The Spider Man Films: A Re-Visitation

About two months ago, I watched the first Sam Raimi Spider-Man film in its entirety for the first time maybe ever due to quarantine induced boredom and FX On-Demand induced availability. Now, before you make assumptions, I love Spider-Man films, Marvel films, and superhero films in general. I never got too much into comic books but living in the golden age of aforementioned films in the form of extensive, interconnected universes, it's hard not to be fans of the phenomenon that is superhuman film. But, in 2020, I sat down and watched Spider-Man start to finish for the first time.

In many ways, that doesn't make sense. Behind Superman and Batman, there is no superhero or standalone superhero film series held in higher regard than Spider-Man. And, when I was six, one of the sequels to this film ignited my love for cinema and is still one of my top three favorite films, period. But, just like Superman and Batman, Spider-Man has been done and redone, the story told and retold through various mediums of film, television, and comics from the character's creation very much back in the day. So, even though Spider-Man has had as many notable theatrical iterations of the character in 20 years as Superman and Batman have had in 50, I don't find it hard to believe that I never saw all 121 minutes of the trilogy starter that was released when I was a toddler.

What is different about Spider-Man, which I think is apart of the reason why it has been done so much in a short amount of time is, Spidey has always had an everyman, human, relatable aspect to his personality that other players like Superman and Batman have lacked, at least that is my understanding from modern movies and inferences from earlier portrayals. I am going to analyze, rank, and revisit all eight Spider-Man films from the 21st century, but what all of them have in common is stories of insecurity, growth, and decision making. Spider-Man and Peter Parker as a character hold a special place in my heart because of these adaptations, each one of them. I honestly enjoy each of these movies. Spidey is a close second for me to Tony Stark in my favorite heroes and characters but each of these movies paints him differently while maintaining the essence of the figure, which I appreciate more than I believe most people do.

My process was pretty simple. Knowing my respective ignorance when it comes to film and comics compared to those that are truly passionate about either after I watched all eight films over again, I did extensive research (watched a lot of Youtube videos) on film and these films specifically. I avoided any videos that did exactly what I am doing here which is ranking the films but I watched a lot of reviews, opinion pieces, and video essays to listen to other people's perspectives and develop my own to the point where I can make this piece in good conscious.

I will judge these movies in several aspects. Remember, I am not a film expert nor am I a comic enthusiast. This is my opinion and I judge a movie off of how well it executes what I believe it set out to do (mixed with my subconscious bias.

8. The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Visuals: 8.5/10

Suit: 8.3/10

Score/Music: 8/10

Acting: 7.4/10

Peter: 7.9/10

Villain: 6.5/10

Influence/Memorable Scenes: 5/10

I remember I saw this movie with my middle school flame in what I believe was my first solo "date" with just myself and someone else. Not the best movie to watch to make someone excited about romance. But, this is a movie that I do not mind revisiting and I don't hate this movie nearly as much as I have discovered most do. But I can understand why it isn't seen as great or even worthy of rewatching. The acting and development of the villains and the underlying plot related to Peter's parents aren't very engaging or interesting but I always remember this movie for one thing; Peter and Gwen.

When I first saw the previous film to this one and I knew Gwen would be the love interest instead of Mary Jane like in the Raimi films, I (a Spider-Man fan without the slightest experience opening a Spidey comic book) wasn't thrilled. But this film put the complication of Peter's promise to Captain Stacy at the forefront pretty early and, being a sucker for romance, it drew me in and continues to draw me in.

But, all in all, I can't ignore the obvious faults of this film. The storyline with Richard and Mary (?) Parker becomes boring after the opening scene and the motivations and stories of the villains become muddied and uninteresting even quicker. This film is all about the interpersonal relationships between Peter and Gwen and Peter and Aunt May. Sally Field is exceptional here especially in the scene where she tells Peter about his father. The distance between May and her nephew that widened as the plot progressed ever since Uncle Ben's death in the first film is considerably closed here in a truly touching scene in a film franchise without too many of them.

