Review of Spider-Man 3 (2007) by Jacob B — 23 Jan 2018

The problem with Spider-Man 3. Sony puts most of its eggs into one basket. What's the story? Peter Parker is planning to propose to Mary Jane Watson but this movie stands in his way. He goes on a quest to avenge Uncle Ben after James Cromwell reveals that Flint Marko, who becomes Sandman, is his true murderer and the guy from the first film was merely an accomplice.

An alien symbiote crash lands on Earth and turns Peter into a jerk. A love triangle with Gwen Stacy occurs. Eddie Brock is the new kid on the block and he becomes a rival with Peter. And doesn't turn into Venom until the third act.

You know that intriguing cliffhanger with Harry and the Green Goblin stuff? He gets amnesia for half the movie after the first action scene. While Venom was handled poorly, the real flaw for me was the alien symbiote.

It's made the main selling point in marketing but all the symbiote does is chill in Peter's apartment until an hour into the movie. Granted, this movie is 2 hours and 19 minutes long including credits but don't dedicate the marketing strictly to one specific thing when there are already multiple stories.

Not to worry, Spider-Man 3 still has enough redeeming qualities to be, at the very least, passable. The visuals look great with Thomas Haden Church's transformation into the Sandman being the coolest scene in the entire movie, the action sequences are amazing as can be expected with a Sam Raimi Spider-Man movie, J.

K. Simmons steals the show as J. Jonah Jameson who provides the movie's funniest moments and there is a nicely handled plot twist near the end of the movie. Peter's symbiote-influenced dance is "so bad, it's good" but that symbiote isn't trying to be cool.

It's attempting to understand human life. It might as well have the voice of Tommy Wiseau whispering in Peter's ear. *Emo Peter dances* Symbiote with voice of Wiseau: "Dancing, dancing. This is what people do when they happy, yes? Hahaha" Spider-Man 3 is enjoyable yet flooded with storylines.

I'm happy that Raimi finished all of them by the end of the movie and that term is saying a lot since this movie came out a year before Iron Man, which caused every major Hollywood studio to make their movies shared universes.

In fact, that's one certain Shymalan movie's plot twist. The "overdosed on stories" diagnosis that this movie had ultimately results in a so-so conclusion to the classic trilogy. I wish Spider-Man 4 came out.

We could've seen Bruce Campbell playing Mysterio finally having all his appearances from the trilogy connected. Never mind, I look forward to the day I stumble upon an alternate reality where the fourth movie happened and Sony let Raimi make the movie in his own creative vision.