What's the coolest version of Spider-Man in the movie?

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of all the main adaptations and vote for our favorite hero.

Spider-Man is one of the most popular comic book characters. Even Stan Lee called this hero his favorite creation. Over the years, more than a dozen versions of the superhero have appeared on large and small screens: animation and game, multi-episode and full-length.

We will not disassemble the serial versions of Spider, because it may take more than one day, but we will focus only on those pictures that came out on the big screens.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the Spider-Man story has been launched three times in the form of a feature film. That's even more than Batman, Superman, or Hulk. And in addition, in 2018, a full-length cartoon "Spider-Man: Through the Universes" appeared, which was successfully shown in cinemas (although most often cartoons about superheroes are released immediately on carriers).

Each of these versions is interesting in its own way, they all have their own advantages and disadvantages, which, of course, causes debate among fans, which Spider-Man is the best.

Spider-Man Trilogy, 2002-2007

Previously, no decent version of Spider with live actors appeared on the screens. There was not enough budget or technology to create believable graphics. Fans had to settle for only animation (in particular, the animated series "Spider-Man" in 1994, which was very popular with the public).

But in 2002, the creator of "Evil Dead" Sam Raimi released the first part of the adventures of the "friendly neighbor". The director began with the classic story of an insecure high school photographer Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) who was bitten by a radioactive spider. Having received superpowers, the hero defends the city from crime and soon faces numerous villains, starting with the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe).

While Spider-Man fights the villains with varying degrees of success, Peter Parker still cannot improve his personal life, then converging, then diverging from Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst).

The audience accepted the first two films with enthusiasm, because the audience had not yet been spoiled by large-scale movie comics: Fox's X-Men started only a couple of years earlier, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe did not exist at all.

But in the third picture, the accumulated problems became too noticeable: the film was overloaded with villains and storylines, trying to tell at once about Venom, and about the Sandman, and about the new Green Goblin. And Peter himself was overwhelmed by the complexities of relationships with girls and his best friend.

They decided to cancel the fourth film, and later the franchise was relaunched with new authors and actors.

Pros of the Spider-Man Trilogy

• This is the first large-scale appearance of Spider-Man on the big screens. The special effects looked great for that time, especially the second part with Doctor Octopus and the scene where the hero stops the train. The authors masterfully told the classic story and featured many iconic villains.
• Excellent actors: young Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco were supported by such veterans of cinema as Willem Dafoe, J. C. Simmons, Alfred Molina and many others. Therefore, villains often look no less bright than the main character.

Disadvantages of the Spider-Man Trilogy

• A heavily altered image of Spider-Man. Coming up with a screen version of the story, the authors deviated from the canons a lot. In the comics, Peter Parker received only strength and flair from the bite: he invented and refined the web and the costume himself. Yes, and the difference in the characters of the young man and his alter ego is too felt: comics were attracted precisely by the fact that, even as a superhero, Peter remains the same funny teenager. In the on-screen version, he is too timid and soft in everyday life and too cheeky in a suit.
• Films today may seem too "toy". The special effects are outdated and the city looks completely unnatural. The main roles are often played too theatrically (the tearful moments with Parker himself are especially embarrassing), and all films ended with a typical happy ending.
• The third part is too long, there is a lot of melodrama and there are very strange scenes like Peter's dance in a cafe. And many of the minor characters have never been developed.

Dilogy "The Amazing Spider-Man", 2012–2014

The beginning director Mark Webb, who had previously shot only the comedy "500 Days of Summer", took on the relaunch of the story. But, perhaps, the experience of working on light youth films helped him to make the new version close to the canon.

After all, Spider-Man has always been famous for his humor and purely everyday problems of a young man. In the new version, Peter Parker looks more familiar. He jokes a lot, is very charming and makes web cartridges himself.

But the story was told from the very beginning, so the audience again had to watch the death of Uncle Ben, the spider bite, the first suit and other familiar episodes. But they changed the main beloved of the hero: now Peter meets immediately with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone).

The first film delighted the audience with a new level of special effects and humor, and the studio began to prepare as many as three sequels. But the sequel "The Amazing Spider-Man: High Voltage" put an end to these plans.

In the second part, Webb went too far with the drama: Peter Parker constantly suffers because of his parents, then because of responsibility to Gwen, then because of communication with Harry Osborne. And the main villain Electro, although impressive on his own, looks more dramatic than intimidating.

The second film grossed a good box office, but critics scolded him. Soon, Sony and Marvel signed an agreement to work together, and Spider was in the common cinematic universe.

Pros of the Amazing Spider-Man dilogy

• Great actors again. The game of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone will appeal to those who were embarrassed by the excessive theatricality and grotesque of Sam Raimi's films. The couple looks more lively and natural.
• Canonical images. Garfield's Spider-Man will seem more familiar to comic book fans. His character does not change when he puts on a suit, the hero looks technically gifted. And some of the storylines are copied very well from the source - even the tragic ending.
• New heroes and villains. The authors reasonably focused on those comic book characters that did not appear in the previous trilogy. Lizard, Electro and Reno can be seen here. And the Green Goblin does not appear for long.
• Modern special effects. "The Amazing Spider-Man" is filmed more vividly and dynamically, and flights on the web from the second part still look interesting.

