My Definitive 21st Century Spider-Man Film Ranking
Minus the TV movies, MCU team-ups, Venom, and ESPECIALLY Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven...
Spider-Man, Spider-Man. Sadly I haven’t seen many of the web-head’s television outings, which would’ve been a more fitting article to commemorate the release of the new series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (currently streaming on Disney+). But even in the current Spidey film drought (for both the MCU’s Spider-Man 4 and Beyond The Spider-Verse), people are sure to debate the various theatrical interpretations and which is their “favorite.” So I’ll be entirely biased, which isn’t a bad thing. But I grew up with Marvel, so I feel like maybe a Marvel fan like me could offer a fresh perspective when many sites that rank comic-book films don’t properly understand the source material. Enough buildup though, let’s rank this webbed menace!
10. Spider-Man 3
It’s weird to think about how this film has sort of been given a redemption by the internet in recent years. Likely in part to Gen Z-ers being old enough to have nostalgia for it. I myself am not one of those types of Gen Z kids (my nostalgia for 2007 films is more aligned with Transformers). The thing is, people have already gone on and on about the bloated, overstuffed, mess of a plot. People have already pointed out how Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) and Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) are horribly unlikeable in this film with or without symbiotes. People have pointed out how there’s so many moments that come off as unintentionally hilarious when the moment is supposed to be serious, and the aformentioned “funny moments” usually fall flat (the infamous dance is too memeworthy for me to hate it though). Honestly, what I want to add is that I personally believe Venom is HORRIBLY mishandled here. Most interpretations of the symbiote storyline usually focuses on Peter’s more angry and violent tendancies being amplified, and most times it’s utilized the original story’s real-world parallels (the OG storyline was a metaphor for substance abuse). The symbiote in this version just makes him a more smug version of his dorky personality. Maybe that was the intent, but I think it sucks either way. The real core of this problem though, lies in the godawful interpretation of Eddie Brock. Topher Grace was horribly miscast in the role, his performance sucks hard, and the overall Venom design is such a disappointment. This film has a lot of problems (even though Sandman is a real bright spot), and I guarantee that half of my issues with the movie wouldn’t exist if Sony hadn’t forced Sam Raimi to include Venom for the sole sake of fan-service. I mean, it wouldn’t be the last time studio interferance reared its ugly head…
9. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Okay, here’s where my nostalgia lurks. I really like The Amazing Spider-Man (2012). Do I like the 2014 sequel? Obviously by its placing, no. But does this film have some fantastic qualities not seen in the previous film in this ranking? Abso-f—king-lutely. For starters, the suit was the de-facto best Spider-Man suit in live-action (until the MCU dethroned it with a few of their suits). Also, the visual effects are incredible even now. The score is a banger, thanks to Hans Zimmer and the one-time formation known as The Magnificant Six (which included Pharrell Williams and Junkie XL). And lastly, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are fantastic in this. Unfortunately, all of this good stuff is buried in a sea of incoherant set-up for a cinematic universe that died the second Sony’s emails leaked. Jamie Foxx can’t save the poor writing of Electro’s introduction, Dane DeHaan gives a Razzie-worthy performance as Harry Osborn, and Paul Giamatti’s Rhino isn’t even worth talking about. That’s not even mentioning how much other setup this film tries to jam down your throat with random name-drops and character sightings. You just get a sloppy film that can’t focus on the main story because it wants to be an MCU clone that beats the main MCU, which it doesn’t. Ironically enough, this is what led to Sony finally agreeing to let Spidey into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (to mostly success, I may add).
8. Spider-Man (2002)
The best thing about my personal take on Spider-Man’s filmography is that I find all of the movies that don’t have a Topher Grace portrayal of Venom or a Paul Giamatti portrayal of Rhino good. Unfortunately, this is where the hot take comes in. I’d give this one an honest 7/10. Sure, it’s a huge jump from the 4/10 (at best) films preceding it. It’s a huge jump from whatever Spidey-less slop Sony puts out to hold onto the rights these days. But some parts of this thing have a Superman (1978) problem. It doesn’t age as gracefully as many would lead you to believe. Sure, J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson and Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn are 10/10 castings and performances. But I’ve always felt Tobey and Kirsten felt particularly flat in these films. They don’t feel like Peter Parker or Mary Jane Watson much, and as someone who appreciates the best of Spidey comics it’s a bothersome trait. Am I also a little harsh on how this film feels particularly corny in this day and age? One hundred percent. It’s still a fun film that needed to find its footing for a superior sequel and I’ll still appreciate it, cheese and all.
7. The Amazing Spider-Man
I’ll get torched for saying any Andrew Garfield-led film beats Maguire’s first outing as Peter Parker. But I don’t care. I really, really like this film. Yes, Curt Connors, AKA The Lizard (Rhys Ifans) falls completely flat and fails to have the nuace that makes Connors sympathetic in the source material. Is the parent subplot utterly stupid across both films? Hell yes. Are there changes to the origin story that don’t work? Sure. Did we really need to start from square one to reboot the wall-crawler onscreen? Definitely not. But this film rocks. The performances are solid, the presentation and James Horner-composed score are (pun incoming) amazing, and the writing doesn’t feel like an attempt to copy off of the MCU. It’s a rather earnest reinterpretation of Peter’s origins as Spider-Man, and for its credit is executed greatly. Also Pete is allowed to be funny and quippy in this one, which was sorely lacking in all of Raimi’s films.
