SPIDER-MAN 3 by Sam Raimi
Happy times for Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire). New York city finally recognizes and appreciates Spider-Man as a hero, and he feels he is ready to propose to his love Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst).
But pride goes before a fall. An alien symbiote – Venom – enhances not only Peter’s powers, but also certain feelings – especially aggression. And there is some aggression Peter’s life – the police informs him and his aunt May Parker (Rosemary Harris) that the actual killer of Peter’s uncle is Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) who has escaped from prison, and Peter wants revenge, his feelings even more amplified by the symbiote. Then there is Harry Osborn (James Franco), the son of the Green Goblin, who wants his own revenge – Spider-Man must die! And there is professional competition. Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) is keen to replace Peter Parker as Spider-Man’s photographer for the Daily Bugle, and it seems Eddie has good chances with chief J. Jonah Jameson who would still love it to mark Spider-Man as a criminal, and Eddie doesn’t have any qualms to deliver the pictures if he can.
Mary Jane doesn’t like how Peter changes under the influence of Venom, and Harry sabotages their relationship, and suddenly Peter is fighting on five fronts – Flint Marko, who has mutated to the Sandman (think The Mummy), Harry the New Green Goblin, Venom, Eddie Brock and his relationship with MJ. Hard times for Spidey …
As it goes with Trilogies, it’s hard to top Part 1 and 2, especially when those are as brilliant as Spider-Man 
Actions scenes are plentiful and easily match or surpass those of any recent blockbuster – Spider-Man vs. Sandman! Spider-Man vs. the Green Goblin! Spider-Man vs. Venom! Spider-Man vs. Venom and the Sandman! And there are hardly any scenes in any recent action-film that can top the excitement of Spider-Man coming to the rescue.
But of course the action is not what’s great about Spider-Man – it never has been. It’s the characters and their relationships that make you care about the heros and the villains and their battles. Spider-Man 3 may have a bit too many storylines (and fan-favorite Venom a bit too little screentime), and with 140 minutes it may be a little bit too long, and it’s not as dark as the marketing wants you to believe (the Venom-possessed Peter Parker doesn’t evolve into a raging madman – he mostly just loses his shyness and becomes a real man, but he does have his dark moments), but it’s still exciting, entertaining, funny (the scenes with JJ Jameson and Bruce Campbell as the Maître d’ of a posh French restaurant) and a great story about love, revenge, friendship, responsibility and relationships.
Not as good as Part 1 and 2, maybe – but a worthy third part of the trilogy. Trilogy? What trilogy? We want another film!
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Spider-Man 3 trailer
Webcast from the TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL – from the SPIDER-MAN 3 premiere
June 26th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
[…] Another third part (or “threequel” as it’s called meanwhile) this year, and just like the other two big “threequels” (Spider-Man 3 and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End Shrek the Third doesn’t match his predecessors. Shrek the Third is technically brilliant, the animation is top notch, but everything that make Shrek so brilliant is gone. The plot is neither original nor very exciting, the pacing slow, character development nonexistent, important supporting characters (Puss in Boots, Donkey, the Dragon) underused, comic and action highlights sadly missing, and some characters (e.g. Merlin) plainly annoying. Two stars for the animation, and one Puss in Boots as benefit of the doubt (because i’ve watched it dubbed in German and it seems there was quite something Lost in Translation). […]