The Best Spider-Man Movies: Ranked

It’s no secret that Spider-Man is my favorite superhero of all time.

Ever since getting into comic books at the age of twelve, I’ve been drawn to the character more than any other.

Ironically enough, I have no affinity for spiders, webs, or really any bug-like characteristic that is associated with Spider-Man. What I did see in Peter Parker were personal traits I could relate to: a young man with internal struggles and issues.

But I also saw someone that I wanted to be: an individual who stood up for others when no one else would.

In summary?

He stood for things that I was, and things that I wanted to be.

These are aspects that stemmed from Stan Lee’s original vision for all of his characters: flawed individuals who happened to have special abilities. The way in which these characters tried to do the best with what they had was something I appreciated, and something that always pulled me into the world of Marvel comics.

And to me, Spider-Man best represents this paradigm.

All that to say, I was over the moon when ‘ol Webhead received the silver screen treatment in 2002. To finally see this character I grew to know and love come to life was a dream come true. It set numerous box office records upon release, and deservedly so. Tobey Maguire’s fresh take on the character paved the way for dozens — perhaps hundreds — of other films, even to this day.

Nearly twenty years later, Spidey has surfaced in a number of films through various actors. I took it upon myself to binge watch each solo film (exempting appearances in movies like Avengers: Infinity War) to determine my definitive ranking of the boy in blue and red spandex.

And here’s where I landed:

9. Spider-Man 3 (2007)

When re-watching the threequel, I really tried to go into the Spider-Man movie with an open mind, looking for any redeeming qualities in the film.

Needless to say, I found very few.

There’s a reason why Spider-Man 3 has the poor reputation that it does. The movie is just plain bad. For every tolerable scene, there seemed to be three more that were downright cringe-worthy. From the goofy dialogue to the infamous dancing sequences, the movie was seemingly bent on being inferior to its predecessors in nearly every way.

Spider-Man 3 does an excellent job of making the viewer despise almost every on-screen character. There were a few highlights: but overall, I found myself ridiculing the caricatures that played out on the screen. Most of this spite was directed at the protagonist himself.

When I am uncomfortable with watching Peter Parker for the majority of the film, then it’s clear that there’s a problem.

Looking into the history of the convoluted film yields some interesting backstory as to what went wrong. Director Sam Raimi isn’t entirely to blame, as some of the decisions (such as the inclusion of Venom) came from higher-ups at Sony.

But when these contentious decisions balloon into a 139 minute film, it can be tough to sit through, to say the least.

I personally enjoyed some of the action sequences and a few of the casting choices (Thomas Haden Church as Sandman, mostly). But the action is mostly dead on arrival without a proper plot or context to tie it all together.

And that is precisely what the threequel is: a long, meandering train wreck with little to salvage from the crash.

8. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

Many of my qualms for this film run parallel to the issues I had with Spider-Man 3. Too many villains, an over-long run time, and unnecessary backstory are some the commonalities that come to mind.

But what really caused the movie to buckle under its own weight was the expectation of setting up a shared universe.

In retrospect, it’s clear to see that Sony was looking to set up a Sinister Six showdown with Spidey. The inclusion of Electro, Green Goblin, Rhino, and other noteworthy Easter Eggs alluded to this. But instead of going the MCU route and gradually introducing villainous characters, Amazing Spider-Man 2 tried to go for a triple whammy — very similar to the aforementioned Spider-Man 3.

What resulted was a movie going experience that was not altogether dissimilar. Numerous extraneous subplots, lack of clear direction, and a ham-fisted cliffhanger prevented the film from ever reaching its full potential.

I’ll be honest.

I actually enjoyed quite a bit of the movie, and it was considerably better as a re-watch than as an initial viewing. The action was top-notch, and the chemistry between Peter and Gwen (mostly) worked when it didn’t feel like a soap opera.

But, as with Spider-Man 3, Amazing Spider-Man 2 did more wrong than it did right, and is not one that will go down in history as one of the greatest superhero films of all time.

7. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

After the debacle that was Spider-Man 3, Sony was in dire need of new reboot when Sam Raimi could not materialize another sequel.

