Spider-Man: No Way Home is hitting theatres this week. This will be Peter Parker’s sixth appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it’s also the 9th stand-alone Spider-Man movie since Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man debuted in 2002. Now seems like a perfect time to catch up with your favourite web-head, so here’s where you can buy, rent, or stream all the stand-alone Spider-Man movies.
Spider-Man (2002)
Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man is cheezy, campy, fun and remains to this day one of the stronger entries in the superhero genre. Raimi has a distinct voice and style, and in my opinion, that style and voice mesh perfectly with comic book movies. Delayed after the September 11th attacks and with some re-working to remove the twin towers, this movie is nevertheless excellent.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Spider-Man 2 is a dramatic improvement on its predecessor, and to this day is the second-best Spider-Man movie ever made and one of the best superhero movies ever made. A solid second outing from Maguire and director Sam Raimi, plus the addition of Alfred Molina as the villain, Doctor Octopus, made this one great. Plus, the scene where doctors are trying to remove Doc Ock’s arms is one of the best horror scenes Raimi ever directed. I adore this movie.
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Oh, Spider-Man 3, you saucy minx. A clear step down from the previous two movies, but it’s hard to fault Raimi when the fingerprints of Sony meddling are all over it, especially apparent after what comes next.
Still, while this movie isn’t exactly great, it’s far better than you remember it being, and while the terrible dance(s) are super weird, this movie knows one thing that the next two don’t: Peter Parker is deeply uncool. Remember that when you give this one another look.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
The Amazing Spider-Man is not good. At the time, Sony seemed desperate to make Spider-Man a franchise, and this movie feels like it was designed with that goal in mind rather than making a good movie. Unfortunately, this was one of the first franchises to take all the wrong lessons from Marvel.
Still, it’s not without its merits. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are both good and have good chemistry, and this time out they nailed how Spider-Man moves. That’s about it, though.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
Take everything I said about the last one applies doubly here. I don’t know what to tell you, this movie is terrible, and I can’t think of a single thing to tell you that I like about it, but here it is if you want to give it another shot.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
The first solo outing from Tom Holland is a strange beast, produced by Sony but creatively controlled by Marvel. It gets the things right that Marvel gets right (casting, especially) but also makes some fundamental changes to the characters and world that make it feel a little less like Spider-Man than maybe it should –namely the total lack of Uncle Ben and making the Parkers not poor.
It’s a fun movie though, and everyone is fun in it, even if he is more like Iron Man Jr. than Peter Parker.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Into the Spider-Verse isn’t just the best Spider-Man movie. It’s the best superhero movie ever made, the best movie of 2018, and in the conversation for best of the 2010s. Perfectly cast, with an excellent script and performances, and you can tell that everyone involved has a deep abiding love for the material. It not only pushed the boundaries of what a superhero movie could be but also that of animation itself.
This movie is a masterpiece.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Tom Hollands second outing, much like Maguires, is a solid improvement over its predecessor. It retreads some of the same themes, but it also has an excellent villain and, in the end, remembers that Spider-Man has more powers than just being strong and sticking to walls. In addition to being a sequel to Homecoming, it also serves as an epilogue to the entire Marvel Infinity Saga. While that is a pretty big ask, it pulls off those themes admirably.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
And here we are. Will Spider-Man: No Way Home be good? I have absolutely no idea! For the first time since 2002, I won’t be seeing this Spider-Man movie on opening day (for various reasons), so if you’re like me, remember to mute all the hashtags on your various socials.
When the film is released on-demand, you will find links here:
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