Spider-Man 3

Spidey Weekend Part III and conclusion

Okay, so I have noticed that as I have written these reviews they have become less and less enthusiastic, and I'm sure this one will continue that tradition. But before I continue with my lukewarm criticism, know that these films are good films...I just can't stand Tobey Maguire. Something about him...probably his whiny whispery voice because I kid you not, on both of the first two films I had to crank the volume to understand the voice overs. It could also be the style. While I appreciate the humor Raimi infuses naturally and the great story arcs and villains, I am slightly irked by the obvious attempts to tie Spider-man to NY and occassionally the cheesy iconography type cinematography. I have noticed this though, and I believe it whole-heartedly...if Sam Raimi could learn to include some crazier darker lighting and a little more slanted angles, Raimi would have been the perfect candidate to replace Tim Burton after he had finished Batman Returns.

Now Spider-man 3. The first half of the film is quite good and Raimi does an excellent job of including the venom symbiote into the storyline of Spider-Man's corruption to the dark side. Sure there are a couple of sequences, usually dance sequences that last a bit long and make me cringe, but on the whole it is really well paced and performed. The film turns its focus back to the issues between Mary Jane and Peter, which Raimi realized early on was the crux of everything. In fact, he has gotten it down to a formula. Add a pinch of love disturbance, a princess kidnapping, some egotistic stupidity on Peter's part, add in a villain and stir vigoruosly. Include one or two platitudes about life and a moral lesson for Peter and end with villain killed after finding out Peter's secret identity. Now, the first film had 1 villain, the second 1 had 2 and this one...well, it has three, sort of. And it reached its breaking point.

Despite the first half, the second half takes off and tries to suddenly include the entire arc of venom and Eddie Brock. Since the film takes off running for the finish line, many details pass by in a blur and are easily missed. Leading up to a gigantic climactic ending that's easy on the eyes but painful to the brain. I'm sorry, but Sandman doesn't spend as much energy as possible to kill someone to just apologize later and vanish...and of course, the tradition continues in that all the villains die, except Sandman because Raimi probably couldn't think of how to get rid of him. Also, I could understand Harry saving MJ maybe, but there is no reason Harry would have saved Peter after everything with half his face being blown off in a spat. Instead, what starts off as a promising trilogy with great lead up ends completely unsatisfactorily in every department except for maybe the MJ and PP line. But yea, that whole explosive showdown you felt promised since the first movie? Yea, forget it. Change of heart and all that ****. Raimi, stick to two villains at a time and make sure you understand the characters...all of them.

As for acting, Tobey Maguire does his Peter Parker thing and is especially funny to laugh at when he dons the dark "emo" Peter Parker look. Classic. Kirsten Dunst is great as a flailing actress and MJ. Plus, I have to admit that she has some really nice legs. James Franco does a great job as Harry...until the end because the ending is SOOOO f'd up. Other characters include Bryce Dallas Howard, Ron Howard's daughter, as Gwen Stacy who is essentially unneccessary although she does do a good job in her few scenes. Also, I remember Gwen being slightly more...daring? than MJ which never came across in the maybe two scenes. J.K. Simmons changes up his humor by playing it more low without yelling so much and he is still brilliant. Seriously, this guy makes the series worth watching all by himself...well he and Bruce Campbell who has his biggest and funniest cameo yet. Why isn't he cast in more big time movies? Oh well. Stan Lee has a speaking role for once, good for him. Now for the villains. Thomas Haden Church is wonderful as Sandman. He plays the tragic villain perfectly. Too bad the ending sucks. Topher Grace pulls off the Venom character better than I ever believed possible for such a skinny kid, but damn he got the character down well. Too bad he's dead and didn't find time to develop the character beyond one-dimension!! Hmm, as I write, the ending irks me more and more. Oh well, at least the venom story comes from the animated 90's series and I enjoyed how he killed Venom at least. The silly Eddie Brock storyline is handled pseudo well but of course, this film needed to end with the creation of Venom and then let the next one focus on Brock/Venom/PP. Oh well, too late now. The good news is that no one disappoints although I find the tonal shift in PP's landlord from Spidey 2 to 3 disturbing.

Now where it's going. Raimi has done the evil twin of Spidey thing with the Venom line. He's done the tragic line with Sandman and the perpetuated Simmons paper influnced public idea. The struggle to gain MJ's love, done. The fight to save his friend from his own darkness, complete. And in the process, Doc Ock, Sandman, Green Goblin, Hobgoblin, and Venom all dead except Sandman who just sort of left. So, next will be possibly the Vulture and The Lizard. The Lizard being the most obvious with the buildup of Curt Connors being in the last two films helping Spidey. Just too obvious. Maybe after that it could be Morbius and Kraven, or some other such nonsene. Someone else close to PP should be in danger, so maybe Gwen Stacy will come back or maybe the nice landlord's crazy daughter. But will they want to make it? Apparently Sony has already committed to making a 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th or as long as they can craft great stories for such a great character. Raimi? Well besides being preoccupied with the possibility of filming The Hobbitt, he has mentioned that he would like to film the 4th and probably the 5th and 6th if he was still as intrigued as he is now by PP after the 4th. Tobey? Dunst? Franco? Well, Tobey and Kirsten both say they are tired of it but they might come back provided Raimi does it again and they feel its a good story that naturally flows from the last one. Franco? Well, who cares, his character is dead now. Although Ben Parker died in the first film but they brought him back for the great flashback sequence in 3. Now here lies the interesting part. Rumors has it that the powers that be might want to do away with Raimi and Maguire and Dunst since if Raimi came back he would want too much control and Spidey 3 cost $250 million just to make. Plus, Maguire and Dunst would want a pay increase. Instead, they are thinking of recasting it and refilling it with new up and comers to keep costs down and to start up a new trilogy with a new great director at the helm. Honestly, I would be okay with a new director and a new spiderman and MJ as long as they kept the supporting cast and got a director and replacement actors talented enough to keep the stories good. Jake Gyllenhaal for Spidey, Rose McGowan as MJ (Both have porcelain skin) and maybe get someone else with a love of old creature films and a love of comics...like Guillermo del Torro or Alfonso Cuaron. Just not Ang Lee.

Conclusion:
Good casting as always. Some great pacing and acting i the first part with only a few cringe moments, some of which were planned. Unfortunately its followed with a web-slinging hodge podge of ideas and plans that leave too big a hole in the middle for any audience member to slip through without being caught and entranced. Good luck to Raimi and crew, but especially to the supporting cast who should always be there. Also, the whole butler thing for Harry is completely contrived, lame and crappily executed on all fronts. Bah, see it for some fun but don't expect a satisfying ending to the promise of the first two in the trilogy.

3.54 out of 5

Wannabe