Spider-Man 3 dressed in black ready for attack.

With as much anticipation as any other adult that collected Marvel's The Amazing Spiderman comics as a youngster, I was more than willing to shell out the full price of a movie ticket to see actor Toby MaGuire put on the Spidey suit, plus with my children, nieces and nephews all clamoring to see it, I thought it best that I screen it first, at least that's the excuse I gave my wife. Columbia Pictures Spiderman 3 eloquently and vividly unfolds like a super sized comic book. This time things are looking pretty good for Peter Benjamin Parker (Tobey MaGuire). Everyone has accepted his alter-ego and hero Spider-Man and things are on track with his sweetheart Mary Jane Watson (Kristen Dunst). Everything is peachy with his supportive Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) and Harry Osborne (James Franco) appears to be out of the picture right now since he has lost his memory. Unfortunately, like most relationships there is trouble in paradise especially when aspiring actress Mary does not get what she wants. Adding a little extra drama into young Peter’s life is the return of the Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) who killed his Uncle Ben. The bulky plot thickens when a weird black ooze attaches itself to Peter and takes him to the dark side as Goblin Jr., a.k.a. Harry Osborne returns in spectacular fashion to settle an old score.


Needless to say there is a lot going on in Spiderman 3 as it delivers the goods on several different fronts. If you are not familiar with Spider-Man or Spider-Man 2 the subplots here might be too big for you. As for the critics who attack the script my only suggestion is that they pick up the bedrock of the franchise, The Amazing Spiderman comic book. It never ceases to amaze me why some critics attempt to take all the fun out of film based on a comic book. Probably the best and worst thing about the storyline is how Parker sticks with the love struck adolescent routine which gets a little dry as he bounces back and forth. The twist with Sandman, Osborne, and Venom is what makes this film work for me along with Parker’s slick trendy walk on the wild.


Director and co-writer Sam Raimi leads an all star cast with performances ranging from decent to excellent. For example I really liked Toby MaGuire’s enthusiasm for his character and felt Topher Grace was an ideal match. Bryce Dallas Howard's role was refreshing and Kristen Dunst's theatrical performance was decent but no real fireworks for me. Two of the most impressive actors were James Franco and Thomas Haden who added the comic book action and zeal. The film's supportive cast pays attention to their script and all deliver convincing presentations. The opening chase sequence is pretty good but does not set the pace for the film. As with all film's this is not going to appeal to everyone with its rating and long-lasting 2 hour and 20 minute length. (My recommendation is that you twinkle before the movie beings and hold off on the extra large soda.) The time is great if you plan on dropping off the teenagers but parents be forewarned this film is rated PG-13 for rough language, romance and bloodless violence. Although I did not I.D. any children, it was crystal clear; lots of parents threw caution to the wind and dropped off the kiddies who were under 13 years of age. The youngster sitting next to me boldly admitted he was only 10; sharing with his friend he could handle this movie.


Final thoughts:


Why not kick-start your summer and Spidey senses and prepare for the most spectacular adventure that's going to unfold on the big screen. Based on Marvel's comic book series this computer generated special effects masterpiece sequel is a comic collector's dream. Spiderman 3 has a heavy plot, thought provoking storyline and although there could be more action scenes the action is sequenced well. There are lots of rumors out there about Spider-Man 4. It is not a plot spoiler to say there is going to be a Spider Man 4, in fact I suspect there will be lots of other Spider flicks and cartoons. This is not rocket science if you follow the comic books you know Spider Man is a legend much like The Fantastic Four, The Hulk or DC Comic's Superman or Batman. Sure there might be another actor wearing the suit, but the story will continue. I'm giving this movie 4 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to Spiderman fan's and anyone who want's to know how a reportedly $250 million dollars is spent on one action flick. The Web Slinger delivers the bang for your bucks.