Spider-Man 3 Review

I saw "Spider-Man 3" last night and thought I would write a review. I have been anticipating this movie for months. I thought the second movie was so good that I figured "Spider-Man 3" would be simply, well, amazing. I read some reviews at Rotten Tomatoes before heading to see the movie. I'm glad I did, because I lowered my expectations before going.

"Spider-Man 3" is simply too ambitious for its own good.

I'm not sure why director Sam Raimi decided to incorporate so many story lines into a single movie. The first "Spider-Man" movie was good, but not great. Raimi was slightly handcuffed in the first movie because he needed to establish the characters and Peter Parker's transformation from tough luck geek boy to tough luck super hero.

The sequel was an excellent movie; it's definitely one of my top 10 favorites. "Spider-Man 2" carried so much emotional weight that viewers were completely drawn into the story. Peter's self doubt, concern about Harry's psyche regarding Mary Jane and the death of his father, inability to express his emotions to Mary Jane, difficulty juggling work, class, and the obligation to live up to his responsibilities as hero, and need for Aunt May's forgiveness for his involvement in Uncle Ben's death all combine to propel "Spider-Man 2" to great heights. When Peter barely manages to prevent the runaway train from running off the tracks, he collapses, drained and unmasked and the viewer feels exhausted, too. When Peter confesses his involvement in Uncle Ben's death to Aunt May her immediate rejection of Peter is felt not just by Peter, but in the heart of the viewer. These two scenes are the best two scenes in the entire trilogy.

"Spider-Man 3" starts at a frenetic pace. The movie actually feels much like "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" during the first 45 minutes or so. There are so many story lines occurring at once that they all feel rushed and under developed. The pacing doesn't allow Raimi or the cast to involve the viewer emotionally. "Spider-Man 3" should have built on the emotional weight of the first sequel; Harry wants revenge on Peter, Peter wants revenge on Uncle Ben's killer, Venom wants revenge on Peter. Unfortunately there are no cathartic moments, no points at which the viewer feels completely drawn into the story. Instead, the viewer is simply watching from the outside with little to no emotional investment.

The introduction of numerous new characters also fails the movie. The Sandman, Eddie Brock/Venom, Gwen Stacey, and the new Green Goblin all feel shallow. Harry never grows into the new Goblin role. He simply becomes the new Goblin almost instantaneously. Eddie Brock never develops into Venom; he is instantly transformed and fully aware of his new strengths and abilities. The Sandman is the only nemesis with any sort of development and he is the least interesting. Gwen Stacey is completely unnecessary in the movie.

The lack of emotional emphasis also detracts from the climax of the movie. The viewer is interested, but doesn't feel involved with the outcome. The resolution of the movie also doesn't feel satisfying.

Don't get me wrong, "Spider-Man 3" is a good movie. The story lines and intersecting character arcs are well thought out. Most of the plot elements are clever and cause lots of emotions for the characters involved. The action sequences are top-notch. It's simply unfortunate that the viewer feels left out.

Overall, "Spider-Man 3" is a good summer movie, but a seriously flawed one. It's better than the first movie, but pales in comparison to the second movie. I'd give it a 7.5 out of 10.