Okay, my ranking for the Spider-Man films (now that I've finally seen Venom):
1) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
It's just that good. I rewatched all the Spidey-films afterwards, and they just can't touch it.
2) Spider-Man 2
Today, this is number 2. It was the one I watched directly after watching Spider-verse. That tells me it must be the former number one of my heart. Tobey's Peter hasn't aged well, but the drama and heart of this movie still hold up. Also, the train fight is still the best Spidey fight ever.
3) Spider-man: Homecoming
My kids, my wife, and myself were all shocked with how awesome this movie was. It was funny, it had heart, and it put Spidey where he belonged: in the Marvel Universe! That being said, that may be also what puts Spider-Man 2 above it. You can go into SM2 knowing nothing, and it works perfectly. SMHC requires knowledge of other films for it to be totally enjoyed...which, as much as I LOVE the MCU, may be its Achilles heel.
3) Spider-Man
This was where it all began, and it still holds a lot of love in my heart. That first time seeing Spidey swing, or hearing JJJ call him a menace...worth it.
4) Venom
Yeah, I'm shocked it's this high, as well. It shouldn't be. It has a laundry list of problems. A LOT of suspension of disbelief is needed for the plot to get to where it does, but it manages to do it with style...and fun! Despite the female lead sucking the life out of all her scenes, and despite a very weak villain, it works solely on the shoulders of Tom Hardy and the promise of Carnage.
5) The Amazing Spider-Man
I didn't HATE this one. I actually like Garfield as Spidey probably more than Maguire, but I just wish he had gotten the scripts Tobey did. Also, Gwen. She was there, and she was awesome. Lizard needed a snout, a lab coat, and a little more...presence. We all gave them the benefit of the doubt with this too-soon reboot, and it cost us later...
6) Spider-Man 3
The conclusion of the Raimi trilogy just missed sticking the landing. I still feel like they should have included the black suit, a different Eddie Brock, and held onto Venom for part 4. Then things would have been great. As it is, we settled for mediocrity. Also, this was the first instance I recall of Sony giving away the ENTIRE movie before it aired. Shoot, they aired the ENTIRE Peter/Harry fight scene 6 months before the movie debuted! Ugh...Sony became their own worst enemy with this one.
7) The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Bottom tier, by far. This one featured the worst opening scene ever, as we get a REPEAT of the same opening scene from the first movie, doubling down on the parents angle, which was the worst part of the first film! Then, it picked up with some of the best web-slinging, best Spider-quippage, and Peter Parker moments...only to reveal the worst villain the films have EVER had. Topher Grace's Venom looked like a rockstar compared to Jamie Fox's Max Dillon, who channeled Batman Forever's Jim Carrey to the point I almost walked out.
Then, we get a few cool Spidey points, and a middle act that had NO POINT. Lastly, we're given a send off to the best gal pal in any Spider-Man movie, Gwen Stacy, that just reminded us that she deserved a better movie to live in....and die in. Not seeing part 3 of this one was a shame...but since Sony gave away the big fights, the big death, the first scene, the climactic showdown, the set-up for a sequel, and the final scene in the PREVIEWS, we could have just waited for Sony to release a trailer, and we would have immediately known the whole film. I just can't understand it. If they had saved Rhino as a surprise, or maybe the Sinister 6, MAYBE we could have cared, but Rhino was even in the posters! Ugh.
Ahem.
Anyways, there's my rankings and why.