The first movie I’d watched in theaters was Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 back in 2004. I was in elementary school at the time, and had gone with my parents. I don’t remember much, except sitting in the theater and probably being a little confused considering up until then I was all too used to PBS kids and Blue’s Clues.

But the memory sticks, and recently I’d brought myself to rewatch the movie as an adult. Oh, man.

I loved it.

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man franchise is known by everyone and their mother. Even today’s kids who grew up with Marvel, can’t quite escape the impact and comparisons Toby Maguire’s spiderman had on the previous generation. You see it everywhere. On the internet, in the comments, so much so that apparently Disney had decided it’d be a great idea to bring him and Andrew Garfield back to essentially carry Tom Holland’s third installment.

I rest my case on the matter.

But despite Disney’s capitalistic agenda, Spider-Man 2 remains as one of the best superhero movies of all time – for fantastic reason.

Not only does the movie have amazing, iconic stunt scenes (train ride, anyone?) but the characters hit you hard. And isn’t that what a good story is all about?

I remember thinking as a child how damn pitiful Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker was. This guy does not have a happy life, and it clearly showed! The characterization can be seen in his living situation, the small apartment that he must endure, his fallout with his best friend and the girl he loves, not to mention the death of his uncle that he himself believes to have played a part in.

It’s heartbreaking and downright pitiful, which Tobey shows so incredibly well in his acting. The writing challenges its characters, something we don’t see very often today despite all the blatant CGI, red carpet press, and Youtube Wired interviews.

This movie isn’t trying to be anything. It gives some giggles here and there, as with any comical Marvel superhero character, but the responsibilities of Peter’s actions are apparent. It gives him character, depth, and dignity, unlike the other spiderman adaptations that followed. Yes, I am biased! How can you watch this as a kid and expect any of the other adaptations to compare?

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Now of course, there are many superhero movies in the film universe. Perhaps too many at this point. One would be surprised to not find Christopher Nolan’s Batman franchise mentioned throughout this post, much less the entire Disney Marvel franchise, Christopher Reeve’s Superman movies, or even the recent Batman movie.

Simply put, I have not watched most of these. It would take too much time, too much effort, and frankly, I enjoy grazing the very top of superhero movies for the sake of my own sanity. Overconsumption is dangerous, people! Too much of a good thing can make the entire thing turn sour.

So I will leave it at Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2. The plot devices used in this movie are strangely long gone, and hardly apparent in today’s “fun for the family” superhero movies. I will always remember as a kid how much the Green Goblin used to terrify me but hey, that’s the beauty of nostalgia.

Honorable Mentions

• Wonder Woman (2017)
• Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain America: The Winter Soldier
• Batman: The Animated Series