No Way Home The Road To No Way Home: The Previous Spider-Man Movies Rewatch Thread

[Shikamaru]

So I recently rewatched all of them.

I think one problem all the live-action films have, and this is part of why I find them all lacking in one way or another, is that every reboot since Raimi has been reactionary to the previous films.

First you had the TASM films which were reactionary to the Raimi films and made all sorts of awkward decisions to differentiate themselves. Then MCU Spider-Man took that to the next level by being reactionary to everything preceeding it and making something that is not Spider-Man at all.

It's frustrating to think about because it means a director/writer can't just come in and do a 'conventional' Spider-Man story without constantly reflecting on whether it's too different or similar to what came before.

It also seems to be a problem unique to only the Spider-Man films. Spider-Man in other mediums doesn't have this problem. The Insomniac games for example weren't this meta-aware of the PS1 Spider-Man game (or the games after that) in the way that these movies seem to be.

Nor do other superhero franchises suffer from this problem. Nolan, Snyder, and Reeves were all able to do their own take on Batman within a short amount of time without constantly overthinking about what their predecessors did. Without one of those versions existing, the other versions would more-or-less be the same. Spider-Man films don't seem to have this luxury.

Watts' comment about this being Spider-Man: Endgame makes a lot of sense if you watch all these films back-to-back. It weirdly does feel like one big Saga to the viewer, even though it wasn't planned that way and is actually a bunch of separate takes on one character.

Honestly, maybe this is what the franchise needs to be able to move forward. Maybe bringing the best elements from each film and using the Spider-Verse concept to tie everything up is how you get to a place where these films stop being reactionary and get Spider-Man to a better place.

 

[spiderman2]

watched into the spider verse tonight now just got the 2 mcu spiderman movies to watch again.

 

[The Caped Knight]

 

[JubJub86]

Those are ridiculously cool.

 

[Shikamaru]

Those are so cool.

I love how creative they are being by either remaking a classic cover or doing their own.

I hope we get one for each film.

 

[TeeKay]

So I recently rewatched all of them.

I think one problem all the live-action films have, and this is part of why I find them all lacking in one way or another, is that every reboot since Raimi has been reactionary to the previous films.

First you had the TASM films which were reactionary to the Raimi films and made all sorts of awkward decisions to differentiate themselves. Then MCU Spider-Man took that to the next level by being reactionary to everything preceeding it and making something that is not Spider-Man at all.

It's frustrating to think about because it means a director/writer can't just come in and do a 'conventional' Spider-Man story without constantly reflecting on whether it's too different or similar to what came before.

It also seems to be a problem unique to only the Spider-Man films. Spider-Man in other mediums doesn't have this problem. The Insomniac games for example weren't this meta-aware of the PS1 Spider-Man game (or the games after that) in the way that these movies seem to be.

Nor do other superhero franchises suffer from this problem. Nolan, Snyder, and Reeves were all able to do their own take on Batman within a short amount of time without constantly overthinking about what their predecessors did. Without one of those versions existing, the other versions would more-or-less be the same. Spider-Man films don't seem to have this luxury.

Watts' comment about this being Spider-Man: Endgame makes a lot of sense if you watch all these films back-to-back. It weirdly does feel like one big Saga to the viewer, even though it wasn't planned that way and is actually a bunch of separate takes on one character.

Honestly, maybe this is what the franchise needs to be able to move forward. Maybe bringing the best elements from each film and using the Spider-Verse concept to tie everything up is how you get to a place where these films stop being reactionary and get Spider-Man to a better place.

 

[JubJub86]

Yep. Should have stuck with apeing Raimi's style.

Not even sarcastic. Hail Beelzebub.

 

[Arachnerd]

Sorry but I'm an atheist.

 

[Detective Conan]

Going to start my Spider-Man movie rewatch with Spider-Man(2002) today on Thanksgiving.

Which, in a twisted way, kind of is a Thanksgiving movie.

 

[Iceman]

Just marathoned the Raimi trilogy, and the Webb Duology.

Some thoughts on both.

The Raimi trilogy is ALMOST perfection. Sure, part 3 has it's short comings and head scratchers, but it still had me fixated on the tv, smiling from ear to ear. One of my favorite trilogies of all time.

As for the Webb movies... I love part 1! It has some slow moments in the beginning, and his suit is an eye sore, but besides that it's great. Part 2, as a whole, is pretty terrible. BUT, Garfield as Spidey is perfect! His quips, his body language, his swinging, all perfect! I'm honestly now more excited to have Garfield back, than Tobey.

Agree totally on all of this.

 

[Frodo]

A Look back.

 

[BobJM]

Love the Raimi trilogy, despite the stumble at the end with Spider-Man 3.

