Every Spider-Man Film Ranked!

With the excitement and joy of Spider-Man: Brand New Day being out in the world, I thought it would be a cool idea to let you know the definitive and CORRECT ranking of all 9 live action Spider-Man films!

I wanna preface this with a few things here:

• Of course I know this is a subjective ranking, don’t come at me for putting one below another!

• I’m not including the animated films because we all know that both Spider-Verse movies are the best, there’s just no contest.

• I like ALL of these films. I have the unpopular opinion that there isn’t a bad Spider-Man film. They all have things I like, and then things I don’t like. Unfortunately one of them has to be last.

So, without further ado, here we go!

Yes, to no one’s shock, this is in last place. What went wrong here?!? You had the best actor playing Spidey, terrific action and the best suit in the whole franchise! Well, they got too greedy. What bothers me about this movie is that is gets Spider-Man so well thanks to Marc Webb’s indie and character focused background, but then side-lines a lot of that for a pointless and convoluted parents subplot (Peter being the ONLY one who can be Spider-Man is such an antithesis to the character) and forcing three separate villains in. Andrew and Emma’s perfect chemistry and heart-breaking story saves a lot of this movie, but not enough for it to be forgiven it's missteps.

The result is a double-sided coin, some of the best visuals, action and character work in the franchise mixed in with some of the worst studio interference, messy villains and boring setup for future movies.

Pros - Suit, Action, Andrew and Emma’s chemistry, Dramatic Character Work, Best Suit
Cons - Studio Greed, Terrible Villains, Pointless Parents subplot, Convoluted Story

Rating - 6/10

Again, to the surprise of absolutely no one, Spider-Man 3 graces near the bottom of the list. This film suffers from similar problems that The Amazing Spider-Man 2, in that it’s just too bloated with too many ideas being thrown in there to the detriment of the story and characters. We go through yet MORE Peter and MJ drama with some Harry Osborn/Goblin thrown in there WHILST having to deal with Sandman and adapting Venom/The Symbiote storyline. This film was the first time that we saw the consequences of studio meddling (Avi Arad I will never forgive you for derailing not one but TWO Spider-Man franchises), and you could tell that Raimi was just worked to the bone trying to make this work for both himself and the studio.

What saves this film from dead last place though is that when it works, it bloody well works. Everything with Sandman is really great both visually and thematically, tying him back to Uncle Ben’s death was a great creative choice and gives him so much more depth and a stronger link to Peter. The scene where he first reawakens after the experiment, is just plain beautiful. It’s when Venom and the Symbiote are stuffed in that the film falls apart, with quite possibly the most baffling casting and character choices when it comes to Eddie Brock. I will admit though, the score and the Symbiote suit go hard as hell! When this movie sings, it sings loud but when the movie falters, it takes a knee and struggles to get back up.

Pros - Score, Action, Visuals, Costumes, Sandman
Cons - The inclusion of Venom, Messy drama that feels frustrating and regressive, STUDIO INTERFERENCE

Rating - 6.5/10

Okay here’s where we get to the ones that I really like (some more than others). Far From Home is a perfectly good Spider-Man movie, it follows the events of Endgame and puts Peter through the ringer in a way that makes sense both narratively and for his character. Going with Mysterio after everything that’s happened was a stroke of genius, with his powers and tricks being a great foil for Peter throughout the film. Taking Peter abroad was an interesting choice and certainly makes the film unique across this list, though I must admit I did miss New York throughout. Visually this is the best of the Home trilogy, with the cinematography being really dynamic and the action being a big step up from Homecoming in terms of scale and impact.

Where this film is lacking for me is with everything else outside of Spider-Man and Mysterio really. For starters, this film just throws this crush on Zendaya’s MJ on us despite Peter showing no interest in her prior, and the whole film revolves around that relationship. It didn’t feel earned and felt forced a lot of the time, but Tom and Zendaya make the most of it. On top of that Fury’s role feels half-hearted, with the reveal at the end kind of undermining his whole presence in the film. Mysterio being a sour former employee of Tony Stark felt like a major re-tread of Vulture in Homecoming too. Also, the humour is really hit and miss with this one. The visual gag of Peter undressing with the Shield agent and the whole existence of Brad as a character doesn’t work for me at all. That and the class being blatantly oblivious to Peter being Spider-Man throughout tests the limits of my suspension of disbelief. All the Spider-Man stuff is great here, but the Peter Parker side of things lacks in a lot of areas for me.

Pros - Great Action, Spider-Man story is awesome, Mysterio, Visuals
Cons - Peter Parker stuff feels forced, Humour, Annoying Side Characters, MCU Connections feel lacking

Rating - 7/10

Might be a controversial opinion but I really like this movie! For starters, Andrew Garfield is clearly a fan of the character because he embodies Peter Parker so vividly that it almost pops off the page. Seemingly inspired more by the Ultimate comics version, I like that they modernised Peter to be less of a bullied Nerd and more of a “social outcast”, it fits well with his role in the school but also his self-expression as Spider-Man. I still standby the fact that Andrew is the best actor actually IN the suit. His quips and personality just shine through, feeling more like Spider-Man than the blank slate that Tobey was when the mask was on.

