We’ve been through a whole lot of Spider-Man in the past couple decades, from the Tobey Maguire years to Tom Holland in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to, now, a big-screen animated pic focused on Miles Morales and a whole bunch of other Spider-People. So how does this new animated version of Spidey stack up with the previous flicks?
7. “The Amazing Spider-Man”
The first attempt to reboot the series after the Sam Raimi version of “Spider-Man” is easily the worst Spidey film because it’s just so irritating to watch. It’s one thing to be bad, and it’s something else entirely to be annoying.
6. “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”
Unlike its predecessor, Marc Webb’s second failed attempt to make a coherent “Spider-Man” movie at least had the decency to be amusing thanks to the decision to have an unhinged, glowing Jamie Foxx as the main villain.
5. “Spider-Man 3”
In contrast to the more cynical failures of the “Amazing Spider-Man” movies, Raimi’s last go-around maintained a beating heart even while it was severely hampered by somebody’s need to shove a million villains in at once. The dance number alone makes it more interesting than nearly any other bad superhero movie.
4. “Spider-Man”
A lot of the early movies in the modern age of superhero blockbusters were very novel and exciting at the time but ended up feeling pretty mundane next to more recent ones, and the original “Spider-Man” movie is definitely one of those. It’s fine. Solid.
3. “Spider-Man: Homecoming”
The storytelling suffers a bit upon reflection, but it’s delightful and works so well as a comedy that it’s hard to complain too much.
2. “Spider-Man 2”
If you look back at every comic book movie ever made, you’re not going to find a whole lot that feel totally complete on their own. But “Spider-Man 2” is definitely one of them. It’s not just a great superhero movie — it’s a great movie, period.
1. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”
While “Spider-Man 2” might have made me cry, “Into the Spider-Verse” made me weep. It also proved once and for all that Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is the superior Spider-Man to Peter Parker.
