It’s that time of year, lambchops. That special time when a new Spider-Man movie hits theaters, forcing every nerd culture site to put together its requisite ranking of the live-action films thus far. Homecoming is good, but is it Amazing Spider-Man 2 good? Let’s find out!
6. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
The Amazing Spider-Man 2, in my opinion is the worst live-action Spider-Man film to date. It suffers from a lot of the same narrative hindrances that afflicted Spider-Man 3 , without much of the stylistic charm to indemnify them. A misguided focus on franchise building as well as a script mired with the lazy half baked staples commonly affiliated with Orci and Kurtzman deprived Garfield of the intimate story his admirably dynamic portrayal of the wall crawler deserved. Thankfully, worst Spider-Man film doesn’t mean it’s an irredeemably bad one, thanks to the best looking Spidey suit we’ve seen on the silver screen thus far, the magnetic chemistry shared between its two leads, and an unintentionally hilarious scene where genetically modified cells fix the gap in Jamie Foxx’s teeth.
5. The Amazing Spider-Man
While I still contest that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is an objectively worse film than it’s ill-conceived predecessor, it’s a hell of a lot more fun to sit through. A lack of aspiration makes its failures less obnoxious than its sequel, even if very little about this routine reboot actually works – not the tone, not the costume, not the mechanical retooling in a bid to further distance itself from the Raimi films, and certainly not the shoehorned mystery of the disappearance of Richard and Mary Parker. Once again, Garfield and Stone go a long way to make this film watchable, though the sum of its parts amount to little more than a dreary, monotonous borefest.
4. Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3 is by no means a great film, especially in consideration of the iconic trilogy that it bookends. Sam Raimi is clearly phoning it in at various points. The retconning of Uncle Ben’s death was a near fatal misstep, Venom’s new origin is a perfunctory mess, and the whole affair reeks of studio meddling. Having said that, Raimi clearly loves this character, so that even at its lowest points, the earnest charisma that struck a chord so profoundly with audiences the first two go-arounds can't help but shine through, nevermind the return of maybe the most perfect casting in the genre’s history in J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson.
3. Spider-man
Setting aside its trailblazing legacy, 2002’s Spider-Man has aged pretty well as a stand alone film… for the most part. Tobey Maguire, leading what has become my favorite ensemble cast of a film of this type, does a masterful job portraying the spirited dork we all love from the comics. Its one of those rare big budget adaptations that does justice to its source material and the nuances of the filmmaker adapting it. From “Great power, comes great responsibility,” to the upside down kiss, Spider-Man is an unassailable classic.
2. Spider-Man: Homecoming
Tom Holland is without a doubt the definitive Peter Parker/Spider-Man. He masters the duality of the character in a way we’ve never seen on the big screen before. The film itself does well to recapture the essence that made the comics such a hit in the first place, that is their premium on the discomforts that accompanies being an adolescent. Homecoming is fueled by melodrama and teen angst classics like Blitzkrieg Bop; it’s more of a John Hughes film that it is an action film, and that’s perfect.
1. Spider-man 2
Thirteen years later, Spider-Man 2 is still the best live action Spider-Man film. It’s the perfect amalgam of the throwback sense of innocence of the Lee/Ditko era and the young adult tragedy that informs that character in later years. It’s corny and genuine and absolutely wonderful from its cast to its unprecedented action sequences. Danny Elfman’s electric score is impactful, as it compliments the perpetually down-on-his-luck Peter Parker and his zestful alter ego as he swings through Manhattan, with effects that have aged surprisingly well. I have no doubt Tom Holland’s turn at the web head is destined for new heights, but for now, Spider-Man 2 remains the benchmark.
