I want to begin Super Hero month recap with the following quote (as seen during the credits for Into the Spider-Verse):
Every time I watch a Marvel movie I think about Stan Lee and the amazing world he created and the lessons he taught us. Stan Lee came up because Spider-Man was one of his favorite co-creations and Into the Spider-Verse was the last movie to feature his voice-over before he died.
As the title states, the movies this month are only those Spider-Man films without Tom Holland as Spider-Man/Peter Parker. These films are broken up into three groups: The Amazing Spider-Man films, Spider-Verse films, and the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man films.
The Amazing Spider-Man Films
Directed By: Marc Webb
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone
My Rating:
This is the first time I’ve watched The Amazing Spider-Man films. Honestly, I don’t remember why because I did enjoy the first Spider-Man films (see below). Maybe it’s because they changed the actor, which is silly because Andrew Garfield is a talented actor. It’s a missed opportunity because I enjoyed watching them.
Andrew Garfield does an excellent job and Emma Stone is a great choice as Gwen Stacey. It’s also unfortunate that the third film was never made but I’m glad Andrew Garfield could come back for Far From Home.
The Spider-Verse Films
Directed by Multiple Directors (too many to list)
Starring: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld
My Rating:
I feel like these movies are underappreciated just because they are animated. These are really good movies; I especially enjoy the second one. The different animation styles to represent the different Earths is a nice touch. The biggest takeaway I had from the second film is that I really want to see a live-action Spider-Gwen film.
Of the two Gwen Stacey’s we’ve had in the films, I’d probably choose Emma Stone to reprise the role of live-action Spider-Gwen. It’s nothing against Bryce Dallas Howard, she is a good actress but I’d be in favor of her directing it. She has her father’s talent.
The Tobey Maguire Films
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco
My Rating:
For me, this is where Spider-Man started, back in 2002 with Tobey Maguire. Although I think most of Tobey’s lines fall flat, these are still my favorite of the Pre-Tom era. Whenever someone mentions Mary Jane, I think of Kirsten Dunst. This series also has J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson, which is a role I think he was born to play.
Danny Elfman provides a fantastic score for the first two films. Christopher Young took over for the third film but used most of Danny Elfman’s themes. Honestly, I think that’s the only thing that saved the music of the third film.
Speaking of the third film, it is considered the weakest of the franchise. Even Sam Raimi was disappointed with it. I didn’t mind it but I think it had the same issues the Batman movies had in the late 90s: too many villains.
To be fair, the later Batman films from the ’90s also suffered from terrible casting for Batman; especially the one with George Clooney.
I think my only other criticism is the “rubber-man” CGI sometimes used for Spider-Man, however, we do have to consider the first movie was made over 20 years ago.
Be that as it may, that’s Super-Hero Month (2024). Which of the Pre-Tom Holland era Spider-Man films are your favorite?
“The screen is a magic medium. It has such power that it can retain interest as it conveys emotions and moods that no other art form can hope to tackle.”
– Stanley Kubrick