Spiderman 3

Spiderman 3 picks up from the last movie in a slightly more serious tone than the previous two movies. Peter Parker, played by Tobey Maguire once again, is at a crossroads, as he's still trying to get through college, his best friend Harry Osborn, played by James Franco, won't talk to him because he believes Peter killed his father, and the love of his life, Mary Jane Parker, played by Kirsten Dunst, whom he wants to marry, is trying to make it as an actress while playing second fiddle to the alter-ego life of Parker as Spiderman.

All of this happens while an escaped convict, Flint Marko, played by Thomas Hayden Church (when did he get so big?), has an accident and becomes super criminal Sandman, who can change his body into sand, and lots of it, at all, and ends up encountering an alien entity that we learn is named Venom, that takes over the personality of the host is engulfs and enhances them in ways that either border on, or are completely evil, first taking over Spiderman, then Eddie Brock, played by Topher Grace, who's also a rival photographer at the Daily Bugle where Peter works.

Spiderman has always worked because he's the everyday common man, with the same problems everyone else has, if not more. Though I still liked this movie a lot, the problem I have with it is that there are fewer laughs in it, fewer moments where it feels like we're in on the joke, and a lot less positive communications between all the characters, as it seems no one is really listening to anyone else. Harry Osborn morphs mentally in different ways, first becoming the new and improved Goblin, following in dear old dad's footsteps from the first movie (just how much is Willem Defoe being paid for those 15 second cameos in the last two movies anyway?), then trying to woo Mary Jane away from Peter, then trying to kill Peter and finally ending up helping Spiderman fight Sandman.

Mary Jane Parker finds success fleeting, as she takes a professional hit against her voice after looming as a big name star in the second movie, and having to compete against Spiderman finally getting some of the positive recognition he's deserved.

Flint Marko sees himself as a misunderstood underachiever who just happens to always have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, whose only goal in life is to try to help his sick daughter.

And of course there's Peter Parker, who seemingly is always trying to do the right thing, has an interlude after being integrated with Venom where he's both the coolest cat and the biggest jerk while torturing Mary Jane by showing up where she works with a very hot looking Bryce Dallas Howard (Ron Howard's daughter), with a performance reminiscent of Buddy Love in the Nutty Professor (more Jerry Lewis' version than Eddie Murphy's).

All of this makes for a visually exciting movie, yet a very confusing one emotionally. At the end of the movie, no one is happy and two people are dead. It's quite a departure from the first two movies, and makes one ask if Sam Raimi was using this as his swan song to get out of the franchise if they plan on making another one. Still, the action sequences are fun, the visuals are great, and I'd recommend seeing this movie.

© Reviews of Everything