Spider-Man 3

When I first saw "Spider-Man 3", I enjoyed it because of Venom. Years later however after comparing it even more with its predecessors, it has lost some of its luster. The story was a tad too complex, the special effects lacked believability and director Sam Raimi lost the balance between drama and action even more so than on the second film. The movie is entertaining but this trilogy unfortunately resembles such franchises as "Shrek" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" in that the sequels could not live up to the original film. "Spider-Man 3" is fun but its flaws get in the way.

The opening credit sequence follows the same pattern as the first two but with video clips this time from the earlier movies. I like how we get to see Peter using his powers without wearing his Spider-Man suit. The special effects in this scene however are not very good. As Goblin and Peter battle, you can tell what is real and what isn't. Throughout the whole movie, CGI versions of the characters don't look as convincing as they did in the Oscar-winning effects from "Spider-Man 2". The cinematography could have been a little better also in this battle between Peter and Harry as it was too intense. There was a good use of cinematography when the cops chase Flint and he gets into the truck. It's like an episode of "Cops" because of the handheld approach. J. K. Simmons's first scene is hilarious when he has to take his pills. I love how Peter handles Brock when they first meet. Peter can tell as we can that Brock full of himself and phony. Brock's relationship with Gwen for example is not what he thinks it is. It is only when the alien symbiote infects Peter that he starts to handle Brock the wrong way. Peter's mistake of kissing Gwen probably would have gone over better had Mary Jane not been recast on Broadway. Also, had Peter known about it, he probably wouldn't have kissed Gwen. It was all just bad timing and that makes the relationship problems quite tragic. Mary Jane does try to talk to Peter when he is leaving a message so it shows that had Goblin not interfered, they would have gotten over this problem. The symbiote doesn't bond with Peter until he senses vengeance. Peter could have accepted Mary Jane's help but he did not and that is when the alien struck. Evil is harder to reject if you allow it to take hold of you for a long period of time and the film explores this theme. I am glad that Mr. Ditkovich shows his good side in "Spider-Man 3". The plotline of Harry loosing his memory and then getting it back is one example of the slightly convoluted plot. The scene where Mary Jane is forced to tell Peter that their relationship is over is one of Tobey Maguire's best acting moment. When the ring appears, Mary Jane is obviously thinking, "Anything but that." Peter had put away the black suit because of his aunt but then Harry's trickery tempts him to wear it again. The fight between Harry and Peter in the mansion could have been dramatic but because of the choice in musical style, the scene is humorous instead. Even though I laugh as I watch that sequence, I feel that Raimi should have played it serious in order to balance the fun side of the movie. I love how Maguire reacts to the line, "Now, I'm gonna kick your [butt]". Just like in the previous Spider Man films, the extras' lines could have been less cheesy and one example is when they are seeing the fake front-page photo. They should have been acting in disbelief in my opinion considering how the city supposedly loves Spider-Man now. Brock gets what he deserves but Peter's attitude in exposing Broch is wrong. Just like in the second film, there is a musical montage as Peter enjoys his bad side. I enjoy how it sounds like 1970's music but the montage's subtext is quite negative. It is further evidence that there is a lack of balance between drama and fun. The dance at club is funny and cool but Peter being bad shouldn’t entertain us.

The use of three villains in this movie did "spoil the broth" but only slightly. Other sequels have crashed and burned trying to do too many things but "Spider-Man 3" still works. Some horror moments that are well directed are Goblin's appearance in Mary Jane's apartment and when she is picked up in cab by Venom. In every Spider-Man movie, there is a villain that chooses a path of evil because of an obsession/tragic event. Sandman in this movie is out to save his daughter but goes about it in the wrong way. His accidental murder of Uncle Ben made him a highly wanted criminal and he justifies his run from the law as necessary in order to save his daughter. Venom is a different kind of villain in this franchise. Unlike the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus or Sandman, Venom is pure evil. Even before Brock is taken by the alien symbiote, he goes to a church to pray for Peter to be killed. How bad can you get? The special effects that were used in the creation of these villains were good, especially with Sandman, so that is a relief. When Peter takes out his old suit to go and fight these two super villains, it is quite powerful. One major theme in this movie is that of agency. We all have a choice between good and evil. Harry, despite the great evil that is in him, chooses to do the right thing after Bernard testifies that Peter is right about how Norman Osborn died. Harry's love for his friends ends up being stronger than his hate. The teamwork between Goblin and Spider-Man during the climax is pretty fun. I love the moment when Spider-Man realizes how to defeat Venom and the subsequent shot of Spider-Man using all those pipes to weaken Venom. It is a triumphant moment. The most important part of the movie story-wise is the end scene. The trilogy demanded that Peter and Mary Jane end up together. They forgive each other, despite the problems that they had relationship-wise and because of Harry's self-sacrifice.

"Spider-Man 3" has some noteworthy actors. I like Thomas Haden Church because of "George of the Jungle". I remember Topher Grace from his cameos in "Ocean's Eleven" & "Twelve" and his voice as Venom was very good. Bryce Dallas Howard would later in her career star in "The Help" and she was phenomenal in that film. She plays Gwen in this show. James Franco did much better in this movie by the way. Stan Lee's scene is my third favorite cameo of his after "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" and "Thor" in that order. Bruce Campbell's character in this movie is the best in the trilogy. He chose a great funny accent. One important reason why "Spider-Man 3" entertains me less than the previous films is the change in musical composers. I wish Danny Elfman had written the music for all three films. While this sequel was enjoyable, its flaws were such that the film suffered. The story of this movie was good but not great. The first film in the franchise had a great balance between drama and action while "Spider-Man 3" failed in that aspect. Without Oscar-winner John Dykstra, the special effects were hit and miss. I believe that this superhero deserved a reboot but the weird thing is that it came only 5 years after this movie. The result was good but not great.

3.5 Stars