How do you top two of the biggest,
most successful and most beloved superhero films of all
time? If you're director Sam Raimi, you keep throwing
stuff at the screen until it can't fit anymore.
After all, by the time Spider-Man 3 rolled
around, Raimi probably had the clout to spend as much
as he wanted or needed. The first Spider-Man was
a record-smashing hit, raking in hundreds of millions
and kickstarting a renewed mainstream love affair with
the superhero that continues to this day. Spider-Man 2 was
even bigger and better, once again setting the box office
on fire and quickly being hailed as one of the greatest
superhero flicks ever. In fact, both films ranked
on DVD
In My Pants' Top Ten Superhero Flicks list.
We're talking a billion-dollar franchise here, so whatever
larger-than-life action Raimi could imagine, he could have.
And boy did he imagine a lot.
But bigger does not always mean better.
 Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is enjoying a great time
in his life. He's got a sexy and talented girlfriend, so
to be fiance, in Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), his
job at the Daily Bugle is going well, and his alter ago,
your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, is the most popular
guy in town. This is the world of Spider-Man, though, which
means the good days will not last. First, an alien symbiote
crashes to Earth and begins to work itself into Peter's
very being. Then his best friend assumes the guise of his
arch enemy and attempts to kill him. Then he finds
out the man who really killed his uncle is still on the
loose. Oh, and the guy has super powers.
Yeah, there sure is a lot going on.
Spider-Man 3 is a massive film that
aims to be larger than anything you've ever seen. It's
the first two Spider-Man flicks slammed together, jacked
up on steroids, and darkened to a sleek black for good
measure. You can't fault Raimi for aiming high. You can,
however, fault Spider-Man 3's script for
biting off more than it can chew. This is an action-packed
film that tries to a lot, and I mean a lot, and
feels scattered and unfocused for it.
That does not mean, however, that the third installment
of the Spidey saga does not ultimately satisfy. It does.
The 139 minutes here are at times unfocused and scattered,
but the high points will be good enough to bring you back
for a repeat viewing.
 Heck, it might take a repeat viewing or three to really
appreciate the interwoven narratives in Spidey
3. This could have been two films, easy. Unlike
the wretched later Batman films (among DIMP's
Suckiest Movies of All-Time),
all three villains (four if you count the black costume)
were well-realized – and that was a surprise. Of
course, it helps that The New Goblin aka Harry Osborn (James
Franco) had two films of character-building behind him.
He came off better than expected; the look worked, and
in action he was far cooler than he had any right to be.
Plus, his story plays out wonderfully. Sandman (Thomas
Haden Church) looked GREAT, and his back story was very
well done. My one problem is that introducing sympathetic
elements FIRST was a mistake. We should hate the guy first,
so that later when we see his bad family situation we're
left torn. Instead, we somewhat sympathize from the start.
A structural flaw in the script, in my opinion. And finally
Venom. I've never been a fan of Venon in the comics, but
he translated very well to the screen. Fantastic
look. Very cool in action with lots of energy,
strength and weight.
 He should have been saved for a whole film of his own!
Of course, the triple-villain approach means that no matter
how well each was featured, we did not see their full potential
as villains. That's too bad.
This is a superhero flick, which means a big part of
giving us a great experience is giving us great action.
On that, Raimi delivered. The action sequences are well-choreographed
and full of energy, featuring some very impressive set
pieces. Lots of creative camera work. (Sometimes too creative;
at times I felt that a static camera showing Spidey do
amazing things would have been more impressive and effective
than the swooping, moving camera.) This movie cost almost
$250 million, and it shows.
Also, like the previous two films, the humor is by and
large, very good. Loved the scenes at the Bugle. Again,
a real high point.
 But all the good elements do not necessarily add up to
an always excellent whole. The script is scattered, juggling
too many storylines and therefore not allowing a single
element to rise above the rest as “the” story.
Cut one of the stories out and you have a tighter, more
focused film. As presented, it meandered. Choppy pacing
and unsteady focus. In a movie like this there is NO WAY
I should be checking the time, but I was.
This whole movie could have been just New Goblin & Black
Costume, or Sandman & Black Costume. And, I'd argue, should have
been. Too many elements, scattered focus.
There's more, of course. The entire Venom storyline would
have been better used in the fourth movie, teased here
with some foreshadowing instead. Playing “Dark
Spidey” up for laughs gave us the most  dreadful
scene of the entire trilogy. The silly nightclub sequence.
And the personal stories lacked the resonance of the two
previous films.
But I've griped, complained, bitched and nitpicked more
than an enough for a film I ultimately enjoyed just fine.
Consider my colored by disappointment. When the first two
Spider-Man flicks are as good as they were, it's easy to
have your expectations set too high. For all its flaws, Spider-Man
3 packs in a heaping helping of action and adventure,
with some of the most impressive eye-candy to date.
Disc Presentation
Spider-Man 3has a unique problem – it's dark.
Not just thematically, but visually, too. Lots of night scenes,
characters in black, and plenty of shadows. That means the blacks
had better look good, with as little edge-enhancing and haloing
as possible. Sony Pictures delivers the goods. This is one great-looking
DVD. The big 5.1 sound mix is great, too, like Spider-Man
2 delivering a full, active surround mix. 'Tis very nice.
Disc Extras
Booooo for single-disc releases!
 The single-disc release, which I'm reviewing here, offers
a few brief bloopers, some photo galleries,
and a music video (my least favorite breed of
extra), which are fine and all, but don't exactly beef
up the value in any major way. For six or seven bucks more
I can get a second disc of bonus material, right? But there
are also two DVD commentaries, one with Raimi
and the cast, the other with the producers and special
effects people. The latter is relatively dry when it's
not fluffy and empty (though there are some interesting
technical insights), but the former does provide fodder
for some solid extra entertainment. Raimi is always interesting
to listen to, and the cast share some fine anecdotes about
the Spider-Man experience. Documentary material may be
lacking, but for you folks who love their extras, this
makes for a good added value.
The Bottom Line
I can criticize all I want, the bottom line is, this
is Spider-Man, one of the biggest, most popular franchises
in comics, and now in modern movies. And you know what?
For all the complaining I did, I still love these characters,
this story, and the thrill ride Raimi delivers.
So yeah. Go get 'em, Tiger.
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