Critics tend to review movies on their opening weekend, but it’s difficult to judge a movie accurately on the first viewing. The true test of a film’s greatness is whether it can be rewatched countless times and never get old. Timeless gems like Raiders of the Lost Ark can be enjoyed again and again, but some movies run out of steam on the first go-around.
Comic book fans love their favorite superheroes so much that they’ll watch any movie featuring those characters over and over again. A Spider-Man fan will still watch a bad Spider-Man movie dozens of times – but it helps if the movie is good.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Superhero origin movies are inherently less rewatchable than sequels that can jump straight into the action. On top of that, Marc Webb’s Sam Raimi’s definitive version of Spidey’s origin story, which was released just a decade earlier.
This less-than-amazing reboot adds new elements that feel completely unnecessary, like a conspiracy surrounding Peter’s parents’ deaths and their scientific research into spiders. The film’s dark, gritty tone, inspired by Batman Begins, doesn’t suit the character at all.
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Raimi’s last Spider-Man movie (for now), Spider-Man 3, is one of the most controversial blockbusters ever made. There’s a lot to love in the threequel, like some dazzling action sequences. The Sandman’s villainous role did the unthinkable and made Uncle Ben’s killer sympathetic. Flint Marko is humanized with an understandable motivation: to pay for his terminally ill daughter’s treatments.
But there’s a lot about the movie that doesn’t work at all, especially after the symbiotes turn Peter into a dancing emo jerk. There are too many long, cringeworthy parts of Spider-Man 3 for the movie to be revisited as often as the other films in the Raimi trilogy.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
As a sequel that jumps straight into the action, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is more rewatchable than its predecessor. This movie has a lighter tone that suits the character much better than the grit of the first film. The brighter red and blue tones of Spidey’s new costume splashed over into the color palette of the entire movie.
But it’s still not a movie that warrants many viewings. It makes all the same mistakes as Spider-Man 3 with too many underdeveloped villains and a bloated runtime. On the plus side, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 builds to an unforgettable ending – the death of Gwen Stacy – that ends the movie on a subversive, Empire Strikes Back-style downer note.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
It’s a testament to how great the MCU’s EuroTrip comedy works wonders.
This tone marked a refreshing change of pace after the enormity of Mysterio is an unforgettable baddie; Jake Gyllenhaal has a lot of fun hamming it up and the character’s illusions are a masterclass in visual effects featuring some of the best CGI in the MCU.
Spider-Man (2002)
Superhero origin movies might be inherently unrewatchable, but as far as origin movies go, Raimi’s original Spider-Man film is pretty darn rewatchable. It’s one of the few exceptions to the rule: a masterfully crafted, perfectly paced, definitive take on the Spider-Man myth.
2002’s Spider-Man hits all the right notes. It’s one of the most influential and groundbreaking superhero movies ever made and it still holds up today. The first act is all about an awkward teenager struggling to socialize with his classmates, but there’s plenty of Spidey action later on.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Jon Watts’ first of three MCU Spider-Man movies, Homecoming, reinvented the franchise with a fresh tone. It’s a John Hughes high school comedy that occasionally takes a break for some superhero action.
Like Matt Reeves’ recent Batman reboot, Watts’ Spidey revamp mercifully skips past the character’s familiar origin story and instead charts a different kind of origin. The Vulture’s identity reveal gives the movie a jaw-dropping twist. Even when audiences can see it coming, the rug-pull makes a big impact.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Spidey’s most recent big-screen outing, Spider-Man: No Way Home, is a lot of movie. It picks up where Far From Home left off with the Daily Bugle revealing Spidey’s secret identity to the world. No Way Home hits the ground running with a rapid pace and maintains that momentum. There’s a slight lull in the middle when Peter is cooking up cures for all the villains’ mental disorders, but that’s when Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield show up.
The multiversal threequel builds to a perfect bittersweet ending. All the payoffs and heartbreaking anticlimaxes are painfully earned, and cut deep every time. Spidey doesn’t win the final battle by being the most powerful warrior on the battlefield; he wins by making a sacrifice that costs him everything.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
what it really means to be Spider-Man.
A few standout sequences mean this movie will never get old: the Doc Ock transformation scene ripped straight from a horror movie; Aunt May’s “I believe there’s a hero in all of us” speech; and the train scene, which perfectly encapsulates the character.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)
The first Spider-Man movie to win an Academy Award, Into the Spider-Verse, is a masterpiece. Its story is compelling, its characters are richly drawn, and its animation is truly beautiful. Watching this movie feels like flicking through the pages of a comic book.
Every frame is packed with details to pick up on rewatches. Into the Spider-Verse avoids the usual pitfalls of origin stories by surrounding a newly spider-powered Miles Morales with a bunch of multiversal Spider-Men whose origins have already taken place.
