Spider-Man 3
April 30th, 2007
The hype machine is in high gear, but for once there’s truth in advertising. As far as megabudget superhero adaptations go, Spider-Man 3 delivers exactly what it promises: more of the same. If you liked the first two installments, this is great news. Unlike the self-important Batman Begins, the Spider-Man movies know exactly what they are and what they want to be.
Again, Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and James Franco engage in cheeseball humor and soapy storylines illustrating bromides like “everybody needs help sometimes.” As before, Sam Raimi’s crisp direction makes elaborate three-dimensional action set pieces as transparent as a few well-chosen comics panels would. Again, the bright color scheme, the iconic NYC locations, the funny bit players (J.K. Simmons and Mageina Tovah as Ursula), the swooping score, and the gee-whiz wholesomeness that leaves no doubt that this poppy entertainment is squarely aimed at kids.
There are three new villains: Franco turns into the hoverboard-surfing New Goblin, Sideways‘ Thomas Hayden Church becomes the Sandman (who, by film’s end, looks like the Trash Heap from Fraggle Rock), and Topher Grace as Eddie Brock, who is covered with alien goo as Venom, the most wicked of the Spidey villains. Their tag-team battles are the most exciting of the series so far.
Peter Parker also undergoes some transformations. As a deft metaphor externalizing his anger and aggression, the alien symbiote colors Spidey’s costume black, and he ends up with a hipper haircut and a mean new attitude: the dweeb struts to a James Brown tune and turns into a sexual predator (or at least a dweeb’s idea of a sexual predator.) In mythic terms, the symbiote represents the Devil of the Tarot deck, but by the end of the movie, the Sun of forgiveness comes up over Manhattan. There’s room for plenty of sequels.
Spider-Man 3. Sam Raimi, 2007. ***
- Spider-Man 3 on Rotten Tomatoes
- In case you managed to miss it, the trailer:
April 30th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
I walked through the set of this one when they were filming accross from the courthouses. Could you see me?
April 30th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
that’s fine for average comic fan. for Venom’s fans this going to be a great dissapointing. Only 20 minutes, is not fair
April 30th, 2007 at 11:35 pm
I know this is gonna sound weird from a guy who is watching every Star Trek episode. . .but I couldn’t even make it through the trailer! I find all this stuff so. . .incredibly. . .BORING.
I disliked the first film, gave in when everyone said the second one was terrific and disliked that, too. I shan’t be seeing this one.
There’s just something about comic book heroes that makes my brain shut down. I know I’m missing out on some major cultural touchstones, but I just can’t get excited.