2. Spider-Man (2002)
This is the film that kicked off Spider-Man on the big screen and it did so in great fashion. It is a lot of fun to watch the origin of Spider-Man play out as he gains his powers and we see him transition from nerdy high schooler to superhero. Maguire plays Peter Parker very well and he is a good Spider-Man, although I like Garfield’s portrayal of Spider-Man better. Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin is great and one of the better villains from this series. The action sequences are well done and the special effects look great. There are a couple things that don’t work such as the wrestling match with Macho Man, and Kirsten Dunst isn’t great as Mary Jane. Despite some flaws here and there it is an extremely fun film and one of the pioneers of the comic book movie genre.
Originally published May 19, 2014. Updated April 15, 2018.