Enter the era of Andrew Garfield donning the blue and red spandex in 2012’s Amazing Spider-Man. So did he succeed in carrying the reboot?

Yes and no.

Initially, I was very excited to see Garfield take the role. As a fan of Bendis’s Ultimate Spider-Man run, I caught many similarities between comic book and film.

But with many similarities also came many differences.

I once read in a Reddit thread that Tobey Maguire is a better Peter Parker, and Andrew Garfield is a better Spider-Man. I couldn’t agree more with this assessment. Garfield had the Spidey quips and sarcasm that was largely missing from the previous trilogy. On the flip side, Maguire really captured the essence of Peter’s awkwardness and internal struggles, whereas Garfield seemed too “cool” to be Peter.

Suffice to say, this was one aspect out of many small items that bothered me about the film, which ultimately dragged it to the lower end of my list.

On a grander scale, I had mixed feelings about the premise as a whole, which I found to be nothing more than adequate. The origin story was essentially part and parcel with the original Spider-Man, and the controversial alterations to Parker’s parental background did little to elevate the plot. And out of any villain featured in Spidey’s ~20 year movie stint, The Lizard was one of the most uninteresting I had ever seen to grace the silver screen.

Is Amazing Spider-Man a bad Spider-Man movie? Not really.

It just isn’t a very good Spider-Man movie either.

6. Spider-Man (2002)

When Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movie released in 2002, there was nothing quite like it before; not to mention, it impacted countless movies after.

The film not only showed that comic book movies could be good, but it also showed that they were possible.

Obviously, by this point, there were already comic book movies that had been made public, such as Blade or X-Men. But Spider-Man is what really raised bar for the genre, implementing cutting-edge CGI and showcasing scenes that were ripped straight out of the source material.

It’s undeniable the impact Spider-Man had for Hollywood.

But time hasn’t been exceptionally kind to the film, as certain aspects are dated. The CGI, while a monumental achievement in 2002, is noticeably lackluster when compared to later installments in the franchise. The pacing, along the same lines, is a bit on the slower side: opting for a more dramatic tempo with a few action scenes, rather than an action movie with dramatic moments.

Admittedly, I first saw this movie a few years after it initially released. But the experience was no less mind-blowing. To see my favorite Marvel character get the on-screen treatment was utter wish fulfillment. Even with the aforementioned shortcomings, I still get that nostalgic giddiness with each subsequent viewing.

While I tend to prefer the more recent releases, Spider-Man still holds a special place in my heart for being the first of its kind.

5. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

It’s safe to say that by this point in the movie timeline, Marvel has hit their stride with Spidey’s solo films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 2017’s Homecoming was a bit of a gamble given the subpar Amazing Spider-Man 2, but Far From Home cemented Tom Holland as a bankable movie star in his own right.

Spider-Man: Far From Home featured nearly everything I wanted to see in a Marvel film. The comic book-style action was back and better than ever. Tom Holland continues to kill it with his portrayal of both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. And the two core tenets of humor and heart struck a near-perfect balance in my book.

But in my humble and biased opinion, what I really loved was the spotlight on the movie’s villain: Mysterio. Up until the announcement of this character, I had been championing “Fishbowl Head” for years as a viable choice to oppose Spidey on-screen. He is just such a weird character, and anyone who knows me knows that I dig weird. The hallucination scene in the second act is, bar-none, one of my favorite sequences in the entire MCU. Not to mention, Jake Gyllenhaal absolutely nails the role of disillusioned illusionist Quentin Beck.

If I had one chief complaint, it was that Beck’s alter-ego Mysterio did not get enough screen-time in the final act, which was predominantly overrun by drones. On a broader scale, the point could be made that Far From Home did not raise the bar for Spider-Man films, as the plot did play out in a very formulaic and predictable fashion.

But in spite of those minor drawbacks, Spider-Man: Far From Home is a solid installment in the franchise, and virtually everything I could want in a Spider-Man movie.

4. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

This might be my most contentious ranking of the Spider-Man films so far, and could honestly work its way into #3 depending on the day. Spider-Man 2 is known and beloved by most as not only being one of the best films starring Web Head, but also being one of the best superhero films of all time.

