Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” films are easily one of the most digestible, casual, and fun watching experiences you can find in a superhero movie, but its flaws are countless, a major one being the main star, Tobey Maguire. 

If you have not seen these films, you are missing out on one of the most iconic superhero franchises of all time. Sam Raimi has revolutionized the comic-to-movie industry and many hold these movies deeply in their nostalgia-fueled hearts. While these movies were greatly celebrated in their own time, and even still today, they fail to hold up when compared to newer iterations and even the comics of which they were derived. 

First off, the quality of the film has aged poorly. Painfully mediocre practical and special effects accompanied with inconsistent pacing and corny jokes (not to mention a homophobic joke within the first movie) take the audience out of the experience entirely. The characters are all so cartoonish and its often hard to tell if the actors even know what they are doing. There are countless instances of actors and even extras looking as if they walked onto the wrong movie set. The plots of these movies are filled with strange instances where character motivation and development go out the window along and gaping holes within the plot that for a confusing watching experience. 

That is not to say these films are not enjoyable; in fact, those exact issues make these movies some of the most ironically hilarious you will ever watch. Willem Dafoe alone carries the first movie with his outrageous and zany performance that you simply cannot get enough of. The special effects and dialogue are all so delightfully cheesy. Aside from quirky and ridiculous nature making up the main bulk of the movies that Sam Raimi is known for, there are some very powerful scenes and strong acting performances. 

Now for the main issue, Spider-Man—rather the embarrassing portrayal of him. Spider-Man, to put it simply, is a genius, nerdy, dorky kid with amazing abilities. He is witty and talkative, and Tobey Maguire is not that; he’s dopey. The beauty of Spider-Man as a character is that he’s just a normal kid, but Tobey is not relatable in this way. He is overly passive and wimpy in these movies, and yes, that is how Peter Parker is supposed to be in the beginning, but he is eventually supposed to gain some charm and charisma—which this iteration does not. The witty jokes that Spider-Man likes to crack while fighting bad guys—one of the things he is known for—is so poorly represented through Tobey’s shockingly bad delivery and overly timid character. 

Overall, these movies are a great time. Now, if you love Spider-Man and have read all the comics or are some kind of film connoisseur, these movies are not going to impress you. These movies are not meant to be taken seriously. You must be able to enjoy the campy, goofy nature of these movies. They are meant to be loved, but they are not meant to act as a testament to peak superhero film or even Spider-Man as a character, just a good watch.