Spiderman 3 is here and I can say that it was overrated. Although, I never read the comic, I can say that if you liked the first and the second Spiderman, then you will like Spiderman 3 to tie the knot to a well series done. I give the film 3.5 stars. I believe that the film lacked originality and seemed only like a film a 7 year old would love while their parents will only be happy because their son loved it. Below is the plot and details of the film justifying my score. Do not read the section in between ------- (dashes) if you do not want me to spoil the film. Scroll all the way down for the bottom line's paragraph.

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The film starts off with frames from Spiderman I and II. I thought that was the only original part of the film. Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is still a nerd. We get to see him in a moped wearing a helmet, see him talking about the acoustic of the theater at which M.J. (Kirsten Dunst) performed at, and him wanting to be recognized by the public that he is Spiderman.

Here comes trouble. Harry (James Franco) is angry at Spiderman for allegedly killing his father. Parker tries his best that he killed Harry’s father in self defense. Here I am satisfied that Spiderman 3 continued from where Spiderman 2 left off. I liked Harry's hoverboard which reminded me of a hover snowboard. In fact, I had a craving to go snowboarding. There is a fight between Harry and Spiderman. Spiderman uses a thick strand of web and Harry, on his hoverboard, end up hitting it. He falls off around 40 feet and ends up being in the hospital.

As Harry recuperates, it seems that Parker and Harry are getting along as best friends. While everything is going well there is a new problem; the black goo from a meteor and Sandman. Drama is on queue as the film is now predictable, we know what lurks in the next 30 minutes.

In the meanwhile, the film relates with the audience with the classic Hollywood love, cheat, followed by a breakup. Spiderman’s cockiness and narcissism (love of himself) gets him pumped up by the crowd’s cheer. Spiderman believes that nothing can go wrong, that is until he kisses his college classmate in front of the New York crowd. What Spiderman does not realize is that M.J. has witnessed the kiss. I would say a good 25-33% of the film is about Spiderman in damage control to get M.J.’s trust back.

The twist that shakes off the film’s predictable plot is that M.J. starts to spend some time with Harry. If you want to know what would happen if you dated your best friend’s girl you will see that your best friend would throw some punches at you. Anyway, it gets even more bizarre. Harry and M.J. kisses at Harry’s place. Ouch! What does Parker do in retaliation? He dances with a girl using her as a dance partner right in front of M.J.’s performance, as a singing waitress.

Parker dancing? It turns out that the black goo really brought the cool side of Peter Parker. The black goo transforms Parker to be cool. At first Parker loves the black goo, which results the black suited Spiderman. In one scene, Parker is walking down the sidewalk dancing and showing off like a cool and slick wannabe. Parker walks inside a store and comes out in a new sophisticated black zoot suit. Hmm, sounds like this scene reminds me of Jim Carrey starring in The Mask. By the way the dancing scene in Spiderman 3 is the same as the dancing scene from The Mask. The only difference I saw was different casts. The music played? Swing in The Mask and Jazz in Spiderman 3.

Just