Spider-Man 2 is still the best Spider-Man movie, and one of the best CBMs.

[LvtLeeTDK]

Rewatching it today. I haven't watch the second one for a long time, while the first one is frequently on TV so I watched them often. And it's definitely my favorite CBM alongside Endgame, TDK and Spider-Verse

I have to say I miss the older style of superhero movies. They just got so much heart in them. Especially Spider-Man 2. This movie still holds up after nearly 20 years. The story is extremely relatable and heartwarming, the acting is amazing, the action sequences are breathtaking and the CGI is incredible even for today standard, the score is epic, and we got a great villain even with limited onscreen time.

Don't get me wrong, I still like today's superhero movies. They're cool and I teared up in Endgame. But for me, they lack heart compared to the older ones. Especially Spider-Man. MCU's Spider-Man is good, I enjoyed Homecoming and Far From Home immersely, it's just that there's something lacking in these 2 movies, and I also don't like that they focus to much on the Iron Man's character. While they're extremely consistent and entertaining, and of course, more comic accurate, Raimi's Spider-Man movies are just much more emotional, relatable and make us care about the characters. The goosebumps when Peter get back his strength, the moment when MJ realises Peter is Spider-Man, aunt May's speech, raindrops keep falling on my head sequence, etc. they just give me a feeling of satisfication.

Unpopular opinion, but I think Batman and Spider-Man, two favorite superheroes of mine, works better as standalone films compared to a shared universe.

 

[Drizzle]

Spider-Man 2 is still the best Spider-Man film for me as well. It's also one of the few CBMs from the early-mid 2000's that still holds up well today, along with the first Raimi film, X2, and Batman Begins.

Unpopular opinion, but I think Batman and Spider-Man, two favorite superheroes of mine, works better as standalone films compared to a shared universe.

They're my favorite superheroes as well, and I think a big reason for them working so well on their own is because Batman has the best villains in DC and Spider-Man has the best villains in Marvel. You can't beat those rogues galleries. Case in point, Joker grossed $1B without Batman even being in it and Venom made almost as much without even as much as a cameo from Spidey.

 

[Luigi]

 

[EnDz0n3]

Amen.

 

[psylockolussus]

It is stillthe best.

 

[Iceman]

Still my favourite but there hasn’t been that much competition. FFH is the only one that even tried to get close.

 

[Albright]

Never liked it much - I prefer the 1st one. I‘ll always remember the fun I had, when the webslinging action happened. Spidey discovering his abilities, Willem Defoe as Green Goblin, the end with Peter ditching MJ - this was something new, and was my favorite comic book movie until Iron Man (and probably Sin City)
I do like the MCU Spiderman movies more now. They‘re like summer vacations to watch

 

[Nardz937]

Spider-Man 2 is an all around masterclass. An absolutely perfect Spider-Man story that captures and displays everything that makes Peter Parker and Spider-Man a compelling character.

Unpopular opinion, but I think Batman and Spider-Man, two favorite superheroes of mine, works better as standalone films compared to a shared universe.

100%. I'm so happy the next Batman film is standalone and I anticipate the day we get a live-action Spider-Man movie again that actually just wants to be about telling a great Spider-Man story.

 

[LvtLeeTDK]

Still my favourite but there hasn’t been that much competition. FFH is the only one that even tried to get close.

I think Into the Spider-Verse comes really really close. MCU's Spider-Man movies are really good, I like them a a lot but they're purely for entertainment (it's not a bad thing though) and does not really have much heart. Spider-Man 2 and Into the Spider-Verse, apart from extremely entertaining, also have many moral lessons and deeper meanings that impress me.

 

[EnDz0n3]

Still my favourite but there hasn’t been that much competition. FFH is the only one that even tried to get close.

I actually prefer Homecoming to Far From Home.

 

[hellblazer103]

 

[Batmannerism]

I'm going to buck the trend here and say.....yawn.

Honestly, I found Spider Man 2 boring - is he going to keep being Spider Man ? Is he going to quit? By the time the film gets to the " Raindrops keep falling on my head" sequence I didn't give a ****. This particular version of Aunt May while more faithful to the comic, is a bit too sanctimonious for my liking and sends Pete a bunch of mixed messages.


