From SPIDER-MAN To NO WAY HOME, Ranking Spidey's Big-Screen Outings From Least To Most Spectacular

From SPIDER-MAN To NO WAY HOME, Ranking Spidey's Big-Screen Outings From Least To Most Spectacular

Spider-Man: No Way Home is now playing in theaters worldwide, so we're taking a look back at all of the Wall-Crawler's previous big-screen outings and ranking them from least to most spectacular...

Feature Opinion
By MarkCassidy - Dec 17, 2021 03:12 PM EST
Filed Under: No Way Home

With Spider-Man: No Way Home now in theaters, Marvel's iconic Wall-Crawler has featured in nine solo big-screen adventures and been played by four different actors (well, more than that if you count the multiple versions in Spider-Verse), all of whom brought something different to the table.

The movies themselves have obviously varied in quality, but even the more underwhelming efforts are not without a few bright spots. 

Below, you'll find a ranking of all nine Spider-Man movies from least to most spectacular. We will be discussing No Way Home, but don't worry, you won't find any spoilers here!

This is just one man's opinion, so please feel free to share your own in the comments.

To view the moments all at once, simply click on the VIEW LIST (ONE PAGE) button below!  

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Image result for the amazing spider-man 2


Marc Webb's TASM sequel really is a mess. While the first movie definitely has its share of problems, the follow-up basically took all of the elements that didn't work - annoying, "cool" Peter, overstuffed plot, awful villains - and amplified them.

To be fair, leads Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone do their best with the material and Gwen's demise is well handled, but by that point we've already sat through over 2 hours of increasing silliness, cliched romance and Jamie Fox's Electro.

Spider-Man 3

Image result for spider man 3


Many of you were probably expecting this to take worst place, but Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3 is not quite as bad as its reputation suggests.

Sure, it's tonally all over the place Topher Grace's Venom is... not very good, but Kirsten Dunst gives arguably her best performance of the trilogy as MJ, and there are some well executed action sequences.

Then there's the dancing. Okay, there's no defending the dancing.

The Amazing Spider-Man

Image result for the amazing spider man


Sony and Marc Webb's first Spider-Man reboot is technically a well made film and Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone make for likable enough leads, but it's basically a complete rehash of Raimi's first movie - and it falls way short.

Peter Parker being re-imagined as a cool skateboarder kid would have been forgivable if the script took a few chances and skipped over the origin story, but at the end of the day it's a copy-and-paste job with a subplot involving Peter's parents that goes nowhere, and a truly horrendous looking villain.

Not bad, but not quite good enough to justify its existence.

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Spider-Man: Far From Home hits digital video on Sept. 17 with over an hour  of additional content - CNET


I know I'm going to be in the minority on this one, but I thought Far From Home was just okay, and I left the theater quite disappointed. It's a fun movie for the most part and Tom Holland once again does a stellar job as Peter Parker, but I was never fully engaged with the story.

It's basically a high-school romance with some superhero stuff thrown in, and that's fine... to an extent. A couple of scenes with Peter and MJ awkwardly flirting is endearing, but it soon becomes a little tedious - even if the actors do have strong chemistry.

Unfortunately, the action sequences are also very repetitive with continuous shots of Spidey swinging around giant CGI monsters as they destroy a few buildings. We're told that these Elementals represent a major threat to the world, but that never comes across and the movie, in general, lacks bite. The final set piece is undeniably impressive, however.

Perhaps my biggest gripe with the film is that it feels like a step backwards for Spider-Man. Or a step to the side, at least. After having fought alongside The Avengers, stopped The Vulture and helped defeat Thanos and reverse The Snap (sorry, "The Blip"), this movie takes a still ridiculously inept Parker right back to the beginning and basically repeats his Homecoming arc to the letter.

I'm a big Spider-Man fan, I guess I'd just had enough of Spider-Boy at this stage.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

How Spider-Man: Homecoming Reinvented the Web Wings | CBR


This second reboot fully integrated Spider-Man into The MCU, taking the character back to basics for a light-hearted, John Hughes-inspired high-school adventure that doesn't quite reach the heights of Raimi's first two films, but comes pretty damn close.

Tom Holland is terrific as a younger take on Peter Parker, and he's bolstered by a strong supporting cast that includes Zendaya, Maria Tomei and Michael Keaton. Robert Downey Jr's extended cameo as Tony Stark came in for some backlash, but there's no denying that his presence gives this latest Spidey flick a much-needed injection of originality - as does the decision to dispense with Peter's origin story.

A little more edge wouldn't have been unwelcome, however.

Spider-Man

Image result for spider-man 2002


X-Men is widely credited with rejuvenating the CBM genre, but the success of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man most definitely ensured its longevity.

The Evil Dead director brings the requisite blockbuster thrills while maintaining some of the pulpy charm of his earlier films to deliver what is widely considered to be one of the best comic book adaptations of all time.

