Tom Holland’s Spidey is loved by some, and hated by others who claim he’s just Iron Man Jr. And in response to the claim that he’s just Mini Iron Man, I think “Far From Home” handles that very well as opposed to “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”
After the death of his mentor, Spider-Man really comes into his own in this film— but that doesn’t mean it’s without flaws. Although I really enjoyed “Far From Home,” I think it suffers from the same flaws many other recent Marvel movies encounter. Its over usage of CGI makes every fight scene drag, and the quippiness of the characters make every tragedy seem like an afterthought. Still, it gives us some fun moments, like Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio and the cliff-hanger at the end. Hopefully Tom Holland’s “Spider-Man 3” will learn from its predecessors’ mistakes while still keeping its good qualities.
5. ‘Spider-Man 3’ (2007)
Columbia Pictures, 2007.
Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” trilogy is widely known as the best depiction of Spider-Man. And if the fact that the worst movie in the trilogy is still in the top five isn’t a testament to its quality, I don’t know what is. “Spider-Man 3” has many problems, but it still manages to be, well, amazing. Yes, the villains are pretty bad, with a cringe-inducing Venom and a lackluster Sandman, and yes, the part where Emo Peter Parker starts dancing is ridiculous, but it’s still a fun one with great performances all around.
4. ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ (2017)
Columbia Pictures, 2017.
After a great performance in “Captain America: Civil War,” many people were excited to see if Tom Holland’s Spider-Man would sustain its high quality. Thankfully, it does. Although many claim that he relies too much on Iron Man as his mentor, the third act of the film is about him having to fight for himself.
Great acting all around, especially Michael Keaton’s Vulture who manages to be cold, calculating, and yet a sympathetic villain. The film has phenomenal action sequences and set pieces as well that don’t seem to rely too much on CGI. One of the most fun and light-hearted entries on the list, “Homecoming” will have any Marvel fan rewatching every couple of years.
3. ‘Spider-Man 2’ (2004)
Columbia Pictures, 2004.
Many say that “Spider-Man 2” is the best superhero movie of all time, period. Although I don’t quite agree, I think that it does make for a pretty amazing film. Not only does it have the best acting out of any of them, but it has easily some of the most memorable moments of the series, such as the train sequence and the moment Harry finds out Spider-Man’s true identity.
Doc Ock will go down in history as one of the best superhero villains of all time, along with Heath Ledger’s Joker and Josh Brolin’s Thanos. He’s someone the audience truly feels sorry for, and we really don’t want him to go bad. The only reason it isn’t number one is that the pacing doesn’t really sit right with me. It drags heavily in the middle and rushes too much at the end.
2. ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), 2019.
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” pretty much blew everyone out of the water. As an animated movie, nobody expected it to be as good as it was. Boy, were we wrong. I’ve probably watched it eight times since it’s 2018 release date, and there definitely will be more. It’s pure fun and makes you feel as if you were plucked off the face of the Earth and into a comic book.
Don’t take it as a kid movie just because it’s animated, though. It handles intense issues such as grief, depression, and loss. It also includes probably the best Spidey moment of all time, when Miles finally takes his leap of faith and jumps off a building as Spidey for the first time. Amazing.
1. ‘Spider-Man’ (2002)
Columbia Pictures, 2002.
Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” truly started it all. Coming out in 2002, “Spider-Man” set new standards for the superhero genre as a whole. A memorable origin, a spectacular villain, and lovable stars makes the original “Spider-Man” the most highly ranked above them all. I’m still blown away by Willem Dafoe’s performance as Norman Osborn, and the dynamic between Peter and Harry is always a joy to watch. I’ve watched it too many times to count.
Spider-Man is one of the most popular characters of all time. There are many versions of Peter Parker, ranging from comic books to movies to animated shows, each special in their own way. So instead of choosing just one Spider-Man flick, I recommend you watch all of them.