There are some very good moments in the film ( like the train sequence and any bit with JK Simmons) but all in all I feel like it's massively overrated.

The idea that you could drown a miniature sun in a large body of water - without creating a massive cloud of superheated steam that would wipe out a big chunk of the city - was so dumb IMO that it is an even worse plot resolution than Superman turning back time.

I know a lot of people revere this film but it doesn't do much for me, and I actually prefer Spider Man 3, which has some really terrible bits in it but at least it isn't dull.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Spider-Man 2 is one of the best CBMs ever made. Period.

 

[LvtLeeTDK]

I'm going to buck the trend here and say.....yawn.

Honestly, I found Spider Man 2 boring - is he going to keep being Spider Man ? Is he going to quit? By the time the film gets to the " Raindrops keep falling on my head" sequence I didn't give a ****. This particular version of Aunt May while more faithful to the comic, is a bit too sanctimonious for my liking and sends Pete a bunch of mixed messages.

Actually this is exactly why I prefer Raimi’s Spider-Man movies to MCU’s. Yes they‘re goofy, but they have a lot of heart and a relaxing vibe that no other CBM has. Moreover, we get the chance to spend time with the character, not the hero but the normal identity of him, hence it’s different. Most CBMs focus extensively on the hero part and the cool stuffs.

 

[Drizzle]

I actually prefer Homecoming to Far From Home.

To me they're almost equal but what gives Homecoming the edge is the scene where Peter escapes the rubble, Jennifer Connelly as Karen (I have no idea why she wasn't in Far From Home), and the general reason that it takes place in New York for the majority of the film. Spider-Man outside of NYC can still be fun but it just isn't the same.

 

[Gothamsknight]

Spider-Man 2 is one of the best comic book movies ever at #2 for me right under TDK. As much as i enjoy the MCU, I think Spider-Man 2 shows that their was a pulse behind those films, as opposed to the MCU which, while obviously passionately made, can sometimes feel manufactured. The Raimi films have a charm to them, and a directors stamp, which is something i feel modern Marvel films sorely lack. I was rewatching Spider-Man 2 myself the other day, and man, It still hits me just like it did back in 2004. Films like that stand the test of time, just as TDK does.

I also think Raimis love for the source material shines through way way way more than the MCU version does. While Raimi took liberties with things such as the webshooters, he was able to retain the heart and soul of the character and his surrounding world. When you watch Spider-Man 2, and even the first film for that matter, you can feel the comic book influence in there combined with Raimis insanely talented storytelling. All in all, Spider-Man 2 is an example of what happens when a talented director, who loves the source material, is given creative freedom to bring something to life. an absolute classic in every sense and still in my mind, to this day, the best Marvel film ever made and of the greatest CBM's of all time by far.

 

[LvtLeeTDK]

I’d like to add that I absolutely love Spider-Man 3 too lmao.
I often see people **** on SM3 and Cap: TFA, but I really really like those 2 movies. Maybe because I like Raimi’s style and TFA has a similar tone.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I have defended Spider-Man 3 since it came out. Is it perfect? Heck no. Is there dumb stuff in there? Heck yes. But, the film also at times recaptured that magic SM1 and SM2 had. It has some of the best isolated moments in the entire trilogy mixed in there. I also don't hate Symbiote Parker nearly as much as others. It's cringe worthy, but it's meant to be! Parker isn't supposed to be cool in the movie and we the audience want him to stop wearing the suit. It works for me (mostly.... the dancing in the jazz club was a bit too far).

 

[Spidey_62]

I think we're lucky as Spider-Man fans to have a few films some can toss around in the same conversation as being the best. I'm in the camp that also says Spider-Man 2 is still the best, it's one of my favorite films personally (honestly my favorite movie haha). I think the thing is SM2 and Spider-Verse both have the most potent stories and strongest thematic value that get across why the character is important to so many people in two unique ways. At the end of the day I love SM2 the most because to me it's a love-letter to classic Spider-Man stories of the 60s. It was always clear that period was the closest to Raimi's heart and I love him for it.

The movie (and SM1 as well, definitely) feels like Lee/Ditko/Romita Spider-Man comics in live action un-apologetically full of heart and humor. But further than that it takes great care to focus on the themes present in those stories and just make a great movie out of the big ideas that made Peter Parker so enduring for decades.

