Spider-Man 3

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Rosemary Harris, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard, James Cromwell, J.K. Simmons, Willem Dafoe (cameo)
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 3

Summary: Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) has everything going for him. He is beloved by all, is prepared to propose to Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), and has some success in his career. Everything begings to change, though, when he finds a strange black symbiote. Soon, his flirtation with Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard) threatens his relationship with M.J., Harry Osborn (James Franco) is bent on revenge, a rival photographer (Topher Grace) is determined to take his job, and the real killer of his uncle is revealed to be the Sandman (Thomas Haden Church).

Review:

Tim: Spider-Man 3 is another great comic book film, but without a doubt, this is the weakest of the trilogy. It suffers a bit from the typical sequel problems- it focuses on making things bigger, expanding the cast, and upping the special effects. However, somewhere in all of this, a bit of the movie's heart is lost. This films has flaws, something the first two movies rarely did.

Tobey Maguire is once again terrific as Peter Parker. At this point, I can't imagine another actor in this role. Kirsten Dunst is fairly good as MJ, and James Franco becomes even better as Harry Osborn. He has really matured into this role and made it his own. The new additions to the cast are all quite good as well. Thomas Haden Church is pretty much perfect as Flink Marko/Sandman. He brings humanity to a role that could have been silly. Topher Grace was a controversial choice for Eddie Brock, but I thought he played the role well. Bryce Dallas Howard was terrific as Gwen Stacy, and a welcome addition to the cast.

The special effects are once again eye-popping. The Sandman looks great on screen. I also like how the movie handled the black-suit Spidey. This was really great to see. Eventually, we get to see Venom, who can only be described as a complete and total disappointment. In the Marvel comics, Venom is one of the greatest villains Spider Man has ever faced. In this movie, he is almost an afterthought.

As I said before, the movie has far too many flaws. There are a few plot holes that I won't mention, but they just detract so much from the movie. The second film suffered a bit because it needed more action- this film gives us enough action, but not enough of the heartfelt storytelling that we're so used to (this might seem like nitpicking, but there is a fine line that has to be walked here, and this film trips over it). I also wasn't sure what to make of the whole "real killer" storyline with Flint Marko. This wasn't handled as well as it could have been, and it felt hard to believe.

While the film is flawed, there are also so many terrific parts. I absolutely loved the conclusion of the Peter-MJ-Harry triangle. This resolution far surpassed any expectations I had. It was brilliant. The film's climactic battle is perhaps the best of the trilogy. Fans asked for action, and they were given it. I still get chills when I watch the "This may be the end of Spider-Man" scenes.

Spider-Man 3 is a slight drop in quality, but the movie is still far, far better than most comic books (and most movies, as well). I hope they continue to make more movies, because there are so many great characters in the Spider-Man universe, and I hope they can improve on the quality of this film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 9



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
X-Men, X2: X-Men United, The Hulk, Daredevil, The Punisher, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Fantastic Four, Iron Man