1. Spider-Man (8.5/10)
The first Spider-Man and still the best Spider-Man. Not because of any nostalgia or novelty factor, this first Sam Raimi version still does hold-up today.
Whether it be Tobey Maguire's boyish charm or Raimi's vision for what a Spider-Man movie should look like, it is still an all-around, fantastic superhero movie. The special effects still looked good, the way Spider-Man moved is still relevant, and the casting here has been superb. You could argue about Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane but she could still steal your heart if you're not careful.
And like most Spider-Man villains, Willem Dafoe's Norman Osborn is still the best antagonist.
This was also the beginning of James Franco and Raimi's collaborative spirit began.
The only downside here was that this version of Spider-Man is not a wisecrack, unlike The Amazing Spider-Man. And I really think a big part of who Spider-Man is, was just not present. And that is why there is still a lot to love about Andrew Garfield's incarnation.
But Maguire's Peter Parker was spot on, and J.K. Simmons has been a revelation. Overall, there wasn't a lot I would change about this movie.
2. The Amazing Spider-Man (8/10)
Ten years after Tobey Maguire donned the Spidey suit, and only five years after Spider-Man 3, came a reboot that no one was asking for. But after seeing Marc Webb's take, the world was ready for more.
Credit not only goes to Webb, as the amazing chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone helped built the franchise to its high standards. Also, Garfield running his mouth with wisecracks made Spider-Man seemed like he jumped out from the pages of the comic books.
However, Garfield himself was not able to upstage the portrayal of Peter Parker left by Maguire from 10 years ago. His height and good looks did not bode well for the portrayal of a nerdy kid in highschool.
Also, there were just some scenes where Peter used his powers with no consequences to follow, really bugged me.
But for Webb and his changes to how Spider-Man moved onscreen, he made a difference and an impact from the old Spider-Man. And Rhys Ifans' tortured Dr. Connors was heartfelt and sincere.
3. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (7.5/10)
There is a lot to fault for Jamie Foxx's channeling of Jim Carrey's The Riddler in Batman & Robin. Forever. There is a lot to fault also on how rushed the birth of Dane DeHaan's Green Goblin was. And how the third act fell apart was why this version of Spider-Man died with this movie.
However, call me a romantic, but the romance between Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, crafted by Marc Webb once again; made this entire movie. If you view this sequel as a romantic drama, it will not disappoint. Every time Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone shared the screen, it was beautiful and poignant and they could even make you feel your own heartbeat.
And I am not sure, but remembered there was a stupid song that Electro sang during his final battle but I did not catch it on the Blu-ray. If it was removed, then wise choice, Sony.
But all those scenes that were there to setup for the Sinister Six, failed. The conversation between Harry Osborn and the guy in the hat towards the end, felt very forced. And that Rhino sequence in the end was just ridiculous. (Those spectator deserved to die.)
When DeHaan and Foxx started working together, that was when the movie fell apart. Right up until the death of Gwen Stacy, which to me, is still one of the best death scenes in movie history.
4. Spider-Man 2 (7/10)
It was here that we can start to see the cracks of Sam Raimi's vision and direction. While the action sequences were still a joy to watch, the drama and the romance, however, lost all sparkles from the first movie. And it is here that I have lost faith in Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane as she almost became an afterthought.
The unnecessary drama between the two love birds bored me. This version's Superman II where Peter Parker lost his powers and attempted to live a normal life, and just some of the storytelling and character development here felt tired and shallow. For some parts of the development of Doctor Octopus and Norman Osborn felt too similar that even the rehashing of Star Wars: The Force Awakens from A New Hope felt underrated.
But yet again, the saving grace of the movie has been the villain and Alfred Molina looked exactly like what Doc Ock should be. And J.K. Simmons was still a revelation here.
5. Spider-Man 3 (6/10)
My memories of this sequel was just an emo Peter Parker doing some weird dance. Watching it again this time around, though, I was more forgiving of that John Trovolta sequence. But the jazz bar and piano playing, coupled with teenage drama angst, is still unforgivable.
However, like all Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies, the villains were cast so perfectly. Thomas Haden Church looked exactly like Sandman. Even Topher Grace's Eddie Brock had merits. James Franco still shined and J.K. Simmons was still a revelation.
But Bryce Dallas Howard and James Cromwell as the Stacys were under utilized and watered down from who they were in the source material. Luckily we still have The Amazing Spider-Man for the Stacys.
This movie also felt very rushed when it came to certain plots. Like Harry Osborn's character development, and how he found out the truth about his father felt contrived.
It wasn't the best finish to a trilogy, and that is why I think a fourth movie should have been done to correct this mistake as it could have been a great franchise.
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