There’s a good movie in there, you just need to get through the odd bits. And I know people say that Avi Arad is the villain of the story but I don’t think Venom is the worst part of the movie—in fact, I think the inclusion of the symbiote enhances the themes Raimi originally pitched. Even casting Topher Grace as a cracked-mirror Peter Parker and deviating from the more classic 616 version worked in my opinion although, to be honest, a pre-Hawkeye Jeremy Renner would have been great casting in this instance. Villains like Venom or Two-Face in The Dark Knight can work even if they only appear in the third act. They just need proper support from a good script & actor’s performance.

The worst part would be Harry Osborn—he should not have started this film as New Goblin but instead have been acting as Sandman’s benefactor. He’s not going to kill Peter himself but he’ll use his father’s wealth and resources to seek revenge. By eliminating the Goblin appearance in Act 1, we lose the amnesia bit and now can provide an explanation for the late night sand particle test that transforms Flint Marko—it’s strictly off-the-books at an OsCorp black site. Osborn reveals he orchestrated Marko’s prison escape and can help his daughter if he kills Spider-Man for him.

Heck, Osborn could even be pulling more strings by planting/falsifying evidence that Flint Marko killed Uncle Ben knowing it’ll drive Peter mad—just like in the comics’ source material when Green Goblin (both the original & Harry) mess with Peter’s personal life after discovering his secret identity. For example, when Peter goes to visit Aunt May, Harry’s already sitting there in her kitchen “checking in on her” & catching up with her just to give Peter crazy eyes when her back is turned lol, etc.

• And bulk up the onscreen time for Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn just to show how much Harry is losing it—maybe the butler Bernard catches Harry speaking to himself in a mirror thinking it’s his father?

Instead of the opening Goblin fight, the film’s first action sequence instead sees Peter leaving his Central Park date with MJ to help guide a crashing space shuttle—which is being heroically piloted by John Jameson, in a minor role to provide further continuity with Spider-Man 2 and give JJJ something more to do then fumble over his medications— on the GW Bridge by swinging atop it and webbing the wings to glide them into a safe(ish) landing. It’s at the crash site that we first meet Captain George Stacy cordoning off the area with his police squad (with whom Spider-Man has a good relationship, tying back to the opening monologue, “the city’s safe”), along with Eddie Brock who is trying to get exclusive photos for The Bugle. The symbiote on the shuttle’s hull sticks to Spider-Man’s backpack as he swings home.

Gwen Stacy I think works too but the cheesy photo shoot/crane rescue was always a bit odd and, frankly, out of nowhere. Just sharpen up the writing for her character and maybe set it up that her and Peter are Connors’ graduate assistants rather than still in school. She’s very flirtatious with him but smart as a whip.

• The crane sequence is visually interesting but I’d prefer it be random bystanders that Spider-Man is saving after their apartment building is smashed—like in Iron Man 3 when Tony has to save multiple falling people from Air Force One. Show him as a true hero for all New Yorkers and why they’ve grown to love him since Spider-Man.
• Gwen, being the daughter of a prominent police captain, can still present Spider-Man with the key to the city when Sandman attacks in their first encounter.

In the end, MJ goes to Harry to help Peter—“we have to learn to forgive each other or everything we ever were will mean nothing.”

• It might be nice to see MJ confront her own past after falling out with Peter during his time donning the black suit and return home for closure with her abusive father. Give MJ some agency & take charge in her life—not being defined by the men in her life.

Harry dons his father’s battle-ravaged costume and glider from Spider-Man (in a style more similar to the new No Way Home look complete with a purple hood, googles, and additional tools/weapons to compensate for his lack of Goblin formula) to help Spider-Man defeat Venom and Sandman.

• Gwen Stacy is the hostage, as originally planned. Venom knows that Capt. Stacy will bring all of NYPD if his daughter’s in danger, and wants the whole city to see the fall of their beloved friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
• MJ, after encouraging Harry, also arrives on site and stands with the crowd of onlookers. She has her own heroic moment when she pushes Jameson out of the way from falling scaffolding. And she’s there when Harry sacrifices himself and dies in her and Peter’s arms.

And keep the deleted scene where Sandman’s daughter arrives to stop him but instead of drifting away, he turns himself in to the Captain Stacy and the police. (This puts him in jail where he can later meet Vulture if Raimi wanted to incorporate his original Spider-Man 3 pitch into a sequel down the road albeit reworked to include Sandman’s redemption).

• In the end, we see Peter watching Penny Marko and her mother from afar as they’re leaving a doctors appointment, all smiles to seemingly confirm a happy ending/good diagnosis for the young girl to end that plot thread on a happy note.