Jamie Foxx as Electro isn't done perfectly in any stretch of the imagination but the Time Square sequence is a visually stunning five minutes that I always look forward to and probably the best part of the film. I have nothing to say about the sorry excuse of Harry Osborn/Green Goblin included here.

And of course, the gem of this entire franchise, Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy. Her chemistry with Garfield is great even with the ultra-realistic, extremely awkward dialogue, which is a guilty pleasure of mine especially in Marvel romantic comedies such as this one. Near the end when Peter webs her to a police car hood and she yells at him as he swings away: "Peter!" and then immediately covers her mouth is one of my favorite scenes in any of these movies. Oh, and "We have no chimney..." "wHaTtt". Great stuff.

Also, the opening scene set paired with Hans Zimmer's awesome score is a top-five intro and Philip Phillips' "Gone, Gone, Gone" being arbitrarily included smack dab in the middle of this thing doesn't bother me because I love that song.

"It's On Again" is also a song I listen to this day.

RIP Gwen.

6.9/10

7. The Amazing Spider-Man

Visuals: 8/10

Suit: 8.5/10

Score/Music: 7.5/10

Acting: 7.9/10

Peter: 8/10

Villain: 6.9/10

Influence/Memorable Scenes: 7/10

As I said, I like all of these films so don't think that just because both of the Webb films are at the bottom, I don't enjoy this franchise. When I saw this, I was 10, so there was a very singular picture of what Spider-Man was. He was a young man, mildly attractive, and a love interest that accompanied his character the whole way named Mary Jane. You can imagine my surprise when this less-than-dorky fellow gets hit in the head with a ball after the opening scene. But we'll get more into that when we talk about the Peters.

I didn't love this movie leaving the theater because it was so different from the Spider-Man I had grown up on, but looking back on it, its a pretty solid turn on the run of the mill Spider-Man origin, (bite, RIP Unc, Become The Man). This story makes Peter a bit more human in the fact that he acts like Tobey Maguire in the car with his uncle... for the first 60 minutes of the movie or until he saves the kid from the car. The journey from a saddened, vengeful boy to a compassionate, selfless hero is a lot more developed here than in other iterations. Which I think is interesting and a good risk to take especially when making a "remake" so close to the "original".

As great as Rosemary Harris and Cliff Robertson are in the Raimi films as Ben and May Parker, Sally Field, and Martin Sheen are just as emotionally provocative. The sequence with Peter forgetting to pick up his aunt and the argument they have in the living room between the three of them to Ben's death is the exposition that we never get in the Raimi films or the Watts films, at least not in sequential order like this.

A lot of people don't like how douchey Peter is when he first dons the suit but I enjoy the smart comments and quips he makes in his first encounter with the car thief he hopes is Ben's killer. And, oh my goodness, this sleek, dynamic rendition of the Spider-Man suit may be my favorite. The sunglass lenses for eyes and the luminescence of the brims and the skin is mesmerizing and says a lot about the rebellious nature of this iteration of Peter in comparison to others.

Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, and Emma Stone are also pretty good as Curt Connors, Captain Stacy, and Gwen. But the plot of the villain rarely interests me as much as maybe it should, and The Lizard is no exception. The action CGI in each of the scenes with Spidey and the Lizard is exceptional though.

7.2/10

6. Spider-Man: Far From Home

Visuals: 9.5/10

Suit: 8.3/10

Score/Music: 8.2/10

Peter: 7.9/10

Villain: 8.1/10

Influence/Memorable Scenes: 7.3/10

It takes a lot to make "I Will Always Love You" played in bad taste. I am sure the joke landed with someone (probably the writers), but not with me. This movie is the epitome of MCU Spider-Man being a small piece in the first four phases of the grand scheme of things and the subtle promise that he will be a much bigger part of the next phase. Even down to the release date. Obviously, the film was not going to make as much as Endgame did, but being the first Marvel film after what felt a lot like a grand finale, I honestly didn't know what to expect.

