Beware: may contain spoilers for this trilogy and the following Spider-Man movies)

1. Spider-Man (2002)

• Director: Sam Raimi
• With: Tobey Maguire, James Franco, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, Cliff Robertson, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, Bill Nunn, Ted Raimi, Bruce Campbell
• Music by: Danny Elfman
• Duration: 2h01
• Studio: Columbia Pictures (Sony)
• Based upon the characters of the Marvel comics
• My rating: 9/10
• Mid- or post-credit scene: no

Synopsis:

When bitten by a genetically modified spider, a nerdy, shy, and awkward high school student gains spider-like abilities that he eventually must use to fight evil as a superhero after tragedy befalls his family.

Review:

I admit it: Spider-Man is my favourite Marvel superhero (although I loath spiders in general) and when this was made in the early 2000’s, I was like a screaming schoolgirl standing in the front row to barge in at the cinemas and just get the best seat to enjoy this movie! And at that time I had never read any of the comics (still haven’t read many still, need to find Omnibuses, I think) but I had seen the Animated Spider-Man in the nineties where I found out about all those villains and bad guys ànd Spider-Man’s friends…

So when I saw a first glimps of The Green Goblin, there was the schoolgirl again 🙄😄 (shame he didn’t have his green and purple suit though)

Almost twenty(!) years later this movie is still one of the best adaptations of any superhero I’ve seen. And yes, the MCU has done a wonderful job but if it wasn’t for X-Men and this Spider-Man, there never would have been an MCU, I’m sure!

Raimi made this movie as a huge fan and it tells! Some scenes are literally from the comics (Ben’s death, for instance) so he’s a pretty loyal filmmaker if it comes to these comic adaptations! (He recently made a return to these with the new Doctor Strange: the Multiverse of Madness so that’s something to look forward to!)

So yes, this movie kicked off a trilogy of Spider-Man movies and its success made sure there was a huge fanbase for these movies. Fans still want to see a fourth Raimi-Maguire Spider-Man movie but I’m not sure it will ever come… however, Maguire got the chance to put on his suit one more time for the recent Spider-Man: No way Home movie (I am rewatching all precious movies to prepare for that one!)

Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin was, in my opinion, the only right choice (same with Doc Ock in the sequel) and it’s great to know they too appear again in the latest Tom Holland movie!

Great movie, great casting, great directing and Elfman’s score is superb!

2. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

• Director: Sam Raimi
• With: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, J.K. SImmons, Rosemary Harris, Bill Nunn, Alfred Molina, Willem Dafoe, Ted Raimi, Dylan Baker, Bruce Campbell
• Music by: Danny Elfman
• Duration: 2h07
• Studio: Columbia Pictures (Sony)
• Based upon the characters of the Marvel comics
• My rating: 9/10
• Mid- or post-credit scene: no

Synopsis:

Peter Parker is beset with troubles in his failing personal life as he battles a brilliant scientist named Doctor Otto Octavius.

Review:

Raimi is back with his team for the second part in the trilogy!

Yes yes yes, schoolgirl again 😂 especially since one of my favourite villains is in this one: Doctor Otto Octavius, the man with eight arms!

This is also the movie where we see a Peter Parker that no longer wishes to be Spider-Man, taken directly from the comics! His love for Mary-Jane makes him doubt his superhero being! Fighting crime all the time, combined with a job ànd studies has its impact. So, he sheds his red and blue suit and starts to live life normally. But of course, crime does not stop when he does!

In the meantime, Harry Osborn is pledging vengeance on his father’s killer (from the events of the first movie), not knowing his father killed himself. Franco has a smaller part in this one but a very important part because it lays the foundation for him becoming Hobgoblin in part 3!

Mary-Jane is about to marry the son of JJ Jameson, the astronaut that in the animated series (also in the comics?) brought back Venom. They changed that storyline for the movies, unfortunately!

This movie also introduces Dr. Connors, who becomes The Lizard in the comics. Raimi wanted to have The Lizard in the fourth movie but that never came so we only see his character as the loving professor in university. The character does briefly return in the third movie, but there were already enough villains. The Lizard does however appear in the reboot, with Andrew Garfield.

This movie was equally good as its predecessor! A great villain, again acting and directing top notch and the music spot on again! These two form a fantastic duology!

My all-time favourite Spidey villain however was left for the third part: Venom!!

3. Spider-Man 3 (2007)

• Director: Sam Raimi
• With: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, J.K. Simmons, James Franco, Topher Grace, Thomas Hayden Church, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rosemary Harris, James Cromwell, Dylan Baker, Bill Nunn, Ted Raimi, Bruce Campbell, Willem Dafoe
• Music by: Christopher Young
• Duration: 2h19
• Studio: Colombia Pictures (Sony)
• Based upon the characters of the Marvel comics
• My rating: 8/10
• Mid- or post-credit scene:

Synopsis:

A strange black entity from another world bonds with Peter Parker and causes inner turmoil as he contends with new villains, temptations, and revenge.

Review:

In yonder days, when they announced the third part and released its first trailer and I saw that black suit, I knew I was going to loved this movie, because Venom came to the big screen! (He would return later as an anti-hero in its own franchise, even better!)

Although this movie had problems and was less loved by the fans, even Raimi had trouble with it, I think it still holds up pretty well. Apart from Venom, we get two more villains: Sandman and Hobgoblin!

Flint Marko, who is a criminal because he needs money to save his daughter’s life, becomes Sandman after he stumbles in an experiment that changes him.

Venom takes over Spider-Man first, changing him from a loving character into a vindictive and agressive Black-suited venomous spidey. Until it puts everything in danger. Then he sheds the black suit, making it drop all over his enemy Eddie Brock, who becomes Venom!

And Harry is aware of who Spider-Man is now and is out for revenge. As the Hobgoblin he soars through the air but Peter is stronger and manages to overwhelm him. When he is under influence of the black suit, Peter does it again with dire consequences for Harry.

All this leads to an ultimate battle between all Peters enemies with Mary-Jane’s life at stake!

This is the movie that introduces Gwen stacey, who would become Spidey’s love interest in the Andrew Garfield version. Here it’s Bryce Dallas Howard that portrays her.

For the music, Christopher Young took over from Danny Elfman but managed to capture that same spirit. The Sandman theme by him is 👍! Elfman’s themes are taken over as well!

Sam Raimi’s final Spider-Man movie and all bets were off. It has its flaws, admitted, but it stil is a great action superhero movie!

After this, they made the reboot with Andrew Garfield taking over as the webslinger and Marc Webb as the director. A whole new era for Spider-Man!