Every Spider-Man Film, Ranked

I know I promised you guys a review of the Odyssey movie this Sunday, but due to my exams (and some intestinal issues I will spare you the details of) I haven’t managed to see it yet. I’ll try to put up a review of either the Odyssey or Brand New Day next week, depending on what I manage to watch.

Until then, here’s a personal ranking of the Spider-Man films.

I’m a little sad with how low the TASM films rank in this post. Andrew Garfield is my all-time favorite live-action Spider-Man, and Emma Stone’s Gwen is my favorite Spider-Man love interest. TASM 2 also has my favorite live-action Spider-Man suit. However, I just can’t overlook its flaws. The movie has three villains and none of them are good. It tries to introduce the Osborns and do the Death of Gwen Stacy plotline in the same film, along with a baffling subplot about Peter’s parents that genuinely nobody cared about. Overall, this is definitely the worst live-action Spider-Man film.

Far From Home is probably the most nothingburger Spider-Man film there is. I enjoyed Tom Holland as Spider-Man, Zendaya and Jacob Batalon were fun supporting characters, and Jake Gyllenhaal is always excellent. The film has a nice arc about Peter moving out of his mentor’s shadow and realizing he doesn’t need to be the next Iron Man. I can’t pin down why, but Far From Home is unfortunately less than the sum of its parts. It’s not as bad as TASM 2, it’s just forgettable.

Homecoming focuses more on the high school element of Spider-Man’s character than any other Spider-Man film. I’m not sure I’m a fan of that, especially since they eschew popular characters like Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy, and Harry Osborn for characters that share nothing with their comic book counterparts beyond the names. With that being said, I enjoyed the film’s arc of a young and inexperienced Peter Parker realizing that a high-tech suit didn’t make him Spider-Man. I will also argue that Michael Keaton as the Vulture is a top 3 live-action Spider-Man villain.

I struggled a little on whether or not this one was better than Homecoming, but ultimately I think it has a slight edge. With that said, Spider-Man 3 is easily the worst out of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films. Like TASM 2, it tries to balance three different villains, with only marginally better results. I know Bully Maguire has become a meme, but watching it in the film only gave me second-hand embarrassment. Still, I enjoyed Raimi’s signature mix of dark and campy aesthetics, and the visual effects and choreography were great.

As much as I dislike TASM 2, I actually really enjoyed this one. The film suffers from being released only a few years after the end of the Raimi trilogy, making the Spider-Man origin story feel rehashed and unnecessary. But like I’ve said before, Andrew Garfield is my favorite Spider-Man actor. He perfectly captures both Spider-Man’s sense of humor and Peter’s intelligence. I also love Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy, and I like that the film gives her a role beyond that of a damsel or source of drama. I think the darker tone of the film works well, but the villain and the third act in general weren’t that great.

If I made this ranking four years ago, I’d probably put No Way Home in the top spot. Since then, I’ve gone off it a little. The first hour is a mess, and the whole plot seems a little contrived. With that being said, I don’t agree with the people who say it’s just a cameo fest. Most of the returning characters felt like they had a reason to be there beyond just fanservice, and they added a lot to the plot and enhanced Peter’s character arc. Willem Dafoe in particular was fantastic, and I loved how the film managed to complete Garfield Spidey’s character arc.

You have to pay your respects to the OG. The success of Spider-Man paved the way for every other film to come, making it a landmark in the history of superhero cinema. For all the campiness of the film, it can be serious when it wants to be, and it delivers its heartfelt moments perfectly. While I don’t think Tobey Maguire is as good as Andrew or Tom, he’s still great in this film. J.K. Simmons is iconic as J. Jonah Jameson, and Willem Dafoe absolutely steals the show as Green Goblin. The final battle in particular is one of my favorite out of any Spider-Man film.

On a first watch, Into the Spider-Verse surprised me more than any other Spider-Man film I’ve seen. This isn’t a movie about Peter Parker; in fact, Peter gets killed off within the first act. Despite this, Into the Spider-Verse isn’t just a love letter to the character, but an in-depth exploration of what it means to be Spider-Man. The film was my introduction to Miles Morales. It would have been very easy for him to feel like a poor replacement for one of the most iconic characters in fiction. Instead, the film made Miles one of my favorite legacy characters out there. Into the Spider-Verse’s greatest strength is its deep understanding of what makes Spider-Man, Spider-Man — not his powers, but his willingness to do the right thing. As Miles says, “Anyone can wear the mask. You can wear the mask.”

In an era before the MCU or the Dark Knight Trilogy, it’s easy to see why this would be considered the greatest superhero film of all time. Spider-Man 2 focuses on the crushing weight of Peter Parker’s responsibilities, as his work as a superhero causes him to struggle in every other aspect of his life. It shows Peter trying to walk away from the mask, ultimately returning to it, and using his newfound maturity to convince his enemy to do the right thing. Speaking of, Alfred Molina is great as Doc Ock, imbuing the character with both pathos and charm. The choreography and effects still hold up today, with the train fight still being one of the most iconic in superhero cinema. Despite its cheesiness, Spider-Man 2 is more mature in its themes than most superhero films I’ve seen. I think it’s easily the best live-action Spider-Man film.

I feel like a lot of sequels to standalone films have trouble continuing the main character’s arc in a way that feels natural, and so they end up rehashing the first film’s arc but worse. Across the Spider-Verse definitely doesn’t have this problem. It feels like a natural continuation of Miles’ arc, from earning the mantle of Spider-Man to defining what the mantle means on his own terms. The supporting cast is great too. Oscar Isaac as Miguel O’Hara is fascinating: a version of Spider-Man who has forgotten what it means to be Spider-Man, who thinks it’s destiny rather than their choices that makes them who they are. Hobie Brown absolutely steals the show despite his limited screentime. Spider-Gwen is a flawed but still likable deuteragonist. The Spot goes from a comedic villain-of-the-week to a genuinely terrifying multiversal threat. The visuals are a work of art, easily the best thing I’ve seen come out of a western studio. The film continues its predecessor’s exploration of what it means to be Spider-Man, ending with a cliffhanger whose resolution I’m still anticipating three years later. I’d say it’s definitely the best Spider-Man film ever made.