Far From Home is just as fun as it is sad, which I must admit is a fine line to walk but I think Jon Watts did as much as possible while walking that line. `Apart from the hard to follow explanation of it all, the visuals of this film are like nothing I have seen from any live-action Marvel film save Doctor Strange. Mysterio's character seems as invincible as ever because not only does the audience not see a way in which Peter can escape it, it feels as though we are trapped in the throes of the visual illusion as well. Though that is nowhere near the main idea of this film I think that it is the most well-done aspect of it. Jake Gyllenhaal looks creepily and disrespectfully similar to Tony when Peter gives him EDITH. Thanks for the great performance though.

Apart from visuals, this film reminds me of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in that almost every effort of Peter without the suit on is directed toward his crush or girlfriend, in this case, MJ played by Zendaya. She is a shining star in her role as the brilliant introvert that bonds with Peter over their shared apprehensiveness toward expressing their feelings to one another. However, ultimately, this film feels very all over the place to me. In between following how Mysterio creates his illusions and Peter and MJ's budding romance, we are periodically smacked with the fact that Tony Stark is dead and for some reason, the lion share of the responsibility for protecting Earth is on Peter. It isn't complex to understand but feels a little Spider-Man 3-ish in that respect.

Ending battle with Mysterio and the end-credits scene are the two best parts of the movie in my opinion.

Shout out JB Smoove!

7.3/10

5. Spider-Man

Visuals: 8/10

Suit: 8.3/10

Score/Music: 8/10

Acting: 8.1/10

Peter: 9/10

Villain: 8.7/10

Influence/Memorable Scenes: 8.5/10

"Stop the bus!"

"I'm something of a scientist myself"

"Up, up, and way web!"

"Did you give my uncle a chance?"

That's just off the top of my head.

Again, I never saw this entire film until I started this journey, but I knew those quotes. This movie is the most classic of any film I will rank in this piece and its for multiple reasons. The influence of this movie is so deep that Endgame almost certainly wouldn't have broken the records it did if Raimi's first Spider-Man did not do the same thing 18 years earlier.

We can't talk about these movies at all without first acknowledging Raimi's perfectly encapsulated vision. The emphasis on color, character, and a palpable story is undeniable and inescapable. Upon revisiting this film, I was astounded at just how sharp the red in Mary Jane's hair, the green in Green Goblin's headpiece, even the gray in Aunt May's hair. Notice the head is the centerpiece of all of those observations. Raimi's focus on the neck up in key scenes uplifts the character in this film is so well executed and distinctive. All of the visuals don't hold up quite as well (see the first altercation between Spidey and Goblin), but the feeling is not as corny or dated as I believe it should be.

Another part of why this is so important is, it sensationalized the superhero franchise. Superman, Batman, Blade, etc all had successful films but if I am not mistaken, the singular origin story, in the instances before this, was always so much more remembered than the sequels or spin-offs. The series was simply founded in Spider-Man. The (now) simple, yet strong and iconic suit, Danny Elfman's truly triumphant score, the advent of the swing set. This movie is what made Spider-Man the most exciting film-adaption superhero.

The story is exceptional with the somber story of Uncle Ben's death, the beautifully tense conflict between Peter and Norman, and the developing relationships between Peter, his best friend, Harry, and crush turned queen, Mary Jane. One of if not the best origin story, period. It only took four iterations in 20 years for homies to get tired of it.

Willem Dafoe is annoyingly perfect for this role of Green Goblin and like almost every other main character portrayed here is exactly what I think about when anyone mentions their roles. The final battle is better than I remember it being especially because of the implications the particular have down the road for Peter. When he caught Goblin's blades, it is very obvious that the Russo's thought of this when planning Cap's skirmish with Thanos 16 years later.

This movie is great.