The movie would still be about fighting the darkness within and forgiveness but I think would have landed a bit better and handled its characters & story arcs in a more satisfying way. Raimi’s finale is still a fun time but doesn’t ever quite reach the heights that the first two entries of the trilogy did.

 

[spiderman2]

Just started re watching home coming so will only have far from home left to re watch after this that includes that I already watched into the spider verse again. Movie ratings from best to worst so far would be great if no way home can finally knock spiderman 2 of the top.

1. Spiderman 2
2. Far from home
3. Into the spider verse
4. Home coming
5. Amazing spiderman 2
6. Spiderman 1
7. Amazing spiderman
8. Spiderman 3

With home coming the whole Peter finding out that Liz dad is vulture part was and is still great was a big shock on first time watching it back when it first came out in 2017. Also Peter living her at the dance to stop Vulture was a very spiderman thing to do.

 

[ragingdemon155]

Just started re watching home coming so will only have far from home left to re watch after this that includes that I already watched into the spider verse again. Movie ratings from best to worst so far would be great if no way home can finally knock spiderman 2 of the top.

1. Spiderman 2
2. Far from home
3. Into the spider verse
4. Home coming
5. Amazing spiderman 2
6. Spiderman 1
7. Amazing spiderman
8. Spiderman 3

With home coming the whole Peter finding out that Liz dad is vulture part was and is still great was a big shock on first time watching it back when it first came out in 2017. Also Peter living her at the dance to stop Vulture was a very spiderman thing to do.

Michael Keaton saved Homecoming. The guy is just so damn good in the role. That scene of him talking to Peter in the car is so well done and intense.

Homecoming to me is just hard to get through. Have a hard time sitting and watching it because every sequence with Spider-Man on screen looks laughably horrible from a cgi standpoint. Completely disconnects me each time I try to watch the movie. It looks very much like a cartoon character acting next to real live actors like Roger Rabbit or Space Jam. Much preferred FFH over that movie. The characterization and attempts at humor just fall flat through out the movie to me as well.

Ironically enough, even though SM3 definitely had its issues….I actually prefer SM3 over HC.

 

[KaijuDude1992]

Coming from someone who just re-watched the Raimi trilogy as well as the TASM movies and the MCU Spider-Man movies I honestly have a newfound appreciation for TASM 1 and 2.

Now, I still like both Homecoming and Far From Home to a degree, but man when it comes to the action sequences and doing the Spider-Man character justice those TASM movies got so much right.

I still have problems with the writing and the villains in those movies, but Garfield was great as Spider-Man and Marc Webb captured the comicbooky aspects of the character perfectly IMO.

I didn't love his portrayal of Peter Parker, but he grew on me in TASM 2 and his chemistry with Emma Stone couldn't have been better and I wish we got to see more of that storyline going forward.

 

[Prison Mike]

I just bought the Raimi trilogy on blu-ray for $12 on Amazon. They also have the Webb duology for $15.

 

[GuestStar2004]

I think my rating for the Spider-Man movies is

TASM.
ITSV.
HC.
TASM2.
FFH.
SM3.
SM2.
SM1.

TASM is the first time i felt like i was watching Spider-man. ITSV is just a fun ride. HC and TASM2 i'd put equally as decent but flawed films. FFH is fun in action but its trying too hard to be funny. SM3 is a guilty pleasure because I'm a fan of the black suit story. If it wasn't for the black suit story that film would probably tank lower for me. SM2 doesn't do it for me. the action and Doc Ock are good, but ultimately i have always felt abit frustrated and let down by it. And SM1 doesn't do it for me either.

 

[spiderman2]

Michael Keaton saved Homecoming. The guy is just so damn good in the role. That scene of him talking to Peter in the car is so well done and intense.

Homecoming to me is just hard to get through. Have a hard time sitting and watching it because every sequence with Spider-Man on screen looks laughably horrible from a cgi standpoint. Completely disconnects me each time I try to watch the movie. It looks very much like a cartoon character acting next to real live actors like Roger Rabbit or Space Jam. Much preferred FFH over that movie. The characterization and attempts at humor just fall flat through out the movie to me as well.

Ironically enough, even though SM3 definitely had its issues….I actually prefer SM3 over HC.

I dont get the hate for home coming and its cgi. There is not one sense or moment where the CGI looks bad. My biggest issue with home coming is the action is just so so. Its the only spiderman movie where I fill like there is not at least one action sense that really stands out.

 

[PBisawsem2B]

I dont get the hate for home coming and its cgi. There is not one sense or moment where the CGI looks bad. My biggest issue with home coming is the action is just so so. Its the only spiderman movie where I fill like there is not at least one action sense that really stands out.

While I like Homecoming, its CGI is definitely iffy. The part where Spider-Man slams the car thief's head on the car sucks. Also the ferry scene is horrible.

