Spiderman 3 Recap

Man, last night was crazy.

That's the first time since the re-release of the Star Wars triology back in my college days that I made the effort to be at a movie's opening showing. We went to the 12:01 am showing of Spiderman 3 last night... and I've got some thoughts...

It was a crazy mix last night... a crazy mix of high school students who somehow talked "mom and dad" into letting them go to a 12:01 am showing of a 2hr and 15 minute movie on a schol night. But there were also some there who might still be reading comic books and living in "mom and dad's" basement at the ripe old age of 38.

But the experience was a fun one none the less. And a tiring one as I crawled into bed last night at 2:45 am.


BUT IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO SEE IT AND DON'T WANT TO BE INFLUENCED BY MY THOUGHTS... STOP READING NOW... I MAY SHARE SOMETHINGS THAT MIGHT RUIN IT FOR YOU AND I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE GUILTY OF DOING THAT WITHOUT WARNING YOU.

INSTEAD, GO AND VISIT THIS PAGE... IT'S A GOOD ARTICLE... IT WILL GET YOU READY TO SEE THE MOVIE...




For those of you who are still reading. Here are a few thoughts.

My first experience is just in the area of seeing it on IMAX. If you get a chance, the screen size is incredible. There is a little space at the top and bottom like a traditional movie... but you're still watching it on a 3 story screen and that's pretty cool.

The one thing that I really liked about Spiderman 3 was the effects and combat/battle/fighting scenes were really good and very well done. At the very beginning, they catch you quick with a battle between Spiderman and Harry Osborn that catches your attention fast, doesn't give up and influences the rest of the movie. So, those effects were pretty darn awesome. Every time they put out a new one, it's better than the last one. Same is true here.

There are two things that I didn't like at all.
1. The cheese factor was too high in most of the movie. There are a couple of scenes of Toby McGuire/Spiderman/Peter Parker dancing around a Jazz club sticking it to MJ after she dumps him. It was too cheesy and be honest, unnecessary. But there was another scene where Peter Parker is walking down the street noticing all the "hot" girls, dancing and playing it up. Again... unnecessary, cheesy and too long (at one point I thought about slipping out for popcorn the scene was so long).

2. The plot took three twists that were stupid. This movie introduced one of the coolest spiderman villians, "Venom." But it also introduced "Sandman" and Harry Osborn's "Hob Goblin" (I think/thought... someone might correct me on that). That was fine. The problem was, Sandman and Venom teamed up to fight Spiderman. It was a stupid plot turn that reminded me of one of the worst movies of all time, Batman and Robin (with George Clooney as Batman and Chris O'Donnell as Robin) and Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy (Arnold S. and Umma Thuman) teamed up against Batman and Robin. Sandman and Venom teaming up just had that stupid thought behind it of how many bad guys can we get into one fight.

Secondly in the stupid plot twists arena, Spiderman had to team up with Harry Osborn ("New Goblin/Hob Goblin") in order to beat the Sandman/Venom duo. As with the Batman and Robin movie, it was just hokie and uncalled for.

Finally near the end, Spiderman and Sandman have a "touching" little moment where Spiderman comes to the conclusion, along with the audience (kicking and screaming) that Sandman is really just misunderstood and Spiderman should have forgiven him for what he's done. I found myself thinking, "Am I watching an action movie with Spiderman in it or a movie on 'Oxygen?'" While I'm on this topic... there was way too much crying in this Spiderman... They cried their way through too many scenes...

Overall, I would give it a "B." Its definately worth the ticket price to see it... especially if you can see it on IMAX. But its certainly not as good as either of the first two. And unless they change the writing and plot lines, if they do a "4" and "5," they aren't going to be received with as much grace.


Just a few thoughts from a guy who stayed up way too late last night to watch it before most people!!!

Jim