8.2/10

4. Spider-Man: Homecoming

Visuals: 8.4/10

Suit: 8.2/10

Score/Music: 8.3/10

Acting: 8/10

Peter: 8/10

Villain: 8.5/10

Influence/Memorable Scenes: 7.7/10

This is one of the most fun Spider-Man movies and it is obvious that was the intent. With this being the third iteration of the character and coming out just two years after the last franchise ended, there had to be something different about this one. The feeling of a "friendly, neighborhood" hero is present mostly in the first hour of this movie. This gives the high school a characterization that no other Spider-Man film does, to further the point that Peter Parker is a teenager. The relationship with Ned, Liz, Flash, and even MJ fleshes out the teen-rom-com feel which is a (welcomed) far cry from most Marvel movies and superhero movies, period.

The graphics in this movie are obviously exceptional and reminds me of an Earth-based Guardians of the Galaxy film rather than a traditional Spidey flick because it deals directly with the collateral of The Avengers alien battle years earlier. However, this also feels like a father/son narrative between Peter and Tony Stark which I know is a bit nit-picky because of the implications of Civil War and the need for this iteration to be as involved with the cinematic universe as possible. But still, it feels like Tony is just watching Peter's every move until he takes the suit away at the end of the second act.

With that being said, I believe the intent of Marvel Studios and Jon Watts was to reinvent or restate the original idea behind the character. Before Raimi and before Emma Stone, Peter Parker was a young high schooler who dealt with insecurities and had to be Spider-Man before he was a man himself. This is driven home by Michael Giacchino's score which often incorporated the original "Spider-Man" theme.

Apart from the Washington Monument scene, the Ferry scene, or even the moments where RDJ blesses us with Tony, Michael Keaton's superb performance is at a crescendo when his role as Adrian, the villain, talks with Peter when he drops him off at the dance with his daughter, Liz, Peter's crush. I can not recall any specific line on impulse bu- OH YES I CAN. "Now what do you say?" Adrian asks a scared ****less Peter, "Thank you" Peter croaks. I don't know if that was exact, but if you've seen that scene, you understand the palpable tension because the film has built each up as fierce adversaries hellbent on foiling each other's plans to stop the other.

If I expressed everything great in this film it would take more time than I have, but I want to point out one more thing: the scene where Peter tried to bust a car thief who owned the car he was "stealing' is one of the funniest scenes in any of these films if only for the roles of the people in the windows above. Watch it again. Right now.

Hey, Donald Glover!

Hey, Hannibal Burress!

8.4/10

3. Spider-Man 3

Visuals: 8.5/10

Suit: 8.5/10

Score/Music: 8.5/10

Acting: 7.8/10

Peter: 8.2/10

Villain: 7/10

Influence/Memorable Scenes: 8.7/10

Sue me.

I will ride for this film until the cows come home. And in the words of one of my best friends "They ain't comin' home no mo'"

I remember when this movie came out. For some reason, the allure of the black suit in commercials for the film was enough for the date "5-4-07" to be etched in my mind for months before the film came out. My sixth birthday was 11 days before the movie came out and I had a Spider-Man themed celebration in my grade school class. I hadn't seen Spider-Man or Spider-Man 2. I knew they existed but my interests started with The Wiggles and ended with Hannah Montana around that point in my life. The trailer for this film changed all of that.

Now, let me get away from the sheer sentimental value this movie has for me and address the almost fully universal disdain for the pace, the directing, and the influence of Sony on the production of this film. I am sure that for any comic book or film enthusiasts and especially for those that hold the first two Raimi films in high regard, this film is a disappointment at best. My retort would be: "How could this film have been more fun?" It was the most unique of the trilogy but I don't think that makes it the worst, at least not by the margin that most score it.

This movie looks as good as any Spider-Man movie to me. Shots that strike my memory instantly include the slow-motion pan of Peter realizing Aunt May's ring is not in his pocket but in front of his face suspended dozens of stories in the air, the transformation of Flint Marko to Sandman, and the entirety of the crane scene, and I'm pretty sure that's in the first 45 minutes of this two and a half-hour grand slam of a movie. To those that demote this film for its blurry storyline, unclear villain, and campy at best and scary at worst humor, I say "Yo, just sit back and have fun".

This film is a rollercoaster ride that none of these characters really go through in the previous films. Not only must Peter and those around him fight the actual villains, but they also become adversaries to Peter himself and his hubris in part brought on by the symbiote.

