With great power comes great rankings.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is officially in theaters! I hope you all get a chance to check it out, because (not to spoil my ranking or anything) it's awesome. The Spider-Man movies have been on an absolute tear over the past six years. My ranking has definitely changed a little bit since No Way Home came out, so, if you have read that one, this is a bit different. This is one of my favorite superhero franchises. Recently, it just feels like every new Spider-Man movie tops the last. So this was a very fun ranking to write. That said, here are my opinions on every Spider-Man film.
10. Spider-Man 3
I don't think that the Raimi films hold up that well, and Spider-Man 3 has always been the worst of them. It is an absolute disaster. It tries to tackle way too many things: Venom, Sandman, MJ and Peter's romance, and Harry's storyline, and, instead of having anything be satisfying, all of those elements feel underdeveloped. And I don't even want to talk about evil Peter Parker. That is just one of the most embarrassing sequences in all of superhero movies. I hate this movie. It is not good.
9. Spider-Man 2
I think my opinion on movies (and superhero movies, specifically) generally lines up with a lot of the popular opinion. Not here. I don't understand how people love Spider-Man 2. There are signs of what could be a great movie here, but it's bogged down by insanely cringe-inducing dialogue, hammy performances, and a terrible romantic subplot. I think Doc Ock is a compelling villain, but he is overshadowed by a lifeless romance between MJ (who is an awful, selfish character) and Peter. I just don't like this movie. I don't understand how people do.
8. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
I know. I put The Amazing Spider-Man 2 above Spider-Man 2. I think this movie is a good film, but definitely has some big, glaring flaws. Electro is a weird villain. He's too goofy before he transforms, and once he transforms, he's pretty generic. The plot is definitely messy, and, like Spider-Man 3, bites off more than it can chew. But this film really soars in the romance with Gwen and Peter and the tragic ending it has. The argument could be made that this is the most emotional Spider-Man film. By no means do I think it's great. But I think it is better than people give it credit.
7. The Amazing Spider-Man
This movie had the potential to be great, but I really think it's held back by the fact that it is another origin story. The Amazing Spider-Man is a product of the Dark Knight effect, where superhero movies tried to follow in Batman's footsteps by re-inventing heroes as dark, grounded anti-heroes, and that doesn't work as well with Spider-Man. I don't mind Andrew Garfield's "cool" take on the character. As I said before, I think the romance with Gwen works. I think this movie is decent. Not great. But better (in my opinion) than the second and third Raimi films.
6. Spider-Man: Homecoming
Enormous leap in quality here. Every film from here on out, I'd say I love. Since we've gotten a run of fantastic Spider-Man films since Homecoming, this movie can sometimes feel forgotten amongst all of these other, exciting, more ambitious movies. But that's what makes it great. It isn't this high-stakes, crazy multiverse movie. It's a self-contained story that feels like a teen superhero film, and that is something different. It's charming. It's fun. It doesn't have the weight of the more recent films, and I really, really appreciate that.
5. Spider-Man
The original Spider-Man is significantly better than Raimi's later films. It tells the classic origin story of everyone's favorite friendly neighborhood superhero with a heart and charm that no other movie on this list has. Like the other two movies in this trilogy, it doesn't hold up great, but that's not as big of a deal, because the story of great power and great responsibility being told for the first time is a special experience. I have more of an appreciation for this film than I do the other two. I think it's great.
4. Spider-Man: Far From Home
This is where the ranking gets tough. A year ago, I'd probably say Far From Home was my number one, but my opinions have changed a little bit. Don't get me wrong, I still love this movie, but I just think the top three are a little better. I think Mysterio is a great villain. I love how this continues the trilogy-long arc of Peter eventually learning the classic Spider-Man lesson. He is irresponsible here, and people get hurt. There are some awesome twists and turns in here. I think the action is great. It serves as a great epilogue to the Infinity Saga as well as a fun continuation of the MCU Spider-Man trilogy.
3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
The newest Spider-Man film is one of the most breath-taking animated films ever made. This movie is a work of art. It does ground-breaking things with the storytelling medium that animation is, and that just makes it a joy to watch. Beyond that, it's a great story that feels like what Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness should've been. It has crazy multiverse shenanigans while also celebrating the Spider-Man mythos. I think this movie is great, and, once Beyond the Spider-Verse comes out, it could definitely move up.
2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Into the Spider-Verse has cemented its place as an all-time comic book film with it's incredible and unique animation style, creative storytelling, resonant themes, and great characters. Before No Way Home made the multiverse a thing, Into the Spider-Verse nailed the fun and wackiness that comes along with a bunch of universes colliding. It's a massive story with huge stakes, but it also manages to be very personal with the journey that Miles is going on. It came out of nowhere and has since become a cultural phenomenon and one of the best superhero movies ever made.
1. Spider-Man: No Way Home
I have never had an experience like I had in the theater when watching Spider-Man: No Way Home for the first time. Obviously, seeing Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield again was just a gift, but the way that they did it was so fun and made sense. It wraps up the first three movies of Tom Holland's Spider-Man perfectly while giving us a wildly entertaining, emotional ride with tons of great, earned fan service that just combine to make something truly special. I love this movie. I have such great memories of it in the theater and love going back to it. It's a special film, and (for right now), remains as my top Spider-Man movie.
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