Director: Sam Raimi
Format: theater
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Topher Grace, James Franco
I’ll admit to having been a comic book geek once upon a time. I’ve still got a small collection, but I don’t spend $100 a week on them anymore. It’s an art form like any other; to be respected and appreciated. The history of movie adaptations from comics is spotty. The first two Batman movies were decent, as was the most recent Batman Begins (2005). A few of the early Superman movies were good and the X-Men movies to date have met with success. Contrast those with the painfully horrible Batman & Robin (1997) and Hulk (2003). The Catwoman movie, starring Halle Berry, is on my list of worst movies of all time. So, I think it takes just the right combination of elements to make a good comic hero movie. The first two films in Sam Raimi’s Spiderman series have been wildly popular and anticipation for the third was widespread. I even got goose bumps during the trailer. But, how long can our friendly neighborhood Spidey keep up the good work on screen?
In the third and latest installment of the Spiderman trifecta, a mysterious life form arrives on the planet in the shape of a black goo. Unbeknownst to Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), the tar-like alien attaches itself to the Spidey suit. When Parker reaches for his costume, he discovers that it has turned from the usual red and black to a sinister black and silver. And when he dons the outfit, he learns that he’s got even more strength and power than before. Meanwhile, misunderstood convict Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) finds himself trapped in a research experiment that jumbles up his molecules with a pile of sand and turns him into The Sandman. Electing, of course, to use his new qualities for criminal gain, he terrorizes the city’s bank vaults. While fighting this new menace, Spiderman discovers that Marko is the man truly responsible for his Uncle Ben’s death.
Remember Harry Osborn (James Franco)? Well, he’s still a little sore at Spiderman for killing his father. So, he decides to take on the guise of The New Goblin and even the score. And, as if these two villains weren’t enough for our hero to battle, there’s another character with a bone to pick. But, this time it’s with Peter. Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) is contending with Parker for a photography job at The Daily Planet and almost convinces Jameson (J.K. Simmons) to replace him. When Parker points out that Brock’s snapshots of Spiderman are fraudulent, Brock loses the position and develops a grudge.
On top of all the new villains to contend with, Peter has internal issues to fight. The new, black Spidey suit not only makes Peter stronger, it also amplifies his darker urges. He lands his relationship with Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) on the rocks by planting a kiss on the police captain’s daughter, Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard). But, then he upsets Gwen when he uses her to make MJ jealous. He gets up in Brock’s face in an uncharacteristic show of aggression at the newspaper and demands freshly baked cookies from his neighbor Ursula (Mageine Tovah). Before long, Parker realizes that he’s out of control and manages to detach the alien goo from his suit. When the creature finds a new host in Brock, Brock is transformed into Venom, one of Spiderman’s deadliest foes yet.
Since I seem to be in the mood for confessions, I might as well admit that I’ve been carrying a little torch for Topher Grace since the first episode of That 70’s Show. So, it was great to see him outside of the basement and in a feature film. Add to that the wicked nature and devilish fangs and we have a grin of approval for his performance as Eddie Brock/Venom. Maguire and Dunst are just as fantastic as they were in the first film. In fact, I cannot call to mind any actor in Spiderman 3 who didn’t do a great job. I was impressed by Church’s portrayal of Flint/Sandman. He was able to give the villain a softer side without making it terribly sappy or comical. Even though he’s the killer Spiderman thought he’d already punished, it’s difficult not to be sympathetic towards him. As expected, Raimi’s good friend Bruce Campbell makes it onto the cast and keep your eyes open for comic book legend Stan Lee to make a cameo appearance.
My main criticism of Spiderman 3 is that there are too many new characters squeezed into the plot at once. Like a Cirque du Soleil show, there’s so much going on at the same time, that it’s hard to fully enjoy everything. There’s Flint, Sandman, Gwen, Brock, and the ooze as both Venom and the black suit and they all have separate issues. I did enjoy the brief reuniting of Parker and Osborn, after Harry temporarily loses his memory. But, when he comes back as New Goblin (I thought it was Hob Goblin in the comics? Anyone?), it’s almost a waste of energy.
Although the third movie didn’t have the impact of the first two, it was still great fun to watch. Seeing Parker act out his less honorable intentions made me smile. It reminded me of the scene in one of the old Superman movies, when Superman gets his powers back and goes to return a beat-down to a trucker at a bar. I think that, as average individuals, it’s refreshing to see our heroes express some negativity from time to time. It makes the character seem more human, and thus, easier to identify with. Nobody likes a goody-two-shoes, do they?
Spiderman 3 has just as much web-slinging action as the first two, but maybe just a little too much action all at once. While the concept has been around for a while, the Raimi’s (Sam & Ivan wrote the screenplay) have done a great job in keeping the series from going wrong. So many other trilogies have gone horribly stale by their third go-round and I was relieved to see that Spidey still has most of the old magic.
Overall Rating: 3 ½
Hottie Rating: 4 (Grace is a cutie and no one has looked as good as Maguire in the Spidey suit)
Alternate viewing: Unbreakable
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