10 Huge Movie Franchises That Don't Have A 5 Star Entry

5. Spider-Man (2002-2014)

As one of the most recognizable characters in popular culture, any movie featuring Spider-Man is virtually guaranteed to do huge box office business. In just twelve years we have seen five movies featuring the iconic webhead, including a reboot and a sequel that have earned a combined total of over $3.9bn. However, the two Amazing Spider-Man movies have largely been disappointing and the insistence on creating an expanded cinematic universe could increasingly marginalize the character, and rob audiences of the classic Spider-Man movie they have been waiting for. It is surely the least that Spidey deserves, given how the character has remained enduringly popular for over 50 years. That isn't to say there hasn't been a good Spider-Man movie, there have been two great ones. Sam Raimi's original provided an energetic origin story full of heart and humor, with the director's love of the source material shining through on screen. The sequel would raise the bar, and with the world-building out of the way and a superior villain introduced the result was one of the greatest comic book movies ever made. Spider-Man 3 strained under the weight of studio interference and too many cooks spoiled the broth both on screen and off, which led to Marc Webb's reboot. Despite superb performances from Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, the two most recent efforts have suffered from retracing much of the same ground as the original trilogy, most notably the retreading of the well-known origin story in the first and the addition of too many villains in the second. With Sony desperate to expand the franchise to include spin-offs as well as sequels, a five-star Spider-Man movie could prove to be some way off.