It’s the Spiderman films that arguably rebooted the modern day Marvel superhero films that really kicked in with Iron Man in 2008. To date we’ve had three actors play the role – Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and now Tom Holland. So focusing only on the live action films rather than the Spider Verse animated features here are the Spider Man films rated starting with the least…
Here’s those Spider Man films rated…..
- The Amazing Spider Man 2 (2012)
This would be Andrew Garfield’s swansong in the role helmed once more by director Marc Webb and saw his adversaries this time being Electro played by Jamie Webb and Dane Dehaan take over the role of Green Goblin to generally underwhelming effect. But if fell victim once more, like several of the other films in the franchise, to being overstuffed. It’s plus point was Paul Giamatti as Aleksei Sytsevich aka Rhino in a street battle but better still was the peek at the Sinister Six that would have followed. Unfortunately the film fared badly with audiences and of all the films it performed worst at the box office taking only a still respectable $716m that put an end to the franchise until a full overhaul and reboot saw the superhero hero return five years later with Tom Holland in the role.
- Spider Man 3 (2007)
Under the direction of Sam Raimi the first two Spider man films had garnered huge acclaim and the stakes were upped for the first time with the introduction of two villains – with Thomas Haden Church as a sympathetic Sandman but also saw Venom take hold of Spiderman that led to several poorly received scenes of Maguire adopting an arrogant swagger for Peter Parker in (his date scene was just ‘Urgh!’). It was a film that struggled to satisfactorily balance out the over wrought storyline but the multi villain idea would continue in later films. Nevertheless of the three films that Raimi made this was the most profitable at the box office earing $887m
- The Amazing Spider Man (2012)
With the franchise being relaunched with Andrew Garfield playing the superhero and a new director Marc Webb at the helm and yet only ten years after the first Raimi film the studio decided to do the same origin story rather than continue the franchise with a new story and new villains. Garfield is a very good actor as subsequent Oscar nominations would prove and he is fine in the role and the hiring of Webb who was known for a huge catalogue of music videos and made an impression with his debut feature ‘500 Days of Summer’ that showed he was adept with a love story that was the back bone of the Spiderman films and demonstrated he was ideally suited but unfortunately the disappointment was the same origin story and again Garfield’s films were the worst performing at the box office of all the franchise and here earned $758m . The only draw here was a new actor in the role.
- Spider Man Far From Home (2019)
This was Tom Holland’s second film as the superhero and by now he had already appeared in the Marvel’s bigger scheme of the Avengers ensemble which now had audiences stoked after the gut punch ending of Avengers Infinity War. Holland and Zendaya were spot on casting and their on screen chemistry was terrific and would spill into real life when they would get married a few years later. Heading up the villainy was Jake Gyllenaal as Mysterio and would build to a terrific cliffhanger. Audiences loved it and it became the first in the franchise to break the billion dollar mark.
- Spider Man Homecoming (2017)
Five year after Andrew Garfield’s tenure had ended after only two films the franchise was rebooted with another British actor Tom Holland and this time was directed by Jon Watts whose background was in music videos but had made a terrific little horror film ‘Clown’ in 2014 that caught the studio’s eye. Together they made an impressive debut and the Marvel machine was now in full effect as it moved towards the Avengers Infinity War / End Game and would see Robert Downey Jr appear as Peter Parker’s mentor as they faced off against the villain Vulture played by Michael Keaton who was back in the spotlight after the critical acclaim of Birdman (2014) that had been multi Oscar nominated. There was a lot riding on this third incarnation and all departments raised their game and this was a far more youth orientated take on Parker with Holland barely in his twenties when filming began. It’s an endearing take along with a streak of laughs that made this an excellent and successful relaunch earning $880m ensuring future films in the franchise
- Spider Man (2002)
In development for years with studios wondering just how they could make Spiderman swing through the cityscape. The huge leap in effects and CGI had made this possible and at one point James Cameron himself was touted as helming the film . But it would fall to Sami Raimi who was a huge fan of the comic books that secured the deal. His bckground in special effects with his Evil Dead films stood him in goof stead and the casting of Tobey Mcguire was on point as was Willem Dafoe as the maniacal Green Goblin and Kirsten Dunst as MJ. Perhaps its defining and iconic moment was the upside down that saw Dunst kiss an upside down Spiderman who his mask partly peeled back over his mouth yet never revealing his identity. It was and remains a perfect moment in cinema and audiences having only had Batman ( whose franchise was, at this point, over until Christopher Nolan took up the helm) and Superman had been relegated to TV series. So a new superhero not seen in such a way on the big screen was embraced by audiences to the tune of $810m and an ominous ending with Harry Osborn (the green Goblin’s son) out to avenge the death of his father by Spiderman meant a sequel was something to look forward to.
- Spider Man 2 (2004)
This is arguably Raimi’s best film of his own Spiderman trilogy. Its huge initial success saw audiences wanting more asap and two years later we had the first sequel. Peter Parker and his beleaguered personal life and newly found superpowers saw him cope with the mantra that ‘with great power comes great responsibility’. Better still was a great villain in the form of Doc Ock played by Alfred Molina on excellent form and still one of the best performances of any of the superheroes nemesis. Raimi stepped up to the plate calling on his Evil Dead background with an unsettling sequence where Doc Ock, fused to his tentacles flies into a rage as the those same tentacles seemingly having a life of their own. It’s a terrific film and yet of Raimi’s trilogy it is the film that earned the least making only $788m but it was enough to secure a third and what would be a final film for the director and his star.
- Spider Man No Way Home (2021)
This third film with Holland saw him turn to Doctor Strange for help that saw the multiverse ( something that increasingly weakened the MCU and irritate audiences over the years). What was the film’s worst kept secret saw Garfield and Mcguire return in their own incarnations as the Spider Man and was one of the films many highligts. The success of Spider man No Way Home was unprecedented. Costing $200m the film would go on to earn astonishing $1.9b making tt far and away the most financially successful film of the entire franchise to date and the film’s title was an indicator of what was a down ending for the superhero but set the franchise up nicely for a fourth film.
related feature : UK audience go berserk at the Spiderman No Way Home premiere when this happens
related feature : Those Spiderman No Way Home Easter eggs
