I love Spider-Man. Batman might’ve been my first favorite superhero, and there isn’t a single Deadpool issue I haven’t read, but if I had to pick the content of one superhero to enjoy for the rest of my life, I think it would have to be Peter Parker (sometimes) and his arachnid alter-ego, Spider-Man. I’ve written about why one of these movies is overrated, and I’ve written about why one of these movies is the single greatest superhero movies ever made, and now? I’m ranking them. Only the big screen stuff!
With Great Power: Ranking the Spider-Man Movies
9. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
This movie is horrible. Of all the Spider-Man movies that have been made, some good, some bad, this is the only one I’ve never watched a second time. Some of the other movies on this list warrant a guilt-watch or two when nobody’s looking, but this film is just dreadful.
This movie completely fails to grasp what makes the Spider-Man character so fantastic. He doesn’t have incredible heart, the plot makes no sense, and at no point am I like, “oh yeah, this guy is very, very responsible with his power.” It’s cute that Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield, a real-life couple at the time, had chemistry, but that was the only redeemable thing about this trash-can of a movie. Jamie Foxx was cheesy, Dane DeHaan did himself a disservice, and they wasted the death of Gwen Stacey, arguably Spidey’s biggest arch, on this horrible, horrible film.
Everything from bad villains to a forced side-story about Pete’s parents makes this film unwatchable, and I’m getting angry just writing about it, so I’m gonna move onto the good bad movies. And then they tried to hit us with a post-credit Sinister Six tease? Please.
8. Spider-Man 3
I have a terrible confession.
I actually really like this movie. I know I shouldn’t. I know it’s horrible. I know it killed off the Raimi Spider-Man movies, and as a fan of all things Bruce Campbell, that’s a sin, but I can’t help it. This movie is stupid, and it’s funny, and it introduced Venom, one of my favorite comic book characters, to the big screen, even if Topher Grace was horrible.
But here’s the bad. There’s too much going on. The studio got involved and forced them to include Venom, a character Sam Raimi didn’t get, everyone in this movie is horrible to each other for no reason, and, yeah, emo Peter Parker.
But let’s be honest. If you’re going to hate this movie for being poorly written, corny, and kinda dumb, then why do you like any of the Raimi Spider-Man movies? Hell, why do you like superhero movies at all? Not every superhero movie is Christopher Nolan.
Objectively bad? Yes. Enjoyable? Sorry about it.
7. Venom
This is a little bit of a cheat, I know. After all, is it really a Spider-Man movie if the character of Spider-Man never shows up? I don’t know if anyone in the movie is even named Peter. I don’t know if they even come close to a park. This movie is about journalist Eddy Brock’s imaginary parasitic friend, not the amazing Spider-Man.
However… Venom is a Spider-Man character. Why make the movie PG-13 if you’re not planning on introducing Venom to Tom Holland’s Spidey at some point down the road? Sure, it’s not exactly the same because Bruce Wayne appears in Joker (read about that movie here), but you’d still call it a Batman movie, wouldn’t you?
But hey, it’s my list, so we’re playing by my rules. Cool? Cool.
This is… not a good movie. It’s really not. The first half hour of this movie is borderline unwatchable, and a lot of the action and dialogue is cringe-worthy. However…
Tom Hardy is fantastic in this film. Nobody’s better at being quirky or off-putting than Tom Hardy. See- The Dark Knight Rises, Peaky Blinders, Mad Max: Fury Road. And the relationship he has with Venom when they finally get on the same page? Is downright infectious.
This is an objectively bad movie, but still an enjoyable one. This crosses the border between bad and so-bad-it’s-good. Also, it’s not technically a Spider-Man movie, so sharing it ahead of the “good” Spider-Man movies wouldn’t be fair.
6. The Amazing Spider-Man
There are gonna be people that say it’s criminal that this is ahead of both Venom and Spider-Man 3, and I understand. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was so bad, it’s completely ruined this film for me as well. However… this one was actually kinda fun.
This movie gets Spider-Man. He’s just a kid struggling with a lot of changes, like puberty, the death of his uncle, and a spider bite that gives him superhuman abilities. My biggest gripe with this movie is that Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker wouldn’t get bullied. He might not be popular, but he’s a good looking, he’s cool, and he skateboards around.
But there’s one scene that saves this movie, and it’s the scene where Spidey gives his mask to a kid to make him feel brave in order to rescue him. Great power, great responsibility, great heart. Is this one of the better Spider-Man movies? No, but is it necessarily a bad one? Absolutely not.
5. Spider-Man
I have such a soft spot for this movie, I can’t help it. In many ways, Spider-Man helped redefine superhero movies. Just think about how many blockbusters are superhero movies, and while it certainly wasn’t the first big hit, Spider-Man definitely helped prove the validity of the genre.
This movie introduced a lot of people to Spider-Man, and while Tobey Maguire isn’t my personal favorite, he does a damn good job as Peter Parker. He’s a dork, sure, but he’s so genuine and good that you can connect with him instantly.
Not to mention, Willem Dafoe’s performance as the Green Goblin is the stuff of legends. He’s so remarkably over-the-top the entire time, and there are certain scenes that make me laugh every single time.
Not to mention, this film not only has a Bruce Campbell cameo, but it also features the Macho Man, Randy Savage. And that’s enough to make up for that god awful Nickleback song.
4. Spider-Man 2
This is the ranking that’s going to upset everyone. The Raimi purists are going to throw a fit because I’m supposed to bow down to the portrayal of Doc Ock, but I’m going to be honest guys, I think this movie is a bit overrated (read all about it).
However, I also love this movie. I own this movie on DVD, Blu Ray, and Digital Download. I have this movie on Vudu, for crying Peter Parker out loud. It’s so much fun, and it inspired the second best Spider-Man video game ever made.
This is easily the best Raimi Spider-Man movie. Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock is fantastic, and it picks up everything that was great about the first one and makes it even better. Liked the will they/won’t they of MJ and Peter? It carries on. Liked the increased tension between Peter and Harry? It carries on. This film is such a blast to watch, and I understand why so many people love it as much as they do.
3. Spider-Man: Homecoming
Tom Holland is the best Spider-Man. I’m sorry, I know there are dozens of angry Spider-Man avis on Twitter that are going to bury me for saying it, but it’s true. Garfield’s Spidey was fine, but his Peter was too cool. Maguire’s Peter was vulnerable, but almost to the point where it was impossible to like him. Holland’s Peter is dorky and awkward enough that you can understand why he’d be bullied, while still being funny and genuine enough that you can connect with him.
Also, his trash talk as Spider-Man? Is top notch. It’s clever without being overly-snarky, and sharp without being abrasive. He just gets what people expect from the character.
And then you throw in an incredible supporting cast, highlighted by Michael Keaton’s Vulture and Zendaya’s “MJ” characters, and you’ve got yourself a great movie.
2. Spider-Man: Far From Home
Sequels are rarely better than the original, but it’s something the Spider-Man movies have pulled off twice. Everything that was great about Homecoming? Double it. And as much as I loved Keaton’s Vulture, it doesn’t come close to Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio. Truly, one of the best performances in the MCU, and it breathed fresh life into one of Spidey’s B-list villains.
Oh, also, easily the best mid-credit scene of any movie ever.
1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
If you’ve regularly perused this site, you already know how I feel about this movie. In my mind, this is not only the best Spider-Man movie, but the best super-hero movie ever made.
And this is cheap. This is unfair. This is a ripoff… but you’re going to have to read the article if you want to know why.
Narcissistic Penguin 