As The Amazing Spider-Man 2 starts to spin its way to a cinema near you this week, our Spidey sense is telling us that it is a perfect time to reflect on the previous four films starring the wondrous webhead. As one of the comic book world's most enduring and beloved creations, Spider-Man was hotly sought after for a film adaptation for many years, and was stuck in development hell until Titanic director James Cameron took hold of the material around the turn of the century. Even when Cameron dissociated himself with the project, Hollywood bosses knew that Spidey would make a splash on the silver screen - and right they were. The original film trilogy that spanned 2002-7, directed by Sam Raimi, did not disappoint, breaking numerous box office records and even winning an Academy Award. Such was the character's popularity that just five years later Marc Webbs reboot in 2012 brought Spidey back to the big screens for the next decade, becoming the seventh highest grossing film of that year and starting a new series which it has been confirmed will lead to spin-off films for both the Sinister Six and Venom. So with the webslingers cinematic presence getting bigger all the time, lets use the world wide web to fly through Spider-Mans 15 greatest movie moments. Look out, here comes the Spider-Man!
15. Danny Elfman's Theme - Spider-Man (2002)
What better way to start than the moment which began Spidey's cinematic adventures way back in 2002? From the beats that start up over the Marvel logo you know this is something special. Elfman had history with composing superhero music, having done the soundtrack to Tim Burton's original Batman films but he perhaps out does himself here with a rousing composition that perfectly suits the all-out heroics of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man. The theme is repeated - alongside some nice artwork recapping the first film - for Spider-Man 2 but sadly long-time collaborators Raimi and Elfman fell out and Christopher Young was brought in to do the music for the third Spider-Man instalment. While Young's is a solid replacement for Elfman and James Horner's theme for the reboot is suitably different and stirring enough it doesn't have quite the same impact that Elfman's does. After listening to Elfman's theme, you're in the mood for a good old-fashioned superhero film. So when Tobey Maguire's voice-over starts, saying 'Who am I? You sure you wanna know?' we're all replying yes.