6. Spider-Man: Homecoming
Am I probably one of the most unapolegetic Tom Holland defenders? Like I said, probably. Pacing kind of makes this film go way too fast, Robert Downey Jr. could’ve had less of an active role to keep Spidey in the spotlight, and Liz (Laura Harrier) is one of the most forgettable love interests for Spidey on-screen (crazy to think that considering Liz is solid in The Spectacular Spider-Man series). Okay, the pacing is my main problem. The film desperately needed to slow down to ground itself, and to give some emotional weight the film definitely needed for that extra oomph. But this film is great otherwise! Tom Holland delivers such a spirited performance that captures what made Peter such a great character in his early years, and Michael Keaton makes an excellent villain out of The Vulture. The film’s sense of humor mirrors that of John Hughes’ many teen films of the 80s, which is a compliment. Again, I just have so much fun with this movie. It’s a fresh take that was desperately needed, and it passed with mostly flying colors.
5. Spider-Man 2
Oh boy, will I get torched for this. I’ll be torched even worse for saying this honestly ties with Homecoming when it comes to my ranking of Spidey films. But it’s just my issues with anything involving Dunst’s MJ. She shouldn’t be a damsel in distress and be given nothing to do. This film in particular wastes her potential. Also, the pacing can grind to a halt a few times. Another also is that Harry Osborn’s setup for Spider-Man 3 feels particularly shoehorned. But despite the imperfections holding it back, Spider-Man 2 delivers as the best of the Raimi/Maguire/Dunst trilogy. Alfred Molina’s take on Otto Octavius (Dr. Octopus) still stands out as the best villain performance of any live-action Spider-Man story (excluding his role in No Way Home). Tobey feels fully realized as Peter, and the near-perfect adaptation of the iconic Spider-Man No More storyline has always stood out when it comes to what makes this film amazing. Also while there is some age in the effects, it’s still good! While there are a few major issues stunting this film’s road to perfection, it still stands out as one of the defining superhero films of the 2000s.
4. Spider-Man: No Way Home
Well if it isn’t the worst, I mean…the WORST-kept secret in Hollywood. After so many indisputable leaks, painfully obvious CGI edits in trailers, and an entire denial campaign by Andrew Garfield…Tom Holland’s Peter Parker did in fact team up with past live-action Parkers. Garfield included, meaning that no one will ever trust Andrew again involving Spider-Man. But this film absolutely slaps. No past character feels painfully shoehorned in (even Lizard), as the focus stays on Holland’s Spidey (who is fantastic). Zendaya delivers as MJ, and Willem Dafoe feels like he never left the Green Goblin persona. Hell, he feels even more sympathetic here than his original appearance (adding the extra oomph that Norman is known for). Was Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) mishandled quite a bit? Sure. Was Aunt May’s (Marisa Tomei) death not as built up as it needed to be? Yeah. Did we need more J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons)? Of course! Should Tom Hardy’s Venom have stuck around the MCU? Probably (considering how The Last Dance turned out). This is not a perfect movie by any means. But darn it, I love it. I, as a fan felt rewarded through the live-action ups and downs to build to the end of an era…and hopefully the start of a new one.
3. Spider-Man: Far From Home
I cannot stress enough how much I love this one more than the average Joe. It’s one hell of an unpopular opinion, sure. Is there some cringe-inducing humor that holds this just a little down? Probably, I think? I mean, it definitely could’ve functioned without Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) or spending so much time on the Elementals plotline (which blips out after a while). What makes this film work so well though, is how personal it feels. Peter’s struggles to process the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, as well as his very relatable struggle to ask out Zendaya’s effortlessly witty and sarcastic Michelle Jones-Watson blend to create a spectacular arc for Tom Holland’s wall-crawler. Not to mention, Jake Gyllenhaal perfectly portrays the vanity and sinister manipulation of Quentin Beck (AKA Mysterio). There’s a reason why everyone goes on about the illusion sequence. It’s fantastic. And we have to mention the INSANE mid-credits scene, which immediately set the ball rolling for No Way Home and changed everything within Spider-Man’s film career.
2. Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
This is just insane. How do you get this good?!? Never have I seen a sequel get so ridiculously close to beating its first. Sure, maybe it would’ve been more rewarding to wait for both this and Beyond The Spider-Verse to be released in a shorter time gap (2023 and likely 2027 is nuts for a wait). But this film rocks. Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac, and Jason Schwartzman all deliver fantastic performances, the stories of Miles and Gwen feel like very natural continuations from Into The Spider-Verse (2018), the score was wrongfully snubbed by the Oscars, and the animation is top-tier. We’ve known this. Everyone has praised this film to the skies above, so what more do I have to add? Oh, I do listen to Metro Boomin’s fantastic soundtrack as well on a regular basis. Yeah, this rocks.
1. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
Martin Scorsese clearly never saw this when he made his Marvel comments way back when. This is the best superhero movie by a country mile, and one of the greatest films to come out of this century. Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is brought excellently to the big screen, and the supporting Spider-cast are all no slouches either. Kingpin (Liev Schrieber), Prowler (Mahershala Ali), and Dr. Octopus (Kathryn Hahn in one of the smartest gender-swapped castings ever) all bring their own piece to a fantastic villain roster as well. The music and score equally cook, and the animation is fire. The humor is both funny and meta. What do I have to say that hasn’t been said already? This film deservedly won an Oscar, and what a win it was. This film didn’t just change superhero films, or animation. It changed the film and TV landscape forever. Just like how Peter Parker changed comics forever.
You know the crazy thing about this? Peter took 40 years to get a big-screen adaptation. It only took 8 years for Miles to get his!