There's a few gems out there, just like there's always been. Some of the key licensed games from that generation were
GoldenEye 007 on the N64 and yes,
Spider-Man for the PS1. Some great licensed games released since then:
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic- A massively detailed RPG made by Bioware, the guys behind
Mass Effect. It's set in the galaxy hundreds of years before the films, but the best part of the game is how intelligent the story and its interactions are. Whether you go good or evil, there's a lot of different paths to take.
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay- Crappy flick, great game. It's an FPS with some sik exploration elements made by a development company too talented for their own project.
X-Men Legends- A side-scrolling RPG using the X-Men. It's fun to make the mutants level up and have them take down a couple of Sentinels. There's a sequel here you also get to play with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and a similar game involving the Marvel Universe that's made by the same guys, but I haven't played them yet. I'd still recommend those anyway. There's some other really interesting Marvel games out there.
Batman: Arkham Asylum/Arkham City- I think these are a tad overrated, but they're still pretty cool. These are detailed action games featuring Batman as you take on the Joker and other released members of his rogue gallery. Plus Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and other B:TAS alumni return, so you can't blame them too much.
Lego games- There's a lot of them, and it depends on your fancy. Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Batman. They're simple action-platformer games that take you through chopped up, entertaining versions of the movies (except for the Batmans, which contain original stories from what I recall of the little I've played). They're great for your kids, and worth a playthrough of your own too.
As for direct movie tie-ins? Yeah, those typically aren't too good. Most of the time, they're made as quick cash-ins from weaker developers that rush things up to make sure you get as much of a similar experience as you can get.