Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Director: Sam Raimi

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Topher Grace

A strange black entity from another world bonds with Peter Parker and causes inner turmoil as he contends with new villains, temptations, and revenge.

The original cast and director are back for another fantastical adventure. Harry now knows Parker’s secret, and is still fueled by vengeance. The relationship between Mary Jane and Parker is becoming increasingly complicated, especially with her career in a downward spiral. May Parker now lives in an apartment, and is still as wise as ever with good advise.

With so many characters – each with their own subplot – the film’s running time is significantly longer than its predecessors and also easier to forget about some of the characters when they’re not on screen. At times it felt like I was watching different films. JK Simmons is back as comic relief, but his humor feels forced, more slapstick and not as effective. In general, there were a lot more humorist elements here which seemed to clash with the issues at hand.

The main villain is escaped convict Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), who becomes The Sandman after an experimental freak accident. Unlike many villains, he has a very touching back story. His character also links to the events in the first ‘Spider-Man’. Speaking of villains, Harry now follows in his father’s footsteps, but the script can’t seem to make up its mind what they have in store for Harry. Is he still Parker’s friend or foe? His character swings backwards and forwards ultimately causing Harry to be a very confusing character.

Enter Gwen, who gives Spider-Man THAT kiss – similar to the famous kiss Mary Jane gave him in the original ‘Spider-Man’. Mary Jane goes on to say to Parker “that was our kiss”. Uhm, but was it? Who was to say he didn’t do that to other girls he saved prior to kissing her that night? We also see a very different side of Peter Parker.

In general, this installment contains more (soap opera) drama and is also much slower moving. Nevertheless, it is still exciting to watch with some incredible action sequences. The very ambitious climax is almost entirely CGI and maybe a bit too fantastical. For most part the film’s visuals were outstanding – especially the Sandman effects prior to the climax. Although not as good as the first two films, it was still enjoyable.

‘Spider-Man 3’ received 36 award nominations. At the box office, it earned nearly $895 million on a $258 million budget.

Would I watch it again? Yes, mainly for The Sandman.