When I think of Spider-Man 3, I think of the black suit. I very well may be very wrong about this, but I believe this was the first time in a film that a superhero as iconic as Spider-Man changed his entire aesthetic and it worked amazingly. Just as heroic and benevolent the original red and blue was, the full black color looked just as sinister, violent, and soooo much cooler. And that was only amplified by the change in Peter's behavior (I will discuss that scene later).

I implore all of the '3' haters to sit down, preferably with a child whose taste they trust, and watch this film and I dare you not to be at least entertained by the spectacle.

"What doeS IT MATTer to yOU ANYWAY"

"You'll get your rent when you fix this DAM DOOR" "Strawberries"

"They say that falling in love is WONderfullll"

"...humbled...*sniffles*... and huMILIAted"

"now dig on thissss"

ahhh this movie is awesome

8.5/10

2. Spider-Man 2

Visuals: 8.5/10

Suit: 8.3/10

Score/Music: 8/10

Acting: 8/10

Peter: 8.7/10

Villain: 8.7/10

Influence/Memorable Scenes: 9/10

Before this was a cinematic expedition to dive deep into Spider-Man films, it was a simple test to answer a question I have had for a long time: What is so good about Spider-Man 2? I have heard all my life that the only superhero film that comes close to it is The Dark Knight. I have just always been like... why though? There have been numerous films released since with more technology, more intertwined storylines, bigger name actors, etc. What makes Spider-Man 2 so much better than everything else. My conclusion? It isn't. It is the best live-action Spider-Man film but it is not as wide a gap as most would have you believe.

However, this film has the least holes in any Spider-Man film. It has a great mind behind it in Sam Raimi who ever so slightly changed his focus from everyone else in Peter's life in '1' to just Peter in '2'. It had a brilliant villain in Otto Octavius portrayed strongly by Alfred Molina. And it had perfect scenes apart from Peter saving Mary Jane from the car and stopping the train. This film is a perfect sequel in that it honestly depicts the negative side of being a superhero. I think before we saw heroes, at least ideologically, as robots that did well intrinsically, never grew tired of doing good and had no problem dying for good over evil. In this film, Peter says bump that, this suit is ruining my life, give me a montage of me taking care of myself and tripping over cement to the tune of soft rock music.

The development of not only Peter but Harry, Mary Jane, and Aunt May layer the film in a way that doesn't take away from the main idea which is Peter and his acclamation to the responsibility of the suit but adds to it help the audience realize why he retires from it and eventually returns to it. The perfect balance between the human and the hero and how those two roles add and subtract from each other. The mindset of a righteous superhero who is selfless, strong-willed, and driven is tested here in a much more expressed way than maybe a character arc that takes multiple movies to cover.

One of my favorite scenes of this film is the scene directly following Peter stopping the train. The opening credits of the film show the events of the previous movie in vivid paintings surrounded by the status quo spider webs. The images of the hands of the New York train riders stopping an exhausted Spider-Man from falling off the front of the train and the subsequent shot of them carrying his unconscious body across the interior to the ground encapsulated the reverence the city has for him and their simultaneous identification with him. Even though to them, the identity is revealed and it may not be what they thought ("He's just a kid"), they help him and keep him alive just as he had done for them.

Great, great film.

"Pizza time"

9/10

1. Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse

Visuals: 9.8/10

Suit: 8.7/10

Score/Music: 8.8/10

Acting (Voice): 8.5/10

Miles: 9/10

Influence/Memorable Scenes: 8.6/10

Do you know what's crazy? I don't think this is a super unpopular opinion. At least not as unpopular as my number three pick.

This was a surprise to me. I didn't even know this was the best Spider-Man film until I watched all of them, understood important similarities and differences between them, and, finally, saw that this film colorfully, boisterously, emotionally, and perfectly encapsulates everything Spider-Man can be in a film and more.

