Rank the Spider-Man movies for tournament podcast!

[godisawesome]

My buddy and I call our podcast "Franchise Wars", where we try to do more than just talk about movies, and instead put them against each other, usually sticking to a single franchise. We've done Revenge of the Sith vs Rogue One, Batman V. Superman vs Suicide Squad, and now, we're going to do the Spider-Man movies. We both grew up with the original Raimi films, and have different opinions on the successors. We want to do a multi part episode, first picking the top two to challenge each other in a "finals" match, and beyond that to rank the other four films.

So, feel free to rank the films here: http://www.polljunkie.com/poll/fcegq...-movie-ranking , and discuss why you ranked them so here.

6. SPIDER-MAN 3 - It's not that there's nothing worthwhile here, it's that it's pretty bad and very disappointing considering all the stuff it had to work with in Harry as a Goblin, Venom, and Gwen Stacy.

5. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 1 - This felt the most redundant for the villain's storyline and overall plot structure, but at least it didn't have Topher Grace as Venom.

4. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 - They really did try to change some of their mistakes from the first film, and once Electro's done being nerdy and just is evil, I enjoy it. And while Dane Dehaan may be an aquired taste with too much time considering the he over stuffed nature of the film, I personally like his acting job in the film as Harry.

3. SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING - A strong film with a great villain in vulture and a good judgement on how to use High School hijinks for fun. I love this film and can't wait to see more, but...

2. SPIDER-MAN 2 - I know some people love this as the creme-de-la-crime of the Raimi films... But I personally like its rival better. Doc Ock is great, but a bit too cheesy in a few scenes for me.

1. SPIDER-MAN 1 - Two words: Willem DeFoe.

[SpiderClops]

1. Spider-Man 2: Near masterpiece. Best CBM ever.
2/3. Spider-Man/Spider-Man: Homecoming: Really really good.
4. Spider-Man 3: Overall good movie that has many problems.
5. Amazing Spider-Man: Mediocre.
6. Amazing Spider-Man 2: Only genuinely bad Spider-Man movie.

[cc008]

6) Amazing Spider-Man 2 = On a count of I never bothered to see it in theaters, nor can sit through the whole movie.

5) Spider-Man 3 = Only ranked above ASM 2 because I saw it in theaters.

4) Amazing Spider-Man = Good, not great. Fun movie.

3) Spider-Man Homecoming = Really fun movie. Great formal introduction in the MCU. Loved that Iron Man was present. Loved even more that Happy was in it. And Michael Keaton is one of my favorite actors.

2) Spider-Man = The one that started it all. I owe this movie and the first two X-Men films so much for what they gave me as a kid.

1) Spider-Man 2 = Can't really get much better than this. Spider-Man 2 and X-Men: United.. whoa baby. All time greats.

[Speed Force League Unlimited]

1. Spider-Man: It is the best one, with a minimal amount of nonsense in story quality.

2. Spider-Man 3: This is the second best one. Aside from the dance club, street strut (both are hilarious stuff), and some of the stuff that do with Sandman teaming up with Venom, it's a good movie. How come in all the Spider-Man movies, you have that one villain who talks to his other self in comics, but we don't see that happen to him in this adaption while most other villains before TASM2 do what Venom should be doing?

3. The Amazing Spider-Man 2: It's my third favorite movie, the movie prior to it is better due to more consistent tone and attitude, but I have fun with this one more.

4. The Amazing Spider-Man: This one actually has the second best villain in Spider-Man films, when he talks to his other self he's convinced he's doing good to the world, and does not grovel on his feet crying to his mask, or taking words from his artificial appendages immediately after saying he should drown them. I like this take on Peter Parker/Spider-Man and it's my favorite take of the character on film. It's an overall decent movie with some goofy moments that don't fit the selected tone or the story quality.

5. Spider-Man 2: This movie is decent, but overrated. It has a lot of problems, most of them involve Doc Ock (listens to his tentacles to forget they're monsters? Surviving all the physical abuse he goes through (including falling from the clock tower on top of a falling train) cause these four metallic heavy things are attached to his back, magnetic power that pulls all metals but not his assistants... whuuuhh?) and the power loss subplot is another stupid thing done to a stupid degree in a nonsensical manner... The rest of the movie is decent, but overrated.

