Directed by Sam Raimi | Prod. by Laura Ziskin | PG-13 | 2h 19m | Action | Released May 4th, 2007
Jan. 16th 2018
By Jackson Volenec & Patrick Kearney
This film is a somewhat random choice to review now, having it be nearly 11 years old and not relevant or talked about very often at all by the public. But honestly, the only context we have for this review is the fact that we were making fun of it and decided it would be entertaining to rewatch it. Under the assumption the movie was a complete laughing stock, we didn’t intend to take any aspect of it seriously. However, by the end of the movie, we had come to the conclusion that it wasn’t without its major flaws, although it possesses some redeeming qualities as well.
Spider-Man 3 is the final installment of the Sam Raimi trilogy of Spider-Man films released all throughout the 2000s. The first two, released in 2002 and 2004, had great success both critically and financially. The first two films were well thought out, refined, and included gripping action sequences perfectly blended in with a solid plot line to flow the movies from beginning to end. However, come the third installment of the Spider-Man trilogy, with Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man in all three movies) at 31 years old, this film has some significant shortcomings. Unfortunately, this movie is not nearly as focused, with too many subplots clashing into each other, some awkward moments with questionable dialogue, and a runtime that feels overstretched.
The biggest shortcoming of this movie is the amount of subplots that this movie tries to juggle at the same time. With a total of 3 supervillains, multiple underdeveloped character developments, and 2 different romantic subplots to top it all off, this movie doesn’t end up focusing on any of these topics nearly enough to be considered fleshed out and compelling, unlike the first two movies, which exceed in this department. Because of this, this movie can be difficult to follow at times for viewers, with all the clashing scenes that are constantly hopping on and off of each of the subplots all happening at once. Things of importance seem to come after the less important events,. For example, Mary Jane’s singing career gets more attention than the birth of one of the most highly advertised villains to appear in this film, “Venom”, who doesn’t actually appear until 100 minutes into this 140 minute film. The embarrassingly hilarious “Evil Peter Parker” subplot just comes off as overdrawn and unnecessary. This movie is home to one of the infamous low points throughout all three of these movies.
However, this film has several redeeming qualities and highlights about it. The action sequences are thrilling and visually spectacular, even with this film being 11 years old now. The movie doesn’t under the action scenes, but it simultaneously doesn’t oversaturate the movie with them, therefore not taking away from the plot. There are a few interesting twists that happen throughout, and there are some genuinely entertaining and moving scenes in this movie.
The soundtrack is absolutely fantastic. Danny Elfman’s beautiful orchestral score provides very memorable themes for the heroes and the villains. The music complements nearly every scene and enhances the tone of the intended mood, whether that be an action sequence, a plot twist, or an emotional scene, the soundtrack constantly compliments all of these things. Another thing that complements this movie’s tone is the consistent delivery of all dialogue between all members of the cast. J Jonah Jameson, (portrayed by JK Simmons), as an example, is one of the best casted roles of the 2000s. Tobey Maguire, James Franco, Kirsten Dunst, all hold their own as respectable actors which fit their roles very well. This is not unique to this Spider-Man film, as the cast has been spectacular all throughout the trilogy.
In conclusion, this film is somewhat a bit of a mess. However, that does not make it a total disaster without any redeeming qualities. There are genuinely entertaining moments in this movie, which contain gripping action sequences and well acted scenes. The cinematography in this movie is breathtaking at all times, and the soundtrack is a stellar complement. Although the subplots are not developed and confusing at times, this movie can be enjoyed for what it is. We give this film a 6/10.
