What was wrong with Spider-Man 3

WARNING: Huge movie ruining Spoilers below. Don’t read unless you want to know.

I think its fair to say that SM3 did not live up to most people’s expectaions. Sure, it made fantastic money, but that is based a lot on the trailers and the success of the first two. I saw it last saturday.

The film was fun, I’ll give it that. It had great effects (save one), good action (most of the time), a good story (poorly executed), and it serves as a “Return Of the Jedi” to the first two films in the trilogy.

That being said. Anybody ever watch Jedi and say “yeah, its good… but…”

Thats how I feel here. Like the erstwhile end of the first Star Wars Trilogy, this film follows a first film marked by its freshness and wonder, and a second film that flawlessly executes all the potential of the first. Like Jedi, SM3 decides it wants to really WOW you, and throws in everything except the kitchen sink. By doing this, like Jedi, there are moments of birlliance that exceed the first two, but moments of painful misstepping that leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth.

Problems: 1) Coincidence. In the first two movies, you had scientists near science that made them go bad. Uncanny, yes.. but nearly plausible. In this film, Alien goo just happens to land in an empty park next to Peter’s motorcycle on the same night that a totally non-scientific bank-robber accidentally falls into a particle accelerator. Spider Man coincidentally later goes to a church in NY where Peter Parker’s new worst enemy (who is coincidentally after the same job and girl as Peter, despite having never met Peter) is coincidentally sitting, pretty much by himself, and the goo coincidentally falls on this guy right after he magically sees peter’s face 8 stories up. Its too much. I know its a comic book movie, but it has to make sense withing its own universe.. and it didn’t.

2) Character assassination. By this, I mean, there are characters doing things totally out of character to move along plot. Peter is self-absorbed before the Black suit while talking to MJ, MJ is deceptive about her job status (rehashing SM2 much?), Eddie’s personality shifts from go-getter to stalker to desperate to homicidal to power-hungry… whatever is needed plot-wise in a scene, Harry gets !amnesia!!?, then is retarded and charming, then is willing to hurt MJ (who seems just slightly miffed about it later, not like – “you just threatened me violently), Peter is full of rage and is rude to MJ pre-black suit, but is attempting to be apologetic post-black-suit, Aunt may is reduced to boring speeches, Harry’s butler has been holding back essential information for 5 years that could have stopped Harry’s tailspin until the last moment of this film, Sandman goes from “I don’t want to hurt you” to being convinced after a 2 line conversation with Venom that he wants to kill Spider man (why???), then switches back at the end.. aarrg! It was the character stuff that was done so well in the first two. Disappointing.

3) Good idea, poorly done. Venom. Sucked. Hard. Camp. Shoehorned into the script in the last 30 mins, Venom looks dumb, makes no sense, and could have been awesome (I so wanted to see a battle swinging through the streets). The final battle. Unexciting until harry shows. They actually use News reporting as a plot device. Camp. Spider-Man actually jumps in front of an American Flag. Camp. It was aggravating, becaus eit sin those campy last 30 mins that th emovie runs out of steam. until harry Arrives. And lets not forget the 3 (yes 3) singing solos for Kirsten Dunst. The well-done fun dark Peter saga is started with a random decision to pull his hair down all emo. Oh, and doing the twist (I did like Peter’s dancing, though).

WHY, Sam Raimi? You had it in the palm of your hand, and you dropped it.

THAT being said, I still reccommend the movie. That’s right. If you haven’t seen it. Go in knowing that you’re gonna roll your eyes, and that you’ll be pissed that an A+ saga is ending on a B-. Its still not a C, because those D+ moments above are in a movie with the following pros.

1) The story. It is worth it to see the Peter, MJ, Harry story play out.. and this is done mostly very well. Especially almost every scene with Harry (which is nearly undone by Deus Ex Butler). Harry’s skyline fight and the fight/argument in his apartment are the best in the film and rival the best of anything else in the series. This story ends satisfyingly enough, and Harry’s story (again, except for the butler) is compelling.

2) Dark Peter. It is fun to see the once-nerd get his due, and get some of the respect he deserves. It is equally compelling to see him humorously and then not-so-humorously overdo it. Well done here.

3) Effects. Top notch (except for venom). the Sandman transformation is emotional and jaw-dropping. The swinging is seamless. The camera work is mesmerizing. You do feel a little like you’re flying. Oh, and the Office/Crane thing is a lot of fun.

4) Fights. Peter vs. Harry. Spidey Vs. Sandman in the sewer. Peter vs. Harry in the Apartment. These 3 fights are as good as anything ever put on film. There has never been anything quite like the Harry/Peter fight (save Neo/Smith in Matrix 3) and the Apartment fight is painful and harsh and unbelievably well done.

5) Bruce Campbell as the French Maitre’d. Boomstick.

So, yeah, see it, but know that unless they’re gonna fix the aforementioned problems, you’ll want them to wait a few years before rebooting the franchise again.