Spider-Man Trilogy (Sam Raimi) Review!

Alright! Today I am reviewing the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy. Why?
BECAUSE!
I also really like this trilogy. In fact, in my Top 13 Trilogies of All Time, it ranked #4.

Spider-Man (2002)

After the success (Not sucking) of X-Men, Spider-Man is the defining
superhero movie of the 2000s, and one of the first "Mega Blockbusters".

Paving the way for nearly every superhero movie afterwards, this is what was considered a dark and gritty reboot in the early 2000s, pre-DCEU.
Seeing this in 2019, in a contemporary view, I can say this:

This is an amazing story. The special effects are amazing. Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin is not only iconic but the best theatrical interpretation of the character (Out of two).

Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man is iconic, because while you think he's just a regular Spider-Man, that's wrong. He's the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man. I'm not sure how he did it, but he made the role his own while also seeming like a standard take on the character.

The costume design is also incredible. Perhaps the Green Goblin's isn't the best, but it's pretty good.


Another great thing about this is the iconic story of Spider-Man brought to life properly. Perhaps Tobey's take sticks because it is the ultimate Spider-Man: the one that has the exact same origin story as the one you saw in cartoons growing up.

Overall Opinion: 8/10, "Enjoyable, fun, fast, and hitting the ground swinging, Spider-Man reshapes the modern blockbuster."

Spider-Man 2

After Spider-Man became one of the biggest movies ever, a sequel was guaranteed. And this is one of those few moments where the second one is better than the first one. In fact, it's actually in my Top 17 Favorite Films.

Spider-Man 2 takes what you liked about the first one; the action, the amazing effects, and the heart - and it doubles down, while also adding more and deeper characters, like Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus, one of the greatest comic villains ever, now one of the greatest movie villains ever.

Also, the special effects have held up extremely well.

This movie has amazing action. One of my favorite set pieces (ever) is the train battle. The unique way it uses the opponent's abilities, the incredibly well done effects, and the choreography are all amazing! And when he stops the train? Oh, just so iconic.


Fun Fact: Because of back problems, Tobey Maguire was almost recast in this film. His replacement would've been Jake Gyllenhaal, who later played Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Overall Opinion: 9/10: "With great character development, an interesting romance, and intense action, Spider-Man 2 is one of the greatest superhero movies of all time."

Spider-Man 3

I've said several times it's easier to talk about a bad film then a good one. That's what happened here. Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 are both amazing films, and I can only say so much without repeating myself. But Spider-Man 3? Not a perfect film.

For starters, let's take a look at the runtime. 2 hours and 36 minutes, 21 minutes longer than 2 and 35 minutes longer than 1. And it definitely feels like one of those movies where they just packed too much stuff in. Because they did. Spider-Man 3 is what happens when the studio decides what happens in a movie. It sucks.


And yet, Spider-Man 3 does not suck completely. Why?

Well, I would say the best Sandman we'll ever get. It should've been his movie, but, you know.
Sandman in this movie is portrayed by Thomas Haden Church, and his performance here is amazing. Yes, they completely shoehorned, unnecessarily, stupidly, a relationship to Peter Parker where he killed his uncle, but his performance is one of the things that really makes this movie.
Imagine what the movie would've been like with him as the only villain...

The other thing that makes it not suck completely is the dance. Yes, for years I thought this was cringey, but now, I look back and I think, "Cinematic Masterpiece."

One of the greatest scenes in cinema, up there with Shrek 2's I Need A Hero and every scene in the Prequels, I now realize the genius of it. Which is that there is none. It's just so iconic at this point I love it. I'm going to go leave for a bit and learn the dance.

Actually, it must be what Peter Parker thinks is cool. So I guess he thinks that's cool? Yeah. It is.


Also, this movie has a lot of emotional scenes, like the one where Sandman and Peter are fighting, and he says, "Remember Ben Parker? The man you shot down in cold blood?" and Sandman says, "What does it matter to you anyway!?" and then Peter says "EVERYTHING!" It gives me chills all over. Good chills.

But of course, they butchered Venom. And the New Goblin story line was rushed. But yeah, it's okay overall.
It's a pretty boring movie with a few highlights.

Overall Opinion: 7/10: "With a great villain, about four dumb sideplots, and a great dance sequence, Spider-Man 3 doesn't exactly end the franchise with a bang."


Overall thoughts on the trilogy, I would say that it has one of the best villains ever (Doctor Octopus),
one of the best protagonists ever (Peter Parker), some of the best romance dialogue ever written (Peter and MJ), and some of the best action ever shot.


I really love the OG Spider-Man trilogy.