The Lizard is a great villain for this Spider-Man to face, especially given the personal connection to Peter and how he helped to create him. Rhys Ifans portrays him with a lot of intensity and obsession, perfectly translating that to his voice work as The Lizard. How could I forget the fantastic chemistry between Peter and Gwen, Emma Stone is the perfect foil for Peter in this film. She challenges him emotionally and mentally but also supports him when he needs it, and to be honest she’s just adorable. Shoutout to my favourite version of Aunt May put to screen as well!

This film does suffer from the “post-Dark Knight” trend in superhero media though. Everything is aggressively dark and brooding, with Peter’s obsession with finding his Uncle’s killer feeling a bit out of character for Spidey. Visually as well, the film is just dark, not allowing the colours of the suit to really pop. Speaking of the suit, I appreciate the attempt to differentiate it from Tobey’s suit but it’s a bit too much, and I say that as someone who likes it! The eyes are too small and the blue shouldn’t overpower the red so much. What puts this film above the rest is the action and physicality of Spider-Man, he’s so much more flexible and acrobatic here, moving like a Spider in really visually unique ways. The sequence where the city helps him swing to Oscorp using the cranes is such a great scene, never fails to hype me up! Look, The Amazing Spider-Man isn’t a perfect film, but it has so much great stuff in it that I can’t help but love it!

Pros - Visceral action, Andrew and Emma’s performances, Personal stakes, Best Spider-Man performance
Cons - Too dark, Parents subplot, Overdesigned Suit

Rating - 7.5/10

This film is monumental is how it shaped modern superhero media, I cannot deny it’s impact throughout the film industry. It came out swinging and only missed like one hit for me, everything about this movie is awesome. The camera techniques to swing through the city capturing live footage for those amazing swinging scenes, Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin being a deliciously evil menace and that ICONIC kiss scene in the rain. Raimi truly nailed Spider-Man here, showcasing the struggles of Peter Parker but also marrying that to his life as Spider-Man. He nailed the iconic suit on his first try, the raised webbing setting the standard for all live action Spidey suits going forward. Also, can we please talk about the Direction of this film? Cause Raimi nailed that too! It’s brutal, visceral and very reminiscent of his time on Evil Dead. The slow-mo and the impact of each punch is felt so heavily!

The things that hold this back from being a full 10/10 are just a bunch of little things that add up really. Firstly, Tobey’s performance when the mask is one barely exists, he has no personality and just stands there awkwardly. His Peter is fine but his Spider-Man is the worst of the three! On top of that, Green Goblin’s suit just looks so cartoony. I hate the bicycle helmet look with the open mouth, it just doesn’t really strike me as a menacing costume. Thankfully, Dafoe’s performance more than makes up for that. Finally, I was never that invested in Kirsten Dunst’s MJ. Her relationship with Peter and Harry feels pretty toxic and I never really got the impression she really liked him in this movie until she just turns around at one point and suddenly does.

This film is fantastic for the most part, but these parts really hold it back from being INCREDIBLE.

Pros - Terrific Suit, Great Peter Parker, Fantastic direction, Willem Dafoe
Cons - Poor Spider-Man performance, MJ feels underbaked, Goblin Mask

Rating - 8/10

The first outing for the web-head in the MCU was one that really blew me away! I was excited with Spidey joining the MCU, I was apprehensive that it was without Andrew Garfield but after Civil War and then this, Tom Holland proved that he wasn’t just the right call, he was the best person for the job! Homecoming gets SOOO much right about Peter and Spidey, so much so that I honestly feel people blatantly overlook it because of their preconceived notions of the film. I never understood the “Iron Boy Jr” argument about him in this film because the whole film is him going against Iron Man and actively being overwhelmed by the sheer amount of tech and pressure put on him by Tony. That’s the whole point of the film, that he doesn’t need to be another Iron Man but the only Spider-Man! Between that, the amazing high school setting/drama, the terrific performance from Keaton as Vulture and the great balance between the colliding lives of Peter and Spider-Man, Homecoming gets top marks in my book!

That being said, there are a couple of things that stick out to me having watched this again recently. I stand by that when it came out, it was one of the best iterations of Spider-Man but some criticisms of it weren’t unfounded. They actively avoided him swinging through New York, a core element of the character, which I felt was a mistake. The action was often too floaty and weightless, with the boat sequence being one that sticks out to be in a good way character wise but a bad way visually. That’s actually one of my major problems with the film, the CGI layer on top of the suit often looks pretty bad. It looks fake and skin tight when it should be a little baggy and imperfect. The Tony Stark-isms do tend to overwrite the movie at certain points as well, especially given that Vulture has more beef with Tony than he does with Peter.

Anyways, it’s a great movie regardless and a fantastic showcase of the difficult choices that Peter has to make for the sake of his responsibility!