6. Spider-Man Homecoming: Overrated movie, massively overrated and annoying take on the character, supporting characters are mostly forgettable, Spider-Man gets cocky after losing twice and decides he doesn't need to take tests... the real highlight of the movie is the villain, best villain on film for Spider-Man, and Michael Keaton is awesome, having more than one villain worked well here cause they're a crew. But yeah, I wish this take on the character just dies and disappears cause it reminds me that I wanted the MCU to remain Spidey free, their handle on the character continues to make me wish that was the case.

[chicainery]

1. Spider-Man 2: Near masterpiece. Best CBM ever.
2/3. Spider-Man/Spider-Man: Homecoming: Really really good.
4. Spider-Man 3: Overall good movie that has many problems.
5. Amazing Spider-Man: Mediocre.
6. Amazing Spider-Man 2: Only genuinely bad Spider-Man movie.

Agreed.

1. Spider-man 2: Really hits on what makes Spider-man endearing to me.
2. Spider-man: Really enjoyed this movie. Great first introduction of Spider-man to the big screen.
3. Spider-man Homecoming: Fun movie that drops Spider-man into the MCU. Tom Holland was really good as a young Peter.
4. Spider-man 3: Too much going on and the Sandman twist leaves me cold, but still very enjoyable.
5. Amazing Spider-man: Watched it once and have no desire to see it again anytime soon.
6. Amazing Spider-man 2: Terrible movie. I own a copy but doubt I'll ever watch it again.

[Soubhagya]

1. Spider-man 2: Is a contender for one of the best comic book movies ever in my opinion. Wonderful story, heartfelt performances, spectacular action it improved in almost every way from the first film. That train stopping sequence has to be among the best superhero action sequences ever. Doctor Octopus is a splendid villain. The only major weakness i can think of is the romance between Peter and MJ. But the positives far outweigh the negatives and its the best Spider-man film till now.

2. Spider-man: It was wonderful to see Spider-man on screen when it came out. Years later it still holds up and is really enjoyable. Tobey Mcguire is the best Peter Parker in my opinion. He captures that weirdness of Peter Parker and is almost perfect for the role. Sadly, his Spider-man was the weakest of all three actors. He's not the wisecracking Spider-man we know and love. But the film is amazing. Performances are really good. Dafoe as Green Goblin is severely under-rated in my opinion. And JJ Jameson is pitch perfect casting. It has a few weaknesses. For instance its cgi is weaker. But all said and done its a beautiful film and ranks second in my list.

3. Spider-man: Homecoming: I had lost all hope that i could see an enjoyable Spider-man again. And then Tom Holland cropped up in Civil War and stole the show. His film did not disappoint. One of my favorite films last year, it was really good. Tom Holland is the perfect Spider-man in my opinion. Tobey gave a great Peter Parker and Andrew a great Spider-man but Tom does both with equal aplomb. Ned was a wonderful addition and Vulture was a really interesting villain. One of the best parts of the film is it shows how to use the interconnected universe best. Captain America giving pep talks on school gyms via recorded video. Spider-man taking care of the friendly neighborhood as Avengers take care of bigger threats. Vulture was taking tech from Chitauri which ties to the Avengers. Its a really enjoyable film which is a real treat for long time MCU fans. I did not like Spider-man getting the costume by Tony Stark, though the tech usage felt fresh and interesting. The romance part felt weak too. But overall its a wonderful film and takes the third spot in my list.

4. Spider-man 3: There's no way getting around the fact that its a significant step down from the highs of the previous films. Its cluttered and too busy without giving sufficient time to any of the subplots. Yet its action sequences are amazing and cg is off the charts especially, if we compare to the first Spider-man. It has some wonderful scenes like birth of Sandman. And the short team up of Harry and Peter was fun to watch. It has its moments but its weak. But its definitely re-watchable compared to the final two films in my list. I have watched it a number of times. I don't get that emo Peter hatred. I actually enjoy them a lot. I love that dancing. Yes its silly. But i think its supposed to be like that. Here's a guy trying to be hip and cool who was never cool to begin with. And to finally see JJJ silenced and surprised was a real treat. Its a fine film and thus takes my fourth spot.

