What makes your list of the best Spider-Man movies? Before we get into our list, let’s get into what makes Spider-Man tick? The first thing is the relatability. We all have been teenagers, we all have had teenage problems, and have been clueless about tackling them. Spider-Man offers a great escape, and an alternate reality we would have loved to be a part of.
On the eve of the Spider-Man: Far From Home India release, swinging your way is my take on the best Spidey movies so far, what worked, what didn’t, which actor has immortalized Spider-Man for generations, the best Spidey villains, the cute screaming Mary Jane Watson, growing up blues, parallel universes and other Spidey threads and webs.
Tom Holland may fit hand-in-web playing the bumbling, cell-phone wielding, fast-talking contemporary teenage Peter Parker/Spider-Man, but the easy vulnerability, liquid fluency and courage-under-fire touches that Tobey Maguire bought to the part are still unmatched.
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man has all the comic book flourishes that splash with brilliant vivacity on screen. Elaborate action sequences add to the flourish, as does a fiendish, vintage wolf-grin villain in William Dafoe as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin.
A relatable girl-next-door act by Kirsten Dunst, an amazing, uncanny portrayal of J. Jonah Jameson, Daily Bugle editor by a brilliant J.K. Simmons (a mind-blowing performance never spoken about), and a young, raw James Franco as Harry Osborn add to a fresh dash of a fun superhero movie for kids and adults alike.
Homecoming is the least ambitious of my favourite Spidey flicks in terms of plot and novelty. But Watts gets the bumbling, stumbling teenage Peter Parker tone bullseye right, allowing us space to get used to Tom Holland’s character gradually learning things like all teens do, by making him do zillions of mistakes. Audience connect was thus restored and Spidey was back with a Tony Stark-gifted super suit, hotter-younger (?!!) Aunt May, a fat friend-sidekick and a not-yet-screaming-for-help MJ in tow, nerd-neighbourly and definitely friendly.