Disadvantages of the Amazing Spider-Man dilogy

• In the first film, the familiar story of the death of Uncle Ben and the bite of a spider is once again told. Those who read comics, watched TV shows and previous pictures, she's probably already fed up with it.
• The pointless and melodramatic plot of the second part. Despite the advances in technology and a dark ending, the film is not very catchy due to the constant complaints of all the characters.

Spider-Man in the MCU

Against the backdrop of backlash against the sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man and the worldwide popularity of the Avengers universe, Sony has made the smart decision to promote the hero's story with Marvel. Then the Spidey story was restarted again, and Peter Parker got into the world of Iron Man and Captain America.

The new performer of the role of "friendly neighbor" turned out to be much younger than his predecessors. Tom Holland was not yet 20 at the time of filming, and Maguire and Garfield were already over 25 when they first appeared.

This allowed Marvel to show the character at the very beginning of the journey: very young and naive. At the same time, the authors do not retell once again the history of gaining strength and becoming, but mention it very briefly. In addition, the audience was first introduced to the hero in the crossover "The First Avenger: Confrontation", and only then a solo film was released.

The new Peter Parker is still in school, and his first mentor is Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. He gives Spider a technological suit and takes care of the teenager in every possible way.

Now comes the second part of the adventures of the new version of the superhero "Spider-Man: Far From Home". In addition, he participated in the last two parts of "The Avengers". And it seems that Marvel has big plans for this character, because it was his solo story that was entrusted to close the third phase of the MCU.

Pros of Spider-Man in the MCU

• This is the youngest and most charming hero. As it turned out, Tom Holland is an excellent actor, in his performance, Peter Parker looks really touching, this is especially noticeable in the second film, where a large part of the plot is devoted to the relationship with MJ.
• Now Spider exists within the MCU. This means that other famous characters can visit his films: Tony Stark appeared in the first part, Nick Fury appeared in the second. And Happy Hogan seems to become a constant companion.
• The authors avoided clichés and platitudes. What fans already know from comics and previous film adaptations, they mentioned only in passing, without wasting time.
• Great action game. Modern technologies and the ability to unite with other characters make the action a splendid extravaganza of stunts and special effects.

Spider-Man's Disadvantages in the MCU

• These are the least canon stories. For lovers of the classics, there are many disappointments here. Mary Jane was replaced with a new heroine who only bears the initials MJ. Flash Thompson went from a high school athlete to a bully from a wealthy family. Even Mysterio's story in the second film was heavily rewritten.
• The film cannot be understood without watching other pictures. Those who are not fond of the entire MCU, but only the history of Spider-Man, will have a hard time: the first solo part is incomprehensible without "Confrontation", and the second directly continues the "Final". Therefore, in order to understand the plot, you have to learn everything.

Cartoon "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"

In parallel with the integration of the hero into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony developed its own cartoon about the Spider. In 2018, it was released on screens, and it turned out that the project could well compete in plot and dynamics with fiction films.

To begin with, the authors decided to completely move away from the familiar and already pretty boring story. Now in the center of the plot is Miles Morales (he appeared in the comics in 2011). This is a teenager who lives in a world where Peter Parker is already heroic and defeating villains with might and main. But soon he dies, and Miles has not yet learned to use the unexpectedly acquired powers. And then Spiders from other universes come to his aid: tired and overweight Peter B. Parker, Spider-Gwen, as well as Noir Spider-Man, anime Penny Parker and even Spider-Pig.

First of all, this cartoon is a great irony over the constant restarts and many versions of the same character. In addition, Sony managed to show a completely new animation: the city in the background looks real, and everything that happens resembles a comic book that comes to life.

Well, and most importantly: the whole plot was filled with excellent action and humor, which is suitable for both children and adults.

Pros of the cartoon "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"

• This is a story about new heroes. Talking about Peter Parker again would be just boring. Moreover, a series about him was also launched on small screens.
• The opportunity to see five Spiders at once. The multiverse has not yet fully reached the cinema, and here for the first time heroes from different worlds had the opportunity to meet. Moreover, many of them are very funny.
• Cutting edge animation. Since the first Toy Story and Shrek, CGI has evolved a lot, but Across the Universes is truly a new word in technology.
• Very dynamic and funny storyline. The structure of the cartoon made it possible to dispense with drawn-out stories about the heroes' past and immediately plunge the viewer into action with great jokes.

Disadvantages of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

• Not everyone loves animation. Many people still believe that cartoons are intended only for children, and are waiting for a film adaptation with live actors.
• To enjoy it to the fullest, you need to read at least a little comics. Noir Spider-Man or Gwen Stacy in the role of a superhero is better revealed if you know about their past.
• The action is completely unrealistic. For those who love purely realism and gloom even in comics (for example, fans of "Batman v Superman"), the action may seem unnecessarily grotesque, and the characters unnatural.

Each version of Spider-Man is attractive in its own way. Someone loves the theatricality of Raimi's films, someone - the canon Garfield, someone - young Holland. Tell us about your favorite Neighbor Friendly movie.