All 6 Spider-Man movies, ranked from worst to best

3. Spider-Man

The original 2002 film is the motion picture that redefined the summer blockbuster and that arguably kicked off the comic–book/superhero boom that still continues to this day.

Most know the story, senior high–school student, Peter Parker (Maguire), adopted by his Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) and Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) was bitten by a genetically–modified spider and gained the abilities of the arachnid. After a thief (Michael Papajohn) murdered Uncle Ben during a carjacking, Parker took on the message of “With great power comes great responsibility,” and became the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Although Raimi’s visuals have not aged well, this has made the top three spot for a number of reasons. There are many key aspects within this movie that still earns huge place in welcoming and celebrating this genre in modern cinema and as part of the series as a whole. The director reigned in the camp and innocence while scribe, David Koepp, structured the origin story in such a way that made the picture significant and impactful to others.

The performances from the likes of the cast are too much to name, but Maguire brought the social-outcast and eventful hero of the titular character to home, as well as the snarky, arrogant and headmaster role of J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson. Above most, Willem Dafoe nailed the dual personas of Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin to its heights, a role just as menacing as Hugo Weaving’s Agent Smith in The Matrix.

The downer parts of the film was of course some of the costume design, editing between transitions and Maguire not quite able to marry Parker and Spidey as one together. A favorite line of mine was when Green Goblin uttered in cynic swoon, “Can Spider-Man come out to play?”