There are a few issues (as great as Willem Dafoe is, that Green Goblin suit just does not work), but for the most part, Spider-Man is about as great a big-screen debut for Marvel's web-slinging hero as one could have hoped for.

Spider-Man 2

5 Reasons Spider-Man 2 Is The Best Superhero Movie Of All Time


What can be said about Raimi's Spidey sequel that hasn't been already? Some still believe the original to be superior, but for me, Spider-Man 2 is smarter, funnier, more emotional, more exciting and features more nuanced performances from Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst.

Alfred Molina also makes for a terrific Doc Ock, and is involved in two of the movies standout sequences: the deliriously dark operating table massacre, and that train fight people tend to bring up once in a while.

Flaws? Well, Maguire does pull that weird face while stopping the train...

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Spider-Man: No Way Home Social Reactions Call It an Emotional End

This was a tough call, but as much as I love Raimi's sequel, No Way Home just knocks it from the No. 2 spot.

Holland's third (final?) solo Spidey outing has been discussed in great detail already, so we won't delve in too deep here (we can't really talk about the plot for fear of spoilers anyway!). But if you've seen it, there's a decent chance it also jumped straight to the top of your list.

No Way Home is a fun, exciting, occasionally intense love letter to Spidey fans past and present, which takes the iconic hero - and The Marvel Cinematic Universe - to some surprising places. If this is the last we see of Tom Holland's web-slinger for a while, it's a more than fitting farewell.

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse



Yes, as great as No Way Home was, this gem remains my top pick for the greatest Spider-Man movie yet.

This first big-screen outing for Miles Morales is not only a hugely entertaining and stunningly animated adventure, but it plays with the usual tropes associated with comic book movies in some surprising ways, and even succeeds in breathing new life into the well-worn superhero origin story. It's so damn good that any gripes I may have (okay, so it could have used a better villain) seem like minor, almost insignificant nitpicks.

Spectacular, amazing, astonishing - whatever Spidey-centric adjective you choose, it'll fit.

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Will44482
Will44482 - 12/17/2021, 3:07 PM
1. Spider-Man 2
2. Spider-Man
3. No Way Home
4. Spider-Man 3
5. Into the Spider-Verse
6. Far From Home
7. Homecoming
8. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
9. The Amazing Spider-Man
SpideyPuffsMJ
SpideyPuffsMJ - 12/17/2021, 3:09 PM
Spider-Man 3 is better than ASM 1
MrDandy
MrDandy - 12/17/2021, 3:19 PM
@SpideyPuffsMJ - I go back and forth on those two. Overall I think SM3 is better but then I remember ASM 2 has no scene as bad as the symbiote stuff in SM3 and SM3 has nothing as good as the Peter and Gwen stuff
grif
grif - 12/17/2021, 4:32 PM
@SpideyPuffsMJ - better than anything that came after it
X75
X75 - 12/17/2021, 3:10 PM
Spider-Verse is good, but personally I think it’s not the best Spidey movie. Fantastic animation but the story wasn’t that amazing.
HeavyMetal4Life
HeavyMetal4Life - 12/17/2021, 3:10 PM
1. No Way Home
2. Spiderman 2
3. Far From Home
4. Spiderman
5. Into the Spiderverse
6. Homecoming
7. Spider-Man 3
8. The Amazing Spider-Man
9. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
SpideyPuffsMJ
SpideyPuffsMJ - 12/17/2021, 3:11 PM
Also, I know I might be in the minority but Into the Spider-Verse has been beyond overhyped since it came out. It was great, surprising movie. It never comes to mind when I think of even the top 3 Spider-Man movies. It’s animated, it’s great; but it just isn’t the same as seeing Spider-Man in live action
LordMushu
LordMushu - 12/17/2021, 3:13 PM
This is not news.
MrDandy
MrDandy - 12/17/2021, 3:14 PM
Swap No Way Home and Spider-Man 2 and this is basically my list.

1. Into the Spider-Verse- 10/10
2. Spider-Man 2- 9/10
3. No Way Home- 9/10
4. Homecoming- 8/10
5. Spider-Man- 8/10
6. Far From Home- 7/10
7. The Amazing Spider-Man- 6/10
8. Spider-Man 3- 4/10
9. The Amazing Spider-Man 2- 3/10
10. Venom- 2/10

Haven’t seen Let There Be Carnage yet.
RitoRevolto
RitoRevolto - 12/17/2021, 3:16 PM
Sounds about right.
MUTO123
MUTO123 - 12/17/2021, 3:19 PM
Spider-Man: the corniness gets a little painful at times, but otherwise a damn good origin movie.

Spider-Man 2: more confident, more mature sequel

Spider-Man 3: sloppy, but still has its heart in the right place and a lot of great moments

Amazing Spider-Man: super redundant in terms of redoing the origin, and the villain plot is half-baked at best. But the cast is really good, the set pieces are well done, and oh my God do I LOVE James Horner's score.

Amazing Spider-Man 2: Spider-Man 3 with almost none of the things that make that movie somewhat watchable.