And upon re-watching the sequel 16 years later after release, it’s easy to see why.

It’s just so dang good.

Almost every complaint I had about the 2002 release was obliterated by the sequel. Spider-Man, while a fantastic debut, lacked the punchy comic book action that is so commonplace in today’s films. Spider-Man 2, by contrast, injected a healthy dose of action sequences, with some of the most memorable in any film to date.

A common complaint about Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin is that he didn’t quite resemble the comic book counterpart. The same, however, is seldom said about Spider-Man 2’s antagonist, Doctor Octopus. He is basically how I would imagine the character in a real-life scenario. And beyond that, Alfred Molina embodies the villain so well. Doc Ock is not only a formidable opponent for Spidey, but also conveys a rare sense of pathos that isn’t easily found in Marvel Studio’s “one and done” villains.

Toss in some great story beats involving Peter Parker’s personal life, a top notch narrative about his identity crisis, and a fascinating philosophical take on “men trying to be God,” and you have a Spider-Man movie that stands as one of the greatest in existence.

3. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

If I was nervous for any Spider-Man movie, this was it.

On the one hand, Tom Holland’s take on the character made a memorable splash in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. On the other hand, I still had a bad taste in my mouth from Amazing Spider-Man 2 a couple years prior. And reports that Homecoming had many different writers taking a pass at the script did not instill any confidence.

Boy, was I glad that those fears were alleviated.

The movie seemed to have the odds stacked against it, and it effortlessly circumvented them.

Some in my circle of influence are not kind to Homecoming, citing that it feels “less epic” then other films in the MCU. I would contend that this is not a bad thing at all — in fact, it’s a breath of fresh air. Not every superhero film needs to involve total dilapidation of entire cities to be good.

Homecoming is no Avengers film, but it’s not trying to be.

Director Jon Watts has gone on record as saying that he had taken inspiration from John Hughes films for Homecoming, and it shows in the best possible way (even including a snippet of Ferris Bueller in one scene). Homecoming, in many senses, does feel like a “coming of age” high school film with some action injected into the mix.

This is, of course, largely due to the superb cast members.

Tom Holland, Jacob Batalon, and Zendaya lead a cast of high school children with diverse personalities that make the movie a joy to watch with their humorous yet captivating performances. If Tobey Maguire was a better Peter Parker, and Andrew Garfield a better Spider-Man, then Tom Holland is a near-perfect aggregation of both. He carries the naïve superhero mentality with ease, but does so in a way where we as viewers can empathize and relate to him. Furthermore, the inclusion of Downey’s Iron Man added a whole new mentor/protégé dynamic that I never knew I wanted until it happened.

Allowing Spider-Man to be a part of Marvel Studios’ Avengers universe was a bold move by Sony. The studio has notoriously kept its cards close to the chest with Spidey’s movie rights.

Were they right to take this unprecedented move with the character?

It’s a resounding “yes” from me.

2. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

How does one movie pay off three different eras of Spider-Man films, and do so in a way that is wholly satisfying and truly epic?

It’s not an easy question to answer. But No Way Home manages to do it.

Out of any MCU film, this one probably had the most speculation, fan theories, and spoilers that abounded online. And when the initial teaser trailer released, the confirmation of a multiverse presence in the film only fueled more excitement and anticipation among fans.

2021 was a great year for Marvel fans. We were bombarded with a plethora of Disney Plus and theatrical releases (largely in part thanks to COVID pushing everything back), with a new show or movie seemingly coming out when another one ended. But to me, I didn’t have any of those “Cap picks up Thor’s Hammer” moments that had my heart nearly leap of my chest. I certainly enjoyed most of the Marvel stuff in 2021, but nothing had reached Avengers: Endgame levels of excitment.

That is, until I stumbled into the premiere for No Way Home.

I will keep plot details vague for the sake of those who haven’t seen it yet (only referencing what has been shown in the trailers) — but I will say this: the movie is everything a viewer could want, and so much more.

If you are looking for Easter eggs, then you will find no shortage of them.

If you are looking for epic set pieces and sweet Spidey action, those things are very present.