When I first watched this film, I had average expectations at best. I thought this was yet another semi-annoying yet important attempt at diversifying traditional movie and media roles. What I did not know was that Miles Morales was a developed comic book character apart from Peter Parker with his own story. Not only did Spiderverse portray the new and fresh story of Mile Morales on the big screen but it heightened the everyman identity of the character with the multi-dimensional aspect of the rest of the Spider-Men and Women.

When I said I judge a film on how well it executes the vision of the filmmakers, I meant it. And this film does that better than any Spider-Man film that preceded it or has come after. The animation visuals of this film are detailed to the point where almost every frame can be imagined as a comic book panel and there are so many pop culture references that furnish these multi-dimensional masterpiece to make it feel just as grounded as the films that take place on our Earth. When it comes to Spider-Man, this does not try to rehash the traditional storyline associated with the character which I appreciate. The character of Miles Morales being a black and Latino teenager is an amazing spin on the character while keeping the same hero arc of insecurity building heroism. Not only that but the various versions of Spider-Man from the "Spider-Verse" highlight the theme that anyone can be a hero despite your background or confidence level. This was a lesson taught by various instances in the prior movies but it hits different coming from men, women, pigs, and robots.

The music in this film... how much more cultured can a Marvel movie be. Black Panther didn't even include Hypnotize. Also, THE FACT THAT THIS FILM IS SET PRIMARILY IN (gentrified) BROOKLYN AND NOT MANHATTAN. Genius. In the fall, I did a research paper for school about why pseudo-realism in remakes of classic animated films is unnecessary and often unsuccessful. In this case, the reverse is proven to be not only possible but triumphant when put in the right hands. I won't name specific directors or anything because I believe this film had to have had numerous minds and hands behind it to make it what it is, and I find it hard to believe the directors would disagree.

I want to highlight three scenes.

The first is when Uncle Aaron dies in the alley with Miles after hesitating to kill Miles and is in response shot by Kingpin.

The second is when Miles is webbed up by Peter B. Parker in his room and can't open the door for his father who is on the other side trying to communicate his feelings after seeing his brother dead.

The third is when Peni's robot, the one her father made before he died, dies.

Whoever believes that live-action gives a premium when it comes to evocative scenes must not have experienced good animation. Even though Uncle Aaron is dressed like Count Dracula and Peni is saying goodbye to a "biochemical suit" (thank you HeroesWiki), the investment and the visual provocation make these feelings real and tangible. This is no more apparent than when Miles has his arms, legs, and mouth webbed to a chair in his dorm when his father comes to talk to him. The relationship between them has been testy throughout the film and this one of our first glimpses of genuine emotion between the two something we never got from Peter Parker and his father.

While the visuals are the main focus and the home run hitter of this grand display of cinematic genius, don't disregard the cultural influence, superb voice acting, and bright, vibrant sonics this film has to offer.

"What are you? Some kind of silly cartoon?"

"You got a problem with cartoons?"

9.3/10

Who is the best Peter Parker?

I'll make this quick. When we ask who the best iteration of Peter Parker is (Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, or Tom Holland), we are essentially asking who played the role of Parker the best, correct? Well, all of them played Peter for different reasons. Is Peter's character best served to be a chubby-faced nerd manboy, a six-foot, smarta$$, One Direction member, or a soft-spoken long-lost Sprouse sibling?

I believe it is mostly up to interpretation.

But when I think of Spider-Man I think of Tobey Maguire. And it's not just because he was the first because Heath Ledger came through in 2008 and got Jack Nicholson all the way outta here. Tobey's ability to be both earnest and confident, insecure, and arrogant, and a punching bag turned John Travolta descendant will forever be unmatched in my eyes. His performance without the mask was every bit as entertaining and interesting as when it was on and I don't think you can say the same thing as much with Garfield and Holland. Those guys are awesome actors in the suit and out but I feel like they are much less uniform and fluid than Maguire was transferring from scene to scene. Does that have anything or everything to do with Sam Raimi's abilities as a director? Of course. But Tobey's appearance changed the way we see Spider-Man, even if Garfield or Holland's roles are more accurate to the comics. Tobey changed the game.