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"3" Is the "Revenge of the Siths" of the Series "Spider Man 3" is what's known as a 'review proof' movie. There are millions of people around the world who will plunk down $11, yen, British pounds, francs, whatever, to see the latest installment of the series, no matter what any critic says. If you are one of these people, please go and see the film. You will enjoy it. For everyone else, the few of you out there, read below. Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) and Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) are pretty much in a holding pattern. Parker enjoys the fame his alter ego Spiderman now receives; New Yorkers seem to realize he is there to help and have turned him into a hero, hanging banners proclaiming their idolatry of him, making action figures, throwing parades, etc. Mary Jane has landed a role in a Broadway musical and Peter sits front row center, ready to support his girlfriend on opening night. Harry Osborne (James Franco) sits in a balcony seat and glowers at the man he believes killed his father. Peter is at the stage where he wants to ask Mary Jane to marry him, so he seeks advice from Aunt May (Rosemary Harris), who offers her engagement ring. That night, Parker is walking home when he has an encounter with the new Green Goblin, Harry Osborne. But Mary Jane is becoming a little distant; every time she wants to talk or seek advice from Peter about a problem she is having, the conversation turns to Peter and his exploits as Spiderman. Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) escapes from prison; he has to see his daughter who is sick. He promises to get her some money, before his ex-wife (Teresa Russell) runs him off. The police chase him across a park and he runs into a giant genetic testing facility right before an experiment begins. The police are unable to locate him, but he soon reappears, changed by the experiment, able to change the molecules in his body and command the sand he was trapped in. The Sandman is born and he proceeds to rob some banks, to get the money for his daughter's medical needs. Eddie (Topher Grace), a new upstart photographer is trying to earn the staff position Peter has desperately sought for so many years. When Spiderman saves his girlfriend, Gwen (Bryce Dallas Howard, "The Village", "The Lady In the Water"), a model and the police chief's (James Cromwell) daughter, she becomes infatuated with her new savior and Eddie becomes jealous. So much so, that he wants Peter Parker to die. Then, a mysterious, aggressive, black ooze falls from space and lands near Peter. It attaches itself to Peter and begins to make both Peter and Spiderman more aggressive, more powerful, scarier, allowing both to explore their dark side. Soon, all of these forces will meet and Mary Jane will be smack dab in the center of the battle. "Spiderman 3" is a huge, heeeyyyyyooooggggeee, disappointment. Written and directed by Sam Raimi and co-written by his brother Ivan, both of whom worked on the superior "Spiderman" and it's sequel, you would expect the newest installment to at least be an enjoyable experience, if not a great film. But the latest installment is unable to reach even an acceptable level. Based on the success of the previous two films, the executives at Sony opened the bank vaults and allowed Raimi full access and he took full advantage. "Spiderman 3" is apparently one of the most expensive films ever made. Why is this even important? Generally, when a movie costs this much, a significant portion of that money is spent on special effects. When this happens, the filmmakers generally spend all of their time and energy on this particular aspect, and have little left for characters or story. One of the great things about "1" and "2" was the combination of great special effects, interesting story and engaging character development. Raimi seems to have felt it necessary to use all of that money to create a lot of special effects. To make these special effects necessary, he needs to have a lot of characters and a lot of villains. "Spiderman 3" has too much of everything. This isn't a complaint I often make. Usually, the more complicated a story or characters, the more I like it. But in the case of "3", too much of everything means that nothing is done particularly well. And this leads to a hollow experience that you feel for every one of the film's 140 minute running time. We already know a lot about Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson from the previous films, and there is a certain likable nerdy quality about Maguire's portrayal of Parker. But Dunst seems to be bored, mad, or both and her character never goes anywhere. Throughout, there is a conflict about their relationship and whether it will continue or not. Frankly, there are arguments for both. But these moments are not handled particularly well and don't really add to the story. It won't fit. Please read the full review at thornhillatthemovies.com email this review to a friend
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