HBO Max’s Amazing 3-Part Action Movies Are Perfect From Start to Finish

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HBO Max’s Amazing 3-Part Action Movies Are Perfect From Start to Finish

Rotham April 1, 2026 0 Comments

Only a few modern movies can genuinely say that they completely changed the industry, inadvertently or otherwise, but Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man is definitely on the list. The success of the first movie proved that there was tons and tons of money to be made from taking comic book characters seriously, and now that’s the only kind of movie there is. Avatar movies make billions of dollars, but it’s not like every movie these days is a 3D spectacle about whales.

Raimi’s whole Spider-Man trilogy is streaming on HBO Max, and it’s a perfect excuse to revisit them and remember that all of them — yes, all of them — are great. The first movie made $810 million in 2002 and has a 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with the second movie (an inarguable masterpiece and one of the high points of the whole damn genre) making slightly less money but holding a 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The third movie doesn’t have the same stellar critical or cultural reputation, but it certainly doesn’t deserve the amount of general derision and mockery it has received in the last 19 years.

Why Are Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man’ Movies So Great?

Doc Ock standing at a train in Spider-Man — Alfred Molina as Doc Ock in Spider-Man

Referring mostly to the first two, the reason Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 are so good is that they’re very classical superhero stories. They’re not trying to be smarter than the books they’re inspired by, and they’re not worried about seeming dorky or uncool. It’s the same trick pulled by Jon Favreau for Iron Man, which, of course, became the trick played by most other Marvel movies, leading to the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe — which Raimi’s Spider-Man has now been (sort of) integrated into.

The performances in the movies are also generally strong, especially Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker and Kirsten Dunst’s Mary Jane (one look that she gives at the end of Spider-Man 2 sends that movie into the stratosphere), but also the iconic villain roles from Willem Dafoe (as the Green Goblin), Alfred Molina (as Doc Ock), and Thomas Haden Church (as the Sandman). And Rosemary Harris as Aunt May! And Bruce Campbell as multiple men who keep getting in Spider-Man’s way! And Macho Man Randy Savage!

Which MCU Hero Are You?

Marvel Cinematic UniverseWhich MCU HeroAre You?A Personality Quiz · 10 QuestionsSix heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?

🕷️Spider-Man

😈Daredevil

🤖Iron Man

💀Punisher

⚡Thor

🛡️Cap

Begin Quiz →

What drives you to do what’s right?Choose the answer that feels most like you.

AWith great power comes great responsibility — I protect those who can’t protect themselves.BMy faith and my conscience — I believe justice must be served, even in the dark.CLegacy and ego, honestly — but I’ve learned that others depend on me now.DThe system failed. Someone has to make sure the guilty actually pay.EDuty to the innocent and honour to my name — I was born to protect realms.FThe values I was raised with — freedom, decency, and never backing down from a bully.

Next Question →

It’s 2 AM. Where are you?

ASwinging between skyscrapers, keeping an eye on the neighbourhood.BRunning rooftops in Hell’s Kitchen, listening for trouble.CIn my lab, upgrading my suit with a cold cup of coffee nearby.DStaking out a target I’ve been tracking for three weeks.ESomewhere between the stars, or at a feast that got out of hand.FOn a morning run — I was up at 4, actually. Couldn’t sleep.

Next Question →

How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice?

AWeb them up and leave them for the police — again.BBuild an airtight case and dismantle their entire operation from the inside.CDeploy a containment system I designed specifically for them. Tech wins.DMake sure they don’t escape a third time. Permanently.EChallenge them to single combat. Honour demands a decisive end.FRally allies, adapt the plan, and bring them in — by the book, even if it’s hard.

Next Question →

How do you feel about keeping a secret identity?

AEssential — my loved ones would be in danger if anyone found out who I am.BCritical — the mask protects my mission as much as my face.COverrated — I announced myself to the world and I’d do it again.DI’m a ghost. The less people know about me, the better.EMy name is known across the Nine Realms. There’s no hiding it.FI don’t hide — but I understand why some need to. Transparency builds trust.

Next Question →

You’ve lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that?

AWith guilt that never fully goes away — it pushes me to do better, every single day.BI channel it into purpose — their memory is the reason I keep fighting.CI buried myself in work for years. I’m only recently learning to face it.DIt transformed me completely. I’m not the same person I was before.EWith warrior’s grief — I honour them by fighting with everything I have.FI keep moving forward. Stopping means letting the loss win.

Next Question →

What’s your role when working with a team?

AThe enthusiastic wildcard who somehow makes it work — and keeps the mood up.BThe strategist who works best alone but shows up when it matters most.CThe one who funds it, equips it, and occasionally takes over the whole operation.DI don’t do teams. I’m more effective operating solo, on my terms.EThe heavy hitter — I crash in, draw fire, and turn the tide of battle.FThe leader — I earn trust, build the plan, and make sure no one gets left behind.