If what you seek are genuine surprises, then you won’t be disappointed (assuming you’ve avoided spoilers). There are several jaw-dropping moments that had my theater cheering and clapping, for both instances I attended the cinema on opening weekend.

Without giving anything specific away, the movie does boast a large cast of characters. With a narrative of this magnitude, there was a very real possibility of some characters getting the spotlight, and others falling by the wayside. But yet, I felt that almost every character had just enough screentime, and not more than what was needed. No Way Home had every reason to buckle under the weight of its insane plot and numerous characters; but instead, it showcases all of it in a way that is truly amazing.

Spider-Man: No Way Home, is, in many senses, a love letter to Spider-Man fans who have been around since the first live-action film in 2002. How the cast, crew, and producers managed to juggle so many disparate elements and create this masterpiece is beyond me, but it was absolutely worth the wait.

1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

One chilly Friday afternoon my buddy Alex and I found some time to pop into the local theater. It was relatively busy, since it was opening weekend. But there were no lines to be found — not quite like what we had seen at Avengers: Infinity War a few months earlier.

Into the Spider-Verse had piqued my interested mostly because, well, it was a Spider-Man movie.

But the fact that this was a Sony film with no ties to the MCU, and the fact that it was animated tempered my expectations. It’s not that I have anything against animated films (after all, I adored the Lego Movie); it’s just a different format I wasn’t accustomed to seeing with my favorite superhero of all time.

All that to say, I had my anticipation levels fairly low when attending the premiere for Into the Spider-Verse. I was certainly excited, but how good could an animated film be?

How does absolute perfection sound?

Into the Spider-Verse completely blew me away.

I had no idea what to expect, and what expectations I had were utterly shattered on every level. The movie is a labor of love, and it’s prevalent in virtually every aspect of the film.

Take the plot, for instance.

Peter Parker certainly plays a pivotal role in the story, but the focus is really on young Miles Morales. To be perfectly honest: I wasn’t too familiar with Miles’s story in the comics, as I was more of an OG Peter Parker fan.

Was more of an OG Peter Parker fan.

Watching this movie has shifted my perspective on the Spidey character, as the way in which Miles’s arc takes place on the screen is simply beautiful.

The plot is equal parts heart-felt and entertaining. Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman’s smart script keeps the story flowing effortlessly, and never does any line of dialogue feel forced or out of place. There were times that made me laugh so hard I thought I was going to pass out, and there were also moments where the tears would not stay put.

It’s safe to say that I am much more interested in Miles’s story after seeing it on the silver screen.

The soundtrack is also absolutely killer. The mix of Hip-hop is simply perfect for the movie, giving life to the film in a way that is rare to experience cinematically. Each song seemed tailored for the scenes they were paired with. I could not help but sway to the beat of Post Malone’s “Sunflower,” or mouth the lyrics to “What’s Up Danger,” every time it surfaced in the movie.

From a nerdy perspective, viewers will not be disappointed. There is a treasure trove of Easter eggs to be found in Into the Spider-Verse, with callbacks to popular comics, writers, and so many other details that could be missed in a blink.

Really, I could go on and on about so many other parts of this film that make it so good.

For the first few days after No Way Home released, I opted to give that Spider-Man movie the #1 spot. I was so high off of the excitement that was generated from my multiple viewings in its release week. But after some thought, I had to restore Into the Spider-Verse as my top ranking.

While No Way Home does so much right; a lot of what makes it so good, in my opinion, is the previous eras of Spidey movies that helped form its foundation.

Into the Spider-Verse, by contrast, made for an extremely compelling viewing on its own accord, not relying on previous installments to bolster its success. And for that reason, it squeaks into the #1 spot (albeit by a narrow margin).

I have seen it no fewer than 10 times since its release three years ago, and each viewing is just as enjoyable as the last. Even if you aren’t a Spider-Man fanatic, you owe it to yourself to watch this movie that is just pure joy from beginning to end. There’s something for everyone to like, and all of my friends who were forced by me to see it left the credits grinning from ear to ear.

When the movie won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, all I could do was smirk.

Into the Spider-Verse deserves every accolade.

It’s not only my favorite Spider-Man movie, but one of the best movies I have ever seen.