Pros - Love the Hughes-vibes, Character focused, Tom Holland and Michael Keaton
Cons - CGI can be jarring and distracting, too Tony Stark heavy, Actively avoiding iconic parts of the character

Rating - 8.5/10

Right, the big one. The one that broke every single one of us back in 2021. No Way Home is a miracle of a movie not only because of what it accomplishes narratively, but also because of the fact that it was put together during the height of the COVID Pandemic. No Way Home brings together three generations of Spider-Men and their respective villains for a celebration of all things Spidey, and the result is absolutely delightful. We finally see Peter taking more responsibility for himself, seeing the consequences of his actions and discovering that with Great Power comes Great Responsibility. Having Aunt May be the one to tell him that, as well as act as the conclusion to his three movie origin story was narrative gold! I loved both Tom and Marisa Tomei in this, they truly embody their characters like never before here!

I really enjoyed bringing back the past villains as well, not just for a nostalgia play but by the fact they play directly into Peter’s story. He spends the whole film trying to save them, putting them above his own life and wellbeing, and that is so quintessentially Spider-Man it’s unreal! Willem Dafoe especially never misses a beat here, slipping right back into the role like no time has passed! Can I really talk about this movie without mentioning the return of Tobey and Andrew? This is one of the rare times that nostalgia transcends the film, and is used as a narrative tool to help Tom’s Peter along his character arc. Bringing Tobey and Andrew allowed Tom to have a more robust moral compass, and them acting as big brothers both on and off screen was an absolute delight!

The thing that brings it down for me is mainly due to the logic of the story, missed opportunities and just the visual style of the film. Firstly, the film is insanely easy to poke holes into. If the villains are coming here because they know Peter is Spider-Man then why is Electro here? He didn’t know? And why didn’t they give Tobey a chance to interact with Dafoe? That’s his greatest personal battle! Or on the other hand, why not use this opportunity to have the different Spidey’s fight different villains? Andrew vs Doc Ock, Tobey vs Electro, Tom vs everyone? Speaking of Tom, you could have had at least ONE villain here that was his in origin? It just bugs me that he doesn’t have a dedicated villain to himself here. Finally, the movie looks ugly. It just does I’m sorry. The camera work is lacklustre and the colour grading is messy, the overt CGI due to pandemic filming doesn’t help either.

Despite my nit-picking, No Way Home is a triumph of a film and celebrated the web-head in such an authentic and beautiful way, that I still to this day cannot believe it exists!

Pros - Celebration of Spidey, Narrative purpose of Nostalgia, Great Action, Great development of Tom’s Peter
Cons - Ugly looking movie, missed opportunities with the Spideys, Messy Story Logic

Rating - 8.5/10

I’ll be honest, these top two are interchangeable right now. I’m seeing this film again soon so it may swap to the top spot! Brand New Days takes everything that we loved about the ending of No Way Home and expands on it brilliantly. It’s a Peter that is alone, isolated and struggling within himself but he never once gives up on being Spider-Man. This film embodies everything that we love about Spidey, it has an iconic and stunning new suit, personal struggles and great action from director Destin Daniel-Cretton! Speaking of him, it’s visually so much more distinct that the Jon Watts trilogy before it! So much vibrancy and colour! Not only that but it comes packaged with MCU cameos and co-stars that don’t feel like they’re there for the sake of it, they all serve a narrative and thematic purpose that links in with Peter’s journey throughout the film! This film reminded me why I love Spider-Man so much, and for that I couldn’t be more grateful for it’s existence!

The only nit-picks I have are probably to do with Hulk and the structure of the film to be honest. I won’t spoil the big twist reveal here but this film doesn’t really have a central Spider-Man villain in it. It has appearances from Tombstone, Scorpion and more fleeting cameos but I just missed that Spidey rogues gallery you know! The other thing was just my issue with the Hulk, given how much he was marketed, I felt like there was going to be more from him in the film? Anyways, it’s a brilliant film regardless!

Pros - Personal Story, Great Visuals, Perfect Suit, MCU connections, Terrific Direction
Cons - Hulk screen-time and Villain preference.

Rating - 9/10

Was there ever any doubt? What is there left to say about this insanely brilliant take on the web-head? The story is rich and personal, more of a character study of Peter Parker than anything. It has the best villain in Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock and features some of the best action sequences in a Spider-Man film (that train sequence STILL hypes me up!). I love the drama, the messiness and the struggle of the film, everything fires on all cylinders and works so amazingly well that I genuinely have nothing new to add to the discussion!

Literally the only things I can say about it that are even somewhat negative is the same issues I have with the other two Tobey movies. When the mask is on, Tobey is a blank slate and doesn’t get to do much acting and a lot of the stuff with MJ can sometimes feel a bit dramatic for the sake of drama if that makes sense? She can be a bit unlikable in this film and in the next film. As a general issue with this version of Spider-Man, I feel he’s too much of a glorified figure to New York rather than having a personal connection with them? We don’t really get to see smaller moments of him helping a kid from be bullied or doing friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man things.

Pros - Best action, Best score, Best villain, Best visuals, Great performances
Cons - Too much Glorification, MJ Drama, Tobey in the Mask.

Score - 9.5/10

That will it for me here! I hope you enjoyed this breakdown of my hierarchy of Spider-Man films! Do you agree or not? Tell me your rankings down below!

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