THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
In 2007, the hype was surreal for Spider-Man 3 and when it came out, it is truly entertaining in the first viewing but declines in quality after multiple viewings, discovering its many flaws.
PLOT
This threequel follows Peter Parker who discovers an alien symbiotic that becomes attaches to him, which rapidly changes his personality. He does eventually rid himself from it when he sees that he has gone too far, but the progress is shocking. Peter wants to marry Mary Jane but accidentally puts their relationship to the test when kissing Gwen Stacy, his college classmate who is the daughter of the city's police captain. Harry Osborn is ready to kill Peter thinking he's responsible for his father's death. And in his first attempt, he gets concussed and forgets what happened, momentarily. Peter gets rival photographer Eddie Brock fired, for posting a photoshopped picture of Spider-Man committing a robbery. The night Peter separates himself of the symbiote, it goes to Brock, making him VENOM. Venom aligns with Flint Marko, an escaped convict who's DNA fused with sand when falling into a particle accelerator, making him the SANDMAN. Marko had encountered Spider-Man before when Peter discovered that he was the one who killed Uncle Ben all along. When the new duo abducted MJ, Peter and Harry eventually make amends to fight the two villains and save her. Brock dies with the symbiote, only after Harry sacrificed himself protecting his friend. When Marko explains that Uncle Ben's death was an accident, Peter forgives him and lets him go. After Harry and Brock's funeral, the film ends with Peter and MJ making amends with a hug.
THOUGHTS
The best way to discuss my thoughts is through the pros and the cons. PROS: Stan Lee's cameo is great as he is not just talking Spider-Man making a difference, he is talking about his success with Marvel Comics. Thomas Haden Church arguably gives the best performance of the film as the Sandman, someone who just wants to do right by his daughter but is ensued with bad luck. The only time that the visuals hold up is when it comes to the Sandman. Peter's discovery of who Marko really is, is a great scene because we sense all the guilt and anger he has because not only does he regret killing the wrong man, but he had encountered Marko before. That is arguably a scene that can arguably be looked at as an acting lesson. Despite being rushed, the build up for Venom is worth witnessing. J.K. Simmons is still great as J. Jonah Jameson and the scene of Elizabeth Banks' Betty Brandt putting his anger to the test will always make me laugh. Nothing beats Danny Elfman’s scores to the previous two films but I enjoyed what Christopher Young provided. You may cringe of Peter's actions when he has the symbiote, but the bar fight where he accidentally hits MJ is another tragic scene perfectly executed as this is what wakes Peter up. The shot of Peter at a church in the black suit is such an iconic shot as we see the reflection of his regret, which makes the movie more memorable. I also can't forget about Bruce Campbell's cameo as maitre-d. It's too funny to ignore because of how his accent is intentionally over the top. While I admit that Harry's arc wasn't handled best but I also believe his death was a bummer to see because he basically wanted to redeem himself for how he was towards his friends that he ironically gets killed in a similar manner like his father. The whole point of this film is to explore the theme of being strong enough to forgive those who hurt us. If Spider-Man can forgive Sandman's mistake, I think we're all strong enough to forgive those who've wronged us. CONS: Tobey Maguire, James Franco and Kirsten Dunst don't exactly improve nor decline with their performances, which is weird considering how great they are in the first two prior. Peter's dance in the sidewalk is funny but so cringe worthy. When the visuals are not on the Sandman, they don't exactly hold up at all. Bryce Dallas Howard's appearance as Gwen Stacy is only there to drive the tension of Peter and MJ, she has no arc at all and it's disappointing she doesn't anything else between that. I don't mind James Cromwell playing Gwen's father, Captain George Stacy, but he is only there exposit that Flint Marko killed Uncle Ben. When Harry and Peter have their first fight which leads to Harry's concussion, how does Peter explain his damaged suit and Harry's costume? I can never stop thinking about it. It is even more upsetting that Harry's butler Bernard reveals the truth of Norman's death and chooses until now to tell Harry. Seriously, why didn't he tell him before? It makes his hatred for Spider-Man so unnecessary. The entire Venom scenario was rushed so bad. Topher Grace tries to make his character as sadistic and selfish like he's originally depicted, but he comes off like a wimp and that ain't right. Getting three different villains makes it feel crammed, which is why Sony should have allowed Sam Raimi to direct a 4th film for this arc to allow space for the villains. I don't want to hate on MJ but she kind of jinxed her career when saying her wish out loud. One simple thing and just maybe she wouldn't be re casted. Am I the only one that found it odd how the cops never knocked on the door of Flint's house when he was there? It was the only place he was gonna go before he had to keep moving and they missed him before he got his powers. I also call bullshit While it is satisfying that Peter and MJ are back together by the end, you can't help but wonder if they ever get married. If you put aside every con this movie has, there is a chance that you will enjoy this movie. For those who love the first two so much, good luck with this one.
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