“You knew this was coming, Pete!” —Harry Osborn
Today’s quick review: Spider-Man 3. After years of struggle, Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) has finally made it. New York loves Spider-Man, he’s on top of his classes, and he’s planning to propose to Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst). But everything changes when Peter learns that escaped convict Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) was the one who really killed Uncle Ben, sending Peter down a dark path of revenge.
Spider-Man 3 is a superhero action movie directed by Sam Raimi. Spider-Man 3 flips the formula of Spider-Man 2 on its head, showing how Peter reacts to success instead of failure and tempting him with the darker side of his powers. The movie ups the ante by including three villains instead of one: Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), Venom (Topher Grace), and a new Goblin (James Franco). The result is a crowded and action-packed movie with mixed appeal.
Spider-Man 3’s ambitions are a double-edged sword. The upside is that the movie has plenty of material to work with, both in terms of action and Peter’s personal arc. Each of the three villains brings a new style of action to the table, with aggressive use of CGI and action scenes that show off Peter’s newfound aggression. The personal side of the story is a nice twist on Peter’s usual struggles, and the villains are motivated well.
The downside is that Spider-Man 3 can be too crowded for its own good. The script has to work to fit in storylines for three separate villains, Peter’s descent into vengeance, and his rocky relationship with Mary Jane. Every subplot has all the pieces it needs, but how they get slotted into the overall story is a bit haphazard. Spider-Man 3’s tone is also different than the previous movies, with a darker version of Peter and some jarringly goofy scenes.
Spider-Man 3 does not have the same robustness as its predecessors, but it still makes an entertaining watch for the right viewer. Spider-Man 3 will appeal the most to superhero fans who are in it for the action, the comic book characters, and the larger-than-life struggles. Fans who are looking for a movie with a focused story, a consistent tone, or subtle character development will find that it misses the mark.
For a Spider-Man movie with similar ambitions and similar pitfalls, try The Amazing Spider-Man 2. For an animated Spider-Man movie that juggles a large cast with more skill, try Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
[6.2 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0413300/). I give it a 7.5 for strong action and a packed story; your score will vary.