Comparing the Original Spider-Man Trilogy to the Original X-Men Trilogy

[The Overlord]

I thought it would be fun to compare the original X-Men trilogy with the original X-Men trilogy, both on an individual and overall level:

1. Which did you prefer, the first X-Men film or the first Spider-Man film?

2. Which did you prefer, X-2 or Spider-Man 2?

3. Which did you prefer, X-Men the Last Stand or Spider-Man 3?

4. Finally, what is the better trilogy?

 

[Ivan Drago]

1. The first Spider-Man is my favorite Spider-Man movie, so I prefer it to x-men 1.

2. I prefer x-men 2 over Spider-Man 2, I've never been crazy about Spider-Man 2.

3. This one is a tie, but I might prefer X3 because it has Kelsey Grammer as beast, who is just perfect. Ellen page as kitty pryde is good too.

4. I dunno. Spider-Man 1 is my favorite out of all these movies, but the x-men trilogy is better for me overall.

 

[Mandon Knight]

1. Which did you prefer, the first X-Men film or the first Spider-Man film?

First Spider-Man

2. Which did you prefer, X-2 or Spider-Man 2?

Spider Man 2 (not much in it though to be fair)

3. Which did you prefer, X-Men the Last Stand or Spider-Man 3?

Spider-Man 3

4. Finally, what is the better trilogy?

Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy

 

[The Joker]

1. First Spider-Man
2. Spider-Man 2
3. Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy

 

[ehh]

1. Spider-Man 1
2. Spider-Man 2
3. Spider-Man 3

Raimi's Trilogy.

 

[Fincher]

X-Men all the way.

 

[ehh]

I found the first X-Men film to be very dry and boring, and I only saw it because it was a comic book movie. Spider-Man (2002) made a huge impact on me that has lasted to this day.

X2 was good, but I thought SM2 was a lot better and memorable. As for the third films, both suffered, but I can find myself sitting and watching SM3 and enjoying it.

 

[First Avenger]

Spider-Man all the answers.

 

[ehh]

This thread needs a poll.

 

[TeeKay]

Spider-Man all the way.

 

[ripse]

1. Spider-Man

2. Spider-Man 2

3. Spider-Man 3

4. Spidey Trilogy

 

[Godzillasaurus]

Spiderman all the way! I hated the first few X-Men films (the new trilogy was improved, but I still found it short of a satisfying watch)

The Raimi Spiderman films will always have a place in my heart

 

[FeedOnATreeFrog]

Both trilogies on the whole have a special place in my heart, and despite their flaws, I like them more than pretty much all subsequent Marvel movies (all Fox, Sony, and MCU movies).

 

[Patchwork Man]

Spider-Man, easily. The first two movies were "amazing" theatrical experiences.

X-Men is overrated, and X-3 is a pile of dung. First Class got it right...and then Bryan Singer resumed his "directorship."

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

1. Spider-Man
2. Spider-Man 2
3. Spider-Man 3
4. Spider-Man Trilogy

It really isn't even very close. X-Men 1 hasn't aged well and feels more like a television pilot than a complete movie (basically they introduce the characters and then immediately rush off to the final battle). X2 is really good, but Spider-Man 2 is still probably the standard for colorful, comic book action (as opposed to something like Nolan). SM3 had problems, but it was still significantly better than X-Men 3 which was almost vindictive in the way it took a chainsaw to the franchise and these characters.

 

[The Batman]

A Clean sweep for Spider-Man.

X-Men has been an overall better franchise, though.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

A Clean sweep for Spider-Man.

X-Men has been an overall better franchise, though.

If we were comparing with the X-Men First Class Trilogy (FC, DOFP, and Apocalypse), I'd probably still pick the Raimi Trilogy, but I'd at least have to think about it. It would mostly be on the strength of SM2, which I think is the best film from either franchise.

 

[The Batman]

I just think the X-Franchise has more good films than the Spidey one. Spidey has two good movies. The X-men, depending on the view, have anywhere from 3 to 6 good movies.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

I just think the X-Franchise has more good films than the Spidey one. Spidey has two good movies. The X-men, depending on the view, have anywhere from 3 to 6 good movies.

You're not wrong.

I also don't think X-Men has had a movie as bad as TASM2. Even X-Men Origins was better.

 

[Random490]

I'm surprised I'm in the minority but I find Spider-man 3 far worse than X-men 3. Granted they're both terrible in their own right but at least X-men 3 has it's reasons. Fox pushed out Singer and replaced him with a good director who left the project a month or two before filming and got a mediocre director to step in, rewrote the script, and refused to push the premiere date to accommodate, wrote Cyclops out (whose relationship with Jean should have been the heart of the film) because Mardsen signed on for Superman Returns, etc. So the fact it came out terrible wasn't a shocker to anyone.

But Spider-man 3 had the same director and the same cast and all the promise in the world. Say what you want for last stand but at least it didn't have emo-Tobey Maguire doing the saturday night strut, crying, and smacking his girlfriends who gets kidnapped AGAIN. I when into X-men 3 pretty much just hoping it would tolerable. I went into Spider-man expecting it to be great, even if it didn't hold up to the second I would have been happy. But when I walked out of that theater... man that night sucked.

I really hate that movie. Rant over.

 

[Drizzle]

I think Raimi's trilogy beats the first X-Men trilogy easily. X2 is great but to me it doesn't hold a candle to Spider-Man 2.

 

[Flint Marko]

The X-men franchise, the original trilogy in particular, will forever go down as the most overrated superhero series in my mind. Spider-man all the way, and it isn't even a competition.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Clean sweep for X-men.

Regarding SM1-SM3: I can't stand the actors, tongue-in-cheek tone, organics, lack of quips, redundant kidnapping of MJ, corny romantic roller coaster, Venom/Dr. Ock/Green Goblin 2's depiction, etc

Civil War's brief scenes with Spider-man, on the other hand, were a homerun by comparison.

I loved every second.

As for X-men, the only film from the trilogy I admire and rank highly is X2. But that's more than I can say for the Spider-man trilogy which is 0 for 3.

 

[NotNickFury]

This is a tough one because for me, it really comes down to the third film being the tie-breaker, as I consider both X-Men and Spider Man 1 set-up films to much superior films in X-2 and Spider-Man 2.

Of the two, I would probably give a slight edge to Spider-Man for reasons that have plagued other superhero films, particularly trilogies. Think about it: Blade Trinity, Batman Forever, Turtles III, Superman III...they all have a vastly different tone change.

But I can't say that Spider-Man 3 feels tonally all that different from 1 and 2, partly because Raimi directed all three, compared to Brett Ratner taking over for Bryan Singer, and the only changes were new characters. It's got its flaws. Heck, just near every third in a superhero franchise, even the good ones like Civil War, seem to have issues being better than the second and often best in the series, depending on the character. Spider-Man 3, while flawed, feels more consistent with the franchise compared to X-Men: The Last Stand.

 

[Darepool]

Spider-Man trilogy, but X2 and SM2 are both masterpieces imho.

I agree with MessiahDecoy though that the 10 minutes of Spidey in CW it the greatest representation of the character so far on screen. Perfect balance of humor and youthful exuberance.