Although superhero movies are all the rage these days, there are some characters who have a more iconic and deeper history on the big screen than others. Spider-Man ranks right near the top, with an intriguing run in cinema over the past two decades that has been something of a mixed bag.
While most Spider-Man movies received high praise from critics and audiences alike, there were some entries that disappointed to the point where reboots had to happen. Still, there are merits to all of these movies, and thanks to Spider-Man: No Way Home, they all mean more than ever, so it's worth seeing which are considered the best on Letterboxd.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) - 2.74
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As noted, there have been some movies starring this character that didn't quite hit and led to reboots. One of them was The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which was meant to truly establish a bigger universe for Andrew Garfield's version of the titular character.
However, many felt the movie suffered from trying to do too much as it featured two antagonists, shoehorned in a bunch of world-building ideas, had a subplot involving Peter's parents and continued the romantic drama he had with Gwen Stacy. Of course, many fans do agree that Gwen's death scene is one of the better in any of these films.
Spider-Man 3 (2007) - 2.87
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Similar to The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sam Raimi's third entry into his series ended up causing that franchise to wrap up before it was originally intended to. Spider-Man 3 actually suffered from similar problems to the second Garfield movie, mainly in that it has too many villains running around.
Peter must deal with threats from Venom, Sandman, and a new Green Goblin, along with his romance with Mary Jane falling apart (again) and more. The film was heavily criticized for being overstuffed and for some odd choices like the infamous dancing scene that has become a meme. Still, there are plenty of fans who have fun with this.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) - 3.14
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Many moviegoers were skeptical when a reboot of Spider-Man was announced. They had grown to love Tobey Maguire's take on the character but at least the person taking over was Oscar nominee Andrew Garfield. Helmed by Marc Webb, The Amazing Spider-Man went a different route with its Peter Parker.
Garfield played him as a cooler nerd, there was more of a focus on his parents, and his romance was with the brilliant Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), not MJ. Although this was seen as a good film overall, some weren't happy with the rehashing of Uncle Ben's death and origin story or The Lizard's lackluster plan as a villain.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) - 3.54
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The MCU's take on Spider-Man began with Captain America: Civil War in 2016 and spilled over into two Avengers movies. Following the second of those, Spider-Man: Far From Home arrived and dealt with the fallout from Thanos's actions and how Peter handled the loss of his mentor, Tony Stark.
This worked for a litany of reasons including the set pieces, Jake Gyllenhaal's turn as the villainous Mysterio, and the continued excellence of Tom Holland. However, an underrated highlight of this movie is how it is just as good of a teen rom-com as it is a superhero flick.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) - 3.62
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There was no question that Tom Holland shined in his first MCU appearance but a year later he was given the tall task of having to lead his own movie. He proved to be more than capable, helped along by his great supporting cast including Jacob Batalon, Zendaya, and more in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Jon Watts made sure to inject this with the youthful touch that it needed to stand out. Including a great appearance from Tony Stark helped connect it to the MCU, while Michael Keaton's performance as Adrian Toomes/The Vulture is arguably the best of any villain in a Spider-Man movie.
Spider-Man (2002) - 3.70
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This is where it all started. When Spider-Man arrived in 2002, all that superhero fans really had to cling to in recent memory was Blade and X-Men but this took things to another level. The film broke box office records and remains a cultural phenomenon to this day.
The story of Peter Parker gaining his powers, grieving the loss of his uncle, and facing off against the Green Goblin is iconic. Outside of some special effects from the era, Spider-Man actually holds up really well and was met with strong acclaim from both critics and casual audiences.
Spider-Man 2 (2004) - 3.82
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For the longest time, Spider-Man 2 was actually held in high esteem as the greatest superhero movie ever made. Even to this day, after the release of The Dark Knight and everything that the MCU has put out, there are still plenty of fans who stand by this film above all others.
While it may not have the highest score on Letterboxd, it is still a classic. The train fight, Doc Ock as a villain, and Peter's struggle to balance his two lives are all plot points and scenes that will never be forgotten by fans no matter how many different versions of the character they get to see.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) - 4.22
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The MCU's take on Spider-Man started out as a street-level hero but by the time Spider-Man: No Way Home came around, he was involved in stories that could change his universe and others like it. After his life is turned upside down by his identity being revealed, Peter goes to Doctor Strange for help in this film.
Things go awry and it opens up the multiverse, bringing in characters from previous versions of Spider-Man, making this epic on a grand scale. It can be hard to balance all of that but this film pulls it off and delivers in spades. It satisfyingly ends this trilogy while setting the stage for more if they choose that route.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018) - 4.44
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Despite all of the versions of Spider-Man in live-action on the big screen, it's an animated film that ranks the best. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse even won the Best Animated Feature Academy Award thanks to its emotional weight, colorful characters, great soundtrack, and unique visual style.
The film brings in Spider-People from different dimensions from Miles Morales to Spider-Gwen to Spider-Ham. It juggles all of this in fine form, includes a fantastic antagonist in Kingpin, and features some heavy emotional plot points to bring it all together brilliantly.