That's the thing is while the Raimi movies had a bit of Ultimate influence (MJ and Harry being so present at the start), they felt like the distillation of the core important Spider-Man ideas in a vacuum, contained perfectly in 2 hour chunks. Do you really need him having a romance with Betty Brant or Gwen Stacy first and Gwen Stacy dying, or a giant universe of interconnected tangential Spider-Man characters, or wider Marvel universe connections all to form a big tapestry? I don't think so, all you need is a solid story that gets to the meat and potatoes. I respect that Sony was trying to do this with the Amazing franchise but they were so misguided in their attempt at franchise building because getting to Gwen dying almost felt like an afterthought, like "if we do that then it will legitimize everything else more." Hollow.

I feel like since the Raimi movies did those big Spidey trappings so well nobody else wants to try them for fear of retreading the same ground or desire to modernize things. Nobody else wants to put Peter back at the classic status quo working for the Bugle for any movies since (the TASM2 shoutout was pretty lame), nobody wants to do newspaper publisher JJJ again because it's 2020, nobody wants to even mention Uncle Ben again (big points to Spider-Verse for doing the right thing and showing that importance to all the heroes).

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Into the Spider-verse is my fave with FFH coming in second.

Never liked the Dunst/Maguire movies.

 

[EnDz0n3]

I still remember my screening for Spidey 3, the audience was so into it. Ooooh-ing when it was looking like MJ would cheat on Peter with Harry, and then the entire theatre turning on a dime on Harry when his ulterior motives were let out.

That's the thing with watching a movie like this that has seemingly captured its audiences' attention: It makes the movie much, much better. I still don't hate this movie as much as most people. I can see why people hated it though, and can see the dip in quality relative to the first two.

Coincidentally, the audience at my theatre screening of X-men: First Class seemed to have hated the movie as soon as Kevin Bacon showed up, and I still remember these two guys in front of us looking at each other every time some dumb thing was happening on screen (seemed like every other scene) which I found myself agreeing. To this day, I still...don't like...that movie that much.

 

[Wheels]

Raimi's Spider-Man films feel more grandiose in nature which I prefer but I do like the MCU films a lot. They're just too small for my personal taste, too light and airy. Still very enjoyable for what they are but I need the angsty melodrama with my light-heartedness to really feel like Spider-Man. The set pieces are just better in the Raimi films too. Tom Holland is the best Spider-Man though no doubt. My problem with MCU Spidey films is they're just side tangents and a breather of sorts. Which is less than ideal for your most popular character. I want more Iron Man 3 and a little less of the Ant-Man vibes. I would say I want Spider-Man's Winter Soldier but Iron Man 3 is a better comparison because there's like no one involved but Iron Man characters.

 

[Mandon Knight]

First of the three, for me, is still the best.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Both Spiderman 1 and 2 are still 2 of the best Marvel CBMs for me, but 2 especially had a big impact on me as I lost my uncle to cancer in 2004 who I was quite close too.

So the Uncle Ben stuff really hit with me in Spidey 2. I got the trilogy on 4K earlier this year and they still stand up so well. They have plenty of humour, but so much heart and emotion in them which the MCU lacks a bit for me. You so rooted for Peter as well and they got the tragic aspect of Spidey absolutely spot on.

 

[LvtLeeTDK]

Both Spiderman 1 and 2 are still 2 of the best Marvel CBMs for me, but 2 especially had a big impact on me as I lost my uncle to cancer in 2004 who I was quite close too.

So the Uncle Ben stuff really hit with me in Spidey 2. I got the trilogy on 4K earlier this year and they still stand up so well. They have plenty of humour, but so much heart and emotion in them which the MCU lacks a bit for me. You so rooted for Peter as well and they got the tragic aspect of Spidey absolutely spot on.

Sorry to hear about your uncle.

The bold part is spot on. The MCU's Spider-Man are extremely well done movies, but I really don't care for Spider-Man or any character that much. I don't like the excessive involvement of Iron Man's character in Spidey's story.

I rooted for Raimi's Spider-Man so much. The part where he drop the glasses and realised his power is back, while somewhat cheesy and goofy, is extremely emotional for me. It gave me goosebumps.