5. Amazing Spider-man: Now to the bottom. I am surprised i have not watched it completely in one sitting. Its somewhat boring. Overall i find it just okay. Its a film alright. With a plot and a story which progresses. Its not the problem with actors though. They do a fine job. The strongest point of the film is the couple of Peter and Gwen. They have wonderful chemistry. Andrew Garfield does a good job actually. His Spider-man was real fun. Something missing from Tobey's interpretation. His Peter felt odd. As if the guy's not that nerdy Peter Parker i know and love. Not the fault of his performance but rather the writing and direction. Nothing is really memorable from the film. That ending one where the city helps Spider-man to reach Lizard is a good one. Stan Lee gives one of the best cameos. They cut those segments which were shot from Spider-man's point of view to mere seconds. Something shown in trailers. That would have been something.

And Peter is infuriating. "Don't make promises you can't keep. Those are the best ones." Oh God! I was forgetting these. There's not a bit of respect and integrity as he breaks a promise made to Gwen's father on his deathbed. And it finally does result in Gwen's death. Seriously! Peter Parker you're the worst. Anyway i find the film boring. But its a proper film with a story and everything which makes a film. So its #5.

6. Amazing Spider-man 2: Its nonsensical and hurts my intelligence. And it just does not know what to do. Something happens and something happens next. And nothing makes sense. Its almost painful watching something which has so much potential dropping the ball so badly. Most actors are good. Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield are really enjoyable. A couple of scenes are pretty good. The first ten minutes were fun. The last 'fight' between Spider-man and Rhino is great. How wonderful is that slow motion scene! Among the best usage of slow mo action sequence in any comic book film. It looks real good but perhaps suffers from interconnected universe syndrome as the film is being sacrificed for the next films. I maybe a bit scathing in my opinion. But that's what i feel about it. It ends at #6.

[GhostPirate]

1. Spider-Man: Homecoming Easily the best Spider-Man movie ever, because it's the first Spider-Man movie that's actually good. Really gets what the character is about, and wisely uses Stark (even though I'm frankly tired of RDJ and his version of the character) and the high tech Spidersuit instead of re-re-rehashing the usual Uncle Ben dynamic. Also hands down the best villain portrayal we've seen in a Spider-man movie.

2. Spider-Man 1. Distant second and grossly overrated movie. Sloppy storytelling and a really clichéd villain, but elevated by some scene stealing performances out of JK Simmons and Dafoe. Growing up a huge Spider-Man fan and being someone who couldn't wait for this movie to hit theaters... I still left shaking my head at how much of a let-down this film was.

3. Spider-Man 2. Another sloppy, overrated mess of a movie with some good character work counter-acting a bad script and downright awful, hackneyed plot, mainly saved by Alfred Molina and (once again, recurring theme) JK Simmons.

4-6. SM 3, ASM, ASM2... not really worth breaking down individually because they were all so bad.

[SilverWarriorWolf]

1. Homecoming/Spider-Man 2 (Couldn't choose one over the other)
2. Spider-Man
3. Spider-Man 3 (Guilty pleasure)
4. Amazing Spider-Man 2
5. Amazing Spider-Man
6. The 1970's movie? (I need a 6th, and while I've never seen it, I hear it's BAAAAD!)

[WebLurker]

Cool, I love these things.

6. Amazing Spider-Man 2: It's a bad movie IMHO. None of the different plots have anything to do with the other and there are way too many of them. I was not that impressed with the characters in the previous movie and this one gave me zero reason to care either. It was fun while it lasted, but, at the end of the day, it's just a commercial for a movie series that never happened. I did happen to really like Sally Field's take on Aunt May and think she was criminally underused in this series.

