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With the MCU's fame and influence these days, it might be easy to forget that just 20 years ago, superhero movies weren't doing so well. Blade and X-Men managed to pave the way but it was the first Spider-Man movie as well as the subsequent two parts (especially the second one) that really started the superhero craze.
As a result, the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy remains one of the best superhero movies of all time. It's highly popular and works even today. While not all aspects of the movies are so great, most importantly the third one and the portrayal of Venom, there are multiple things about the trilogy that have aged well.
8 Peter Is Relatable
The important thing about Peter Parker is that he isn't a highly popular person. In fact, his classmates bully him, most visibly Flash Thompson. Peter also doesn't have that much money, in fact, he often struggles with it. That makes him relatable to people who face the same issues.
The original Sam Raimi trilogy focuses a lot on Peter's private life and takes the care to portray both the bad things and good things about it which works well intertwined with the superhero storyline.
7 The Personal Villains
The first two movies manage to introduce villains with a personal connection to Peter. Norman Osborn is his best friend's dad and Otto Octavius is a man whose work Peter admires as well as his mentor.
Both of them meet Peter even before they become villains which helps to establish a connection between them. As a result, the stakes are higher since when Spider-Man's fighting Green Goblin or Doctor Octopus, the audience already knows both men, and they can't help but be invested in their destinies even more.
6 Acting Performances In Supporting Roles
The Spider-Man trilogy has a strong supporting cast. Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molina shine as Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus, respectively. Rosemary Harris easily becomes a fan-favorite as Aunt May thanks to her kind behavior and the way she supports her nephew and stays strong despite the challenges in her life.
Young James Franco also gives a solid performance as Peter's best friend Harry whose relationship with Peter worsens when Harry finds out the truth about Peter's secret identity and Mary Jane steps between them. And, of course, there's J. K. Simmons as the unforgettable J. Jonah Jameson who makes Peter's life more difficult but also gives him the opportunity to make some money which Peter needs.
5 Backstory Even For The Supporting Characters
Other than casting the movies with excellent actors, the Sam Raimi trilogy also takes care to provide them with a functioning backstory. That's a good move since it makes it natural for the audience to care about the characters once they know more about them. This especially becomes obvious in comparison to Tom Holland's Spider-Man movies where the audience barely knows anything about the likes of Ned or MJ besides their relationship to Peter.
Unlike them, Mary Jane Watson and Harry Osborn both have a functioning storyline on their own, such as Mary Jane's desire to become an actress and escape her unhappy home, or Harry's futility in communicating with his father who doesn't appreciate his son. Taking the time to flesh out even the characters that aren't the main hero works wonders in this case.
4 Uncle Ben's Death
The MCU Spider-Man movies count with the fact that everybody already knows what happened to uncle Ben and how Peter became Spider-Man so there's no need to rehash it.
While this approach works in the MCU, the Sam Raimi trilogy takes the time to establish uncle Ben and his death that influenced his nephew so greatly. Without it, there would be no Spider-Man, and while it isn't the most action-filled part of the first Spider-Man, it's easily one of the most emotional ones.
3 The Romance
One of the focal points of the entire trilogy is the developing relationship between Peter Parker and Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane Watson. While comic book fans know these two belong together, it's getting there that's difficult.
Just like in real life, the romance between Peter and MJ doesn't always go smoothly, for example, when Peter breaks up with MJ to protect her from his enemies and breaks her heart in the process. Despite what some viewers might say, the chemistry between Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst works, and the romance adds a personal line to the movies that they need.
2 Tobey Maguire
One of the best reasons why the Spider-Man trilogy works so well even today is Tobey Maguire. Even though he portrayed many other fascinating parts, Spider-Man remains one of his most famous roles.
It's true that Maguire occasionally looks a bit too old to play Peter Parker but he still nails the part. He's relatable, sympathetic, civil, and has great onscreen chemistry with the other actors, no matter whether they play his friends or enemies.
1 The Action Scenes
The series saw Peter fighting multiple enemies but some action scenes are more memorable than others. His final fight with Green Goblin that leads to Norman Osborn's death, saving the runaway train, or stopping Mary Jane from falling to her death, are all great moments that still work today and will have the audience watching them with bated breaths.
While the action scenes don't make the heart of the trilogy, they add another high-quality aspect to it.