Bad CGI doesn't make a it a bad film though. Spider-Man 1 had HORRIBLE CGI even for 2002.

 

[ragingdemon155]

I dont get the hate for home coming and its cgi. There is not one sense or moment where the CGI looks bad. My biggest issue with home coming is the action is just so so. Its the only spiderman movie where I fill like there is not at least one action sense that really stands out.

Dude. Wait…..

What? I mean this with no disrespect whatsoever but you might be the first person I’ve heard that said there’s no problem with the cgi in HomeComing. Like honestly…even those that love the movie have admitted to the issues with the scenes with Spider-Man present.

So you’re honestly telling me you see nothing wrong at all visually speaking with the sequence on the Ferry?

 

[PBisawsem2B]

My rating for the mainline Spider-Man films:

1. TASM - Tied
1. SM2 - Tied
2. HOCO
3. SM1
4. FFH
5. SM3
6. TASM2

The Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 just perfectly capture what Spider-Man should be IMO. I must say though that I like all of the films. Even SM3 and TASM2. None of them are bad for me.

 

[ragingdemon155]

While I like Homecoming, its CGI is definitely iffy. The part where Spider-Man slams the car thief's head on the car sucks. Also the ferry scene is horrible.

Bad CGI doesn't make a it a bad film though. Spider-Man 1 had HORRIBLE CGI even for 2002.

Spider-Man 1 cgi looks better then HomeComing to me. Homecoming scenes looked so out of place. It’s as if they were intentionally trying to tell the audience that Spider-Man is a cartoon trapped in the real world. It was horrible. What also saves the original Spider-Man movies is that they are constantly mixing between live scenes and CGI. It keeps the viewer engaged more because it feels like a live action Spider-Man movie.

Homecoming just feels like you’re watching a cartoon when Spider-Man is on screen.

 

[ragingdemon155]

My rating for the mainline Spider-Man films:

1. TASM - Tied
1. SM2 - Tied
2. HOCO
3. SM1
4. FFH
5. SM3
6. TASM2

The Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 just perfectly capture what Spider-Man should be IMO.

I agree with some of your list and disagree with other parts. I will take TASM over HC and possibly FFH. I love Andrew/Emma that much and dislike the MCU interpretation that much lol.

 

[spiderman2]

Dude. Wait…..

What? I mean this with no disrespect whatsoever but you might be the first person I’ve heard that said there’s no problem with the cgi in HomeComing. Like honestly…even those that love the movie have admitted to the issues with the scenes with Spider-Man present.

So you’re honestly telling me you see nothing wrong at all visually speaking with the sequence on the Ferry?

Yeah I mean it there is not one part of cgi that looks out of place in home coming. The second trailer for no way home CGI looked much worse than anything in either home coming or far from home to the point I was surprised but hopefully it will be fixed but no I dont see this so called cartoon cgi at all. The only like bad cgi I have seen in either home coming or far from home was the illusions fight with Mysterio love the fight but the cgi is not good.

Spider-Man 1 cgi looks better then HomeComing to me. Homecoming scenes looked so out of place. It’s as if they were intentionally trying to tell the audience that Spider-Man is a cartoon trapped in the real world. It was horrible. What also saves the original Spider-Man movies is that they are constantly mixing between live scenes and CGI. It keeps the viewer engaged more because it feels like a live action Spider-Man movie.

Homecoming just feels like you’re watching a cartoon when Spider-Man is on screen.

I dont know about that the part with Peter is climbing and like chasing down the guy who killed Uncle Ben looks way worse than anything in the MCU movies. Spiderman 2 holds up very very while but still the people doc ock throws in the trail fight and the one part of ock going away after throwing Peter in the Coffey shop also looks way worse than most of the mcu spiderman stuff.

 

[PBisawsem2B]

I agree with some of your list and disagree with other parts. I will take TASM over HC and possibly FFH. I love Andrew/Emma that much and dislike the MCU interpretation that much lol.

Fair. While I love Andrew and Emma a LOT, that isn't the main highlight of the film for me. It's mainly the grounded-ness and serene emotions of the movie.

Plus Andrew's portrayal of Peter and Spidey. I know people hate the skateboarding "cool guy" Peter Parker but I like it a lot. He's not really a cool guy. He's still an outcast. It's still Peter Parker. Just a more modernized 2012 take.

Plus I appreciate the duality of Peter / Spider-Man. Spider-Man feels like a different person almost completely detached from Peter. Tobey and Tom don't have that..

And Spider-Man actually jokes!

Tom's Peter is more classic visually but deep down he doesn't truly behave like Peter Parker. I still appreciate him though. It's meant to be different and that's fine.

Plus the third act of TASM is astonishing. The visuals and the score and the emotional themes.