5. Amazing Spider-Man 1: At best, it's a generic, by-the-numbers superhero movie with Spider-Man trappings. I really never liked this series take on the characters or mythology (revenge is not what made Peter become Spider-Man) and, in retrospect, it's a really pointless movie. There's no reason to pop this one in instead of the original 2002 one. If you're like me and love the Ultimate comics, there are some little touches you'd appreciate.)

4. Spider-Man 3: I'm actually one of those people who thinks this's a decent movie. It does have flaws to be sure -- the butler scene doesn't work, it's a little overstuffed, and the jazz club scenes are still painful. However, unlike ASM2, I think that SM3 navigates its too many plots a lot better; they all interconnect into a greater whole and tell a story that's resolved by the time the credits roll. I was still invested in the characters and cared about them from beginning to end (nice to see that they developed over the course of the series) and it had some pretty nifty scene composition (birth of Sandman is in a league of its own). Some re-writes could've made it a stronger movie, but I think Raimi hit a lot more than he missed in trying to juggle Sony's demands and as an accidental end to the original trilogy, it works quite fine and provides enough closure that we could let this story go.

3. Spider-Man: Homecoming: Bright, fun, with the best Spidey since Maguire and a rare compelling villain in the Vulture, it was a decent MCU movie and a solid start for Spidey. However, it lacks a weight that some of its predecessors had, so I'm not sure how well it'll age. On the other hand, there is a place for fun Spidey alongside the drama, so I can't wait to see where things go from here.

2. Spider-Man 1: This one got everything right in terms of cast and story and I think that overcomes the aging effects and some of the cheesier elements that don't work that well anymore. It's a perfect primmer for the mythos. You could show this one a newbie and they'd have a solid understanding of the character irregardless of what other Spidey stuff they want to read or see next. I also think that in some ways, its the one movie of the series that holds up for repeated viewing the best. Everything just works effortlessly. Also, no movie will ever outdo JK Simmons's wonderful take on J. Jonah Jameson.

1. Spider-Man 2: A popular opinion as the best and I agree. It developed the characters further (making the main story focus on Peter, not Spidey, was a good call), has one of the best villains in the series, and makes good use of Jameson, and has a fantastic train battle. I will concede that the movie is less satisfying than its predecessor when taken in a vacuum and doesn't seem quite as evergreen in terms of frequent repeated viewing, but it was still the right movie to make as a sequel and cracked the code to making an overall better film both as a followup and on its own merits.

(In regards to the Raimi movies overall, I seem to be in the small camp that thinks the series' version of Mary Jane is a significantly underrated character in terms of story arc; I don't think there are that many other love interest characters in the genre that can claim to be given material that develops their character as their own character and not just their role as the girlfriend, which is more than can be said for Emma Stone's Gwen, easily one of the flattest such characters ever created. Mileage may vary, of course, but I've always found it interesting that one is well-liked and the other is not, despite the case that can be made that it should be flipped.)

[Scarlet Spider-Man]

1) Spider-Man 2
2) Spider-Man
3) Spider-Man: Homecoming
4) Spider-Man 3
5) Amazing Spider-Man 2
6) Amazing Spider-Man

ASM is probably a slightly better movie than ASM 2 overall, but it's the most boring of all the Spider-Man films. Emma Stone is the only saving grace in either of them.

[Smoov-E]

1) Spider-Man: Homecoming
2) Amazing Spider-Man
3) Spider-Man 3
4) Amazing Spider-Man 2
5) Spider-Man 2
6) Spider-Man

[Rob London]

1. Spider-Man: Homecoming. It's the Spider-Man movie that feels the Spider-Manniest to me - it's hapless teen Peter Parker against the Vulture, a criminal who doesn't have any greater ambitions that stealing stuff to make money. Holland is the only actor so far to pull off Peter Parker and Spider-Man, and as his opposite number, Michael Keaton is excellent. The supporting cast is uniformly great, there are some fantastic action setpieces, and I get a great sense of place from it.

