Sam Raimi set the template for modern superhero movies with his Spider-Man trilogy. His first film created the mold for on-screen superhero origin stories; his second (arguably the greatest superhero movie ever made, or at least one of them) set the stage for sequels that jump right into the action; and his third movie established the trend of disappointing threequels.
Throughout Raimi’s trilogy, there were a handful of characters that fans fell in love with, as well as a few that they couldn’t stand. So, here are the five best and five worst characters in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy.
Best: Doctor Octopus
While Heath Ledger’s Joker from The Dark Knight is the undefeated champ of movie supervillains, Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus is up there. He brought real nuance to Otto Octavius as Peter’s corrupted mentor, while still hamming it up in the mustache-twirling Doc Ock persona.
The great thing about Doc Ock is that he actually raises the stakes. He knows exactly what to do to test Spidey and he’s not afraid to go all in.
Worst: Venom
Sam Raimi didn’t want to include Venom in Spider-Man 3 because he didn’t know the character very well and the movie was already overstuffed, but producer Avi Arad forced him to add Venom to the story. Even Topher Grace was surprised when the producers chose him to play Eddie Brock.
Venom’s subplot in Spider-Man 3 drags down the whole movie. It’s not like it would’ve been a masterpiece without him, but cutting him out of the script would’ve done a world of good.
Best: Aunt May
Marisa Tomei has been doing a wonderful job of playing a younger, more comedic version of Aunt May in the MCU, but the definitive on-screen portrayal of May Parker will always be Rosemary Harris’ incarnation from the Raimi trilogy.
From the way that she mourned the loss of Uncle Ben to the maternal wisdom that she offers Peter in his toughest times, Harris’ May was sweet and inspiring, and really captured the essence of the character.
Worst: Mary Jane Watson
In literally every single one of Raimi’s Spider-Man movies, the villain kidnapped Mary Jane at the turn of the third act, forcing Spidey to come out of the woodwork and save her. All of Kirsten Dunst’s screams from the damsel-in-distress scenario in Spider-Man 3 were reused from when she shot the damsel-in-distress scenario in Spider-Man 2.
Her role in the central love triangle was really irritating, too, as she played two best friends against each other. Dunst did her best, but the role she was given was seriously limited.
Best: J. Jonah Jameson
J.K. Simmons was so perfect for the role of Daily Bugle editor J. Jonah Jameson that the MCU brought him back to reprise the role instead of embarking on a futile search for another actor to play the part.
Simmons nailed the rapid pace of Jameson’s speech and never failed to raise a few chuckles when he appeared on-screen. Plus, the scene in which he was attacked by the Green Goblin and covered for Peter showed that he was hiding a heart of gold all along.
Worst: Harry Osborn
The Spider-Man trilogy helped to get James Franco from his post-Freaks and Geeks cancellation slump to his hyper-educated indie actor-director phase. Unfortunately, his character arc in the trilogy was weird and disjointed, which was reflected in his performance.
He got off to a promising start as the neglected, disappointing son of a wealthy genius who wouldn’t give him the time of day, but as he became obsessed with exacting revenge against Spider-Man, Harry became unbearable.
Best: Uncle Ben
In the current crop of Spider-Man movies, Uncle Ben hasn’t been mentioned beyond his initials appearing on a suitcase. But he is a huge part of Peter Parker’s upbringing, and a very important component of his characterization.
Even after he was murdered in the first Spider-Man movie, Cliff Robertson’s Uncle Ben loomed large over the trilogy, appearing in flashbacks to guide Peter with his paternal insights.
Worst: Green Goblin
Willem Dafoe’s performance as Norman Osborn was insanely over-the-top. This is an actor who’s given nuanced performances for decades in movies ranging from Platoon to The Lighthouse, but that nuance went out the window when he took on the role of the Green Goblin.
And it didn’t help that his costume looked like a Power Ranger’s suit of armor and his glider took flight with the worst CGI ever put on screen.
Best: Peter Parker
Since Tobey Maguire wrapped up his stint in the role of Peter Parker, the character has been played by two other actors — Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland — on the big screen. And while Holland has done a fine job of introducing Spidey into a wider Marvel universe, Maguire is still the best Peter Parker.
He seemed genuinely geeky, but with an adorable sweetness. He was always a hero you could root for because, true to the Spidey spirit, he always strived to do the right thing.
Worst: Peter Parker (Bonded With Symbiotes)
In Spider-Man 3, when the symbiotes bonded with Peter Parker, he went from being a hero fans could all aspire to be to an obnoxious jerk fans could all make fun of.
From his emo haircut to his many cringeworthy dances, the symbiote-bonded Peter was a terrible character. The black Spidey suit looked cool, but that was about it.