Spiderman 3 Movie Review

Bottom-Line: In the final analysis I found Spiderman 3 a slightly disappointing movie. 

My daughter and I recently went to see the latest installment in the Spiderman movie franchise, and on the way out of the theater, I asked her how she like the movie.  She responded that "it was okay," and that "it was not the best move she'd seen all year, just okay."  My daughters responds pretty much sums up how I feel about the movie as well; Spiderman 3 was just okay, not outstanding and not great entertainment; just okay.    

Story-Line

As we pick up the story of Spider-Man in this third installment of the franchise, Peter Parker (Tobey MaGuire-The Cider House Rules, Pleasantville) is fully in love with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst- Interview with a Vampire, Crazy/Beautiful, Bring it On), and she in love with him.  Everything is right I Peter's world, his girl loves him, the public adores him, and school is going well. 

But there are clouds on the horizon: his ex-best friend Harry Osborne (James Franco-Whatever it Takes, Tristan & Isolde, The Wicker Man), is out to kill him, and strange black blob from outer space has infected the young man turning his red suit black, and releasing a darker side of our web-slinging hero.  A buff Thomas Haden Church (3000 Mile to Graceland, Sideways, Spanglish) portrays the Sandman/Flint Marko, an escape convict who is changed at the molecular level by an particle accelerator, and just happens to be the man who really killed Peter's uncle, back in Spiderman 1.  And finally, Topher Grace (Traffic, Mona Lisa Smile, That 70's Show), portraying Venom/Eddie Brock fills out the trio of baddies.     

My Viewpoint

Directed and written once again by Sam Raimi (For Love of the Game, Spiderman) Spider-Man 3 is a rambling disappointment, something I alluded to above.  There is such thing as too much emotional baggage.  This installment of Spiderman is a little too human for my tastes; there is after all supposed to be some mystery behind the mask.  When Peter and company are not weeping, Spiderman is being unmasked and then proceeds to get the goofiest looks on his immature face.  Perhaps this part has outgrown Toby McGuire, because he is no longer convincing as Peter Parker. 

Where was Spiderman's Spidy Sense?  It's his trademark; it's the thing that keeps him from getting his small fanny crushed by much bigger foes.  In Spiderman 3 it is virtually non-existent as the man who would be part spider is slam-danced from one end of the screen to the other.  Yes, I know (comic) Spiderman has taken his share of hits, but in this movie he was roundly and soundly thrashed within an inch of life by only two opponents, one of which was made of sand! 

Needless to say I found Spiderman 3 a slightly disappointing movie.  In the final analysis there was too many tear dropping and not enough action rising.  I understand the emotional ties, but there was just a little overkill; too much mush!