2. Spider-Man. Raimi really does a good job of making the first Spider-Man movie you want - it's very Lee/Ditko/Romita, somewhat awkwardly shoehorned into 2002. I'm not sold on Maguire as a Spider-Man - he's really bad at quips - but he's a fine Peter Parker. Willem Dafoe is great whenever he's on the screen, James Franco and Kirsten Dunst are good (especially the latter, which I didn't appreciate until a recent rewatch), and JK Simmons will remain the canonical J. Jonah Jameson forever, basically.

3. Spider-Man 2. This one is neck-and-neck with SM1 - I think I slightly prefer the goofiness of the first movie, but this is really a 2a/2b situation.

4. Amazing Spider-Man. It's fine. Garfield is a good Spider-Man, but he's not a great Peter Parker. Emma Stone and Denis Leary make up a great supporting cast, and Rhys Ifans is a serviceable Lizard (although man, I bet it's awkward when he bumps into Dylan Baker at the deli). It's different from the Raimi movies, but not really that different - it really makes you wonder why they bothered rebooting the franchise.

5. Spider-Man 3. It has its moments - the birth of Sandman scene is a moment of lyrical beauty in a summer blockbuster, and I really like Topher Grace's take on Eddie Brock, and I'm even kind of okay with the idea of the symbiote's corrupting influence making Peter into a hilarious tool. But this movie is overstuffed and subsequently doesn't give enough time to any of the new characters crammed into it - quick, who remembers what James Cromwell's Captain Stacy even does in this movie? The Harry Osborn plot that the first two movies set up goes off in five different directions (Amnesia? Seriously?) and none of them work - and that New Goblin costume looks ridiculous.

6. Amazing Spider-Man 2. Yikes, this is a mess. Emma Stone is still a note-perfect Gwen Stacy, and I honestly kinda dig Paul Giamatti's cartoonish accent and Electro's ridiculous dubstep leitmotif, but there's just so much that doesn't work here. Peter Parker is a creep, none of the Harry Osborn plot works (and the Goblin costume/makeup is terrible), and why are you giving Aunt May a subplot in this already bloated mess of a movie? And don't open your movie with ANOTHER scene of Peter Parker's parents - nobody cares about Peter Parker's parents! I'm watching a Spider-Man movie!

[godisawesome]

Part of the reason I rank both Amazing movies over SM3 is because there's no single moment featuring our protagonist acting as stupidly annoying as Emo!Peter at the jazz bar. Electro as a nerd before changing can be pretty close, but at least he's only antagonistic. Biggest problem with that choice was it clearly wasn't needed; Fox plays the character dead serious after getting his powers, and what little bit of jealousy they gave him with that backstory doesn't come up after their first fight.

Homecoming feels to me like it's the only one that really gets the tone of Spider-man beyond him being a butt-monkey for the Galaxy, but both of Raimi's top films seem to have a better grasp of tension in their finales.

[The Whovian]

1. Spider-Man 2----Fantastic movie. And it doesn't hurt that Doc Ock is the main villain and my all time favorite Spidey villain.

2. Spider-Man Homecoming---Holland looks like he's going to be the best Peter Parker.

3. Spider-Man 3----Sandman and Venom. What more could you want?

4. Spider-Man 1----A good movie, but I can't stand William Dafoe, so he kind of took away some of the coolness of the movie. Had someone else played GG, it would be ranked higher.

The next two are on a tier below the first four movies.

5. Amazing Spider-Man 1

6. Amazing Spider-Man 2

If I can include Holland from Civil War, I would rank it right after Spider-Man 3, but above Spider-Man 1

[godisawesome]

Current rankings:

1st place: Spider-Man 2 (score: 1.9)
2nd place: Spider-Man (score: 2.0)
3rd place: Spider-Man Homecoming (score: 3.2)
4th place: Amazing Spider-Man (score: 4.1)
5th place: Spider-Man 3 (score: 4.6)
6th place: Amazing Spider-Man 2 (score: 5.2)

Biggest thing I notice is how the first two Raimi movies are neck and neck; it seems there's no real quality drop off between them... Unlike once you drop below the third place Homecoming, where there is some small distance between the three bottom rankings.