Into the Spider-Verse: beautiful, hysterical, emotional. An amazing treat for people who grew up with the character in multiple forms.

Homecoming: breath of fresh air for the character. Not the best set pieces, but [frick]ing hilarious and it's fun seeing how they tie him into the MCU.

Far From Home: could use some trimming on the jokes, but better set pieces, a fun villain, and it's cool seeing Spidey somewhere other than New York.

No Way Home: haven't seen it yet.
bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 12/17/2021, 5:33 PM
@MUTO123 - I agree its fun to see Spider-Man outside of New York, but Europe just didn't do it for me. Washington DC was enough to fill that too already for me. Mysterio is really the only good thing for me in Far From Home
Baf
Baf - 12/17/2021, 3:26 PM
Looks like Rami gets it best.
MrDandy
MrDandy - 12/17/2021, 3:31 PM
@Baf - Rami Malek definitely gets it best.
Godzilla2000Zer
Godzilla2000Zer - 12/17/2021, 3:38 PM
Seeing it Monday got my tickets
tb86
tb86 - 12/17/2021, 4:05 PM
Haven’t seen No Way Home yet but as for the others this is how I would rank them though I do change my mind a lot.
8) The Amazing Spider-Man 2
7) Spider-Man 3
6) The Amazing Spider-Man
5) Far from Home
4) Spider-Man
3) Spider-Man 2
2) Homecoming
1) Into the Spider-Verse
vegetaray
vegetaray - 12/17/2021, 4:26 PM
Spider Man 2
Spider-Verse
No Way Home

Everything else…
MediaMan
MediaMan - 12/17/2021, 4:46 PM
I've always thought Spider-Verse was very good, but, as many others have said here, way overhyped. The family aspect was very well handled, the villain twist was good, much of it was very clever, etc - but frankly, the story was nothing mind-blowing at all. I've never bothered to rewatch it after seeing it in the theater once.

I'm also with those who don't really consider it part of the Spidey film canon. It's one thing to do animation (and doing it well isn't easy), but it ain't live action.

Spidey 2 was on the Cartoon Network (of all places) a few weeks ago, and I was like, wow- I'd forgotten how great this movie really is (and it's one of my top top favorite films). It will be tough to top.

One last thing- I've mentioned this here before, but if you haven't seen Spider-Man 2.1, it's worth checking out. Something like eight minutes of additional footage, and some of it is a really worthwhile addition.
bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 12/17/2021, 5:31 PM
@MediaMan - yeah ITSV is a tough one. As an animation movie it blows me away, but it is tough to compare to live-action.

I can see the live-action versions show up in the animated version, but not the other way around. Thats for sure
MediaMan
MediaMan - 12/17/2021, 8:06 PM
@bkmeijer - So you're not expecting Spider-Ham in the MCU? ;)
bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 12/17/2021, 10:26 PM
@MediaMan - I don't rule it out completely just yet
IronSpider101
IronSpider101 - 12/17/2021, 4:48 PM
Yet another case of "The newest one is so good, it's even better than Spider-Man 2!"
HeavyMetal4Life
HeavyMetal4Life - 12/17/2021, 5:29 PM
@IronSpider101 -

*narrator* It is
IronSpider101
IronSpider101 - 12/17/2021, 5:53 PM
@HeavyMetal4Life - Uh huh. We'll see in 10 years if everyone is still saying "The high mark set by No Way Home has finally been topped!"

As cool and fun as this movie is, there's a lot of post-release excitement that clouds minds. These lists shouldn't even really happen until things have had time to settle. It's still just another MCU movie and won't have the same staying power once it's initial effect has worn off.
bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 12/17/2021, 5:29 PM
I haven't seen No Way Home yet, but my list is kinda similar to the article (bar a few changes). Think I'll put The Amazing Spider-Man above Homecoming.

I can't decide though which I like better, Spider-Man 2 or Into the Spider-Verse. Former definitely the best live-action, and latter best animation (which kinda unfair given there is only one animated Spider-Man movie).
2050
2050 - 12/17/2021, 6:00 PM
Man, Spider’s had some damn good movies. When it’s bad, it’s really bad. But when it’s good, it’s exceptional, and thankfully most of them are excellent.
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 12/17/2021, 6:04 PM
Haven't seen no way home yet but for me personally:

1. Into the Spiderverse
2. Spiderman 2
3. Homecoming
4. Far From Home
5. Spiderman
6. The Amazong Spiderman
7. Spider-Man 3
8. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
The95thMovieNut
The95thMovieNut - 12/17/2021, 6:09 PM
1) Spider-Man 2 (10/10)
2) The Amazing Spider-Man (10/10)
3) Spider-Man (9/10)
5) Spider-Man 3 (9/10)
4) The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (9/10)
6) Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (8/10)
7) Spider-Man: No Way Home (7.5/10)
8) Spider-Man: Homecoming (5/10)
9) Spider-Man: Far From Home (5/10)
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