Next Question →

Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge?

AClearly — I don’t kill, and I wrestle with that line constantly.BI try to hold the line, but I’ve come terrifyingly close to crossing it.CPractically — I do what’s necessary to protect people, including hard calls.DI crossed that line long ago. What I do is justice — the system just won’t admit it.EIn battle, victory is justice. Mercy is earned — not automatic.FFirmly. The moment we abandon our principles, we become what we fight against.

Next Question →

When you’re not saving the world, what does life look like?

ATrying to juggle school, a part-time job, and not failing my friends.BWorking as a lawyer by day, fighting for justice in court and on the streets.CRunning a global company, attending galas, and pretending I’m sleeping enough.DQuiet. Isolated. Surviving with a clear mission and no distractions.ENavigating a bizarre and fascinating mortal world — coffee is extraordinary.FAdapting to a world decades ahead of everything I knew. Quietly, stubbornly.

Next Question →

What keeps you up at night?

AThe people I couldn’t save — and the ones I might not reach in time tomorrow.BWhether the monster I fight every night is starting to live inside me too.CThe threats I can see coming and whether my tech is actually good enough.DNothing. Silence is the only peace I get. I’ve made my choices.EWhether I’m truly worthy — of the hammer, of the throne, of the people I protect.FA world where no one stands up anymore. Where good people do nothing.

Next Question →

The battle is lost. You’re outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do?This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.

ACrack a joke to buy a second, then find the one web shot that changes everything.BBlock out everything except the sound of the next threat — and keep going.CActivate the emergency protocol I built for exactly this scenario. Always have a plan.DI don’t accept that it’s lost. I keep fighting until I physically cannot anymore.ECall the lightning. All of it. The storm answers to me.FPick up the shield. Stand up. Because as long as I can stand, it’s not over.

See My Result →

Your ResultYour MCU Hero Is Revealed
Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts is…

🕷️ Spider-Man
You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be. Funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing, you do the right thing not because it’s easy — but because no one else will. You understand that responsibility isn’t a burden you choose; it’s one that finds you. Whether it’s a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up. Peter Parker’s lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn’t a slogan to you. It’s the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.

😈 Daredevil
You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free. Deeply principled and intensely focused, you use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks. You’ve looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy. Matt Murdock’s duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own: relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop.

🤖 Iron Man
Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem. You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic. You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility. Tony Stark’s arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too. You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you’re willing to give everything. Because in the end, you’re Iron Man.

💀 The Punisher
You’ve been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What’s left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code that the world may not agree with but that you’ve forged in grief and conviction. You don’t ask for forgiveness, and you don’t expect gratitude. You see a corrupt, broken world and you’ve decided to do something about it, consequences be damned. Frank Castle’s war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours. Uncompromising and unflinching.

⚡ Thor
Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry. You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility, growth, and protecting others rather than seeking glory. You’re larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on. Thor’s story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector. You bring the storm when it’s needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.

🛡️ Captain America
You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will. You don’t bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard. Steve Rogers didn’t become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you. Your strength isn’t in your fists; it’s in your refusal to compromise what’s right, no matter the cost. In a world full of people taking the easy road, you’re the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.

↩ Retake Quiz

‘Spider-Man 3’ Is Very Underrated

Contrary to popular belief, the problem with Spider-Man 3 is not the part where Peter Parker turns evil and becomes an even bigger dork than ever before. That is actually one of the movie’s strengths, and the fact that evil Peter is super “cringey” completely serves the purpose of the movie. The point is that this is what a big dork like Peter Parker thinks is cool, but he’s really just a jerk who wears dark clothes.

The problem with Spider-Man 3 is, put simply, Venom. Topher Grace is fun casting, since he has a similar vibe as Maguire, but Venom isn’t a villain from the same classic Spidey era as the Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus. The sets the vibes into disarray, but, more importantly, it also makes the movie feel overstuffed. Sandman is a fine villain who ties the plot back to the first movie and gives Spider-Man a reason to feel particularly angry (since Sandman was involved in Peter’s uncle’s death), but Venom is just a little too much on top of that. And then there’s James Franco coming in as a new Green Goblin, which is too much on top of that. It’s like a sundae with whipped cream and chocolate syrup and then more whipped cream and chocolate syrup.

This especially becomes a problem in the third act, when Raimi struggles to wrap up the Sandman story, the Venom story, the Goblin story, and the relationship troubles between Peter and MJ. The various loose threads all fall apart, and the movie leaves a slightly sour taste in your mouth — which feels worse than it is because that’s how the trilogy as a whole ends. But if you go in with an open mind and a generous attitude, plus the awareness that Maguire’s Spider-Man eventually comes back in Spider-Man: No Way Home, it should be a little more palatable.

The Spider-Man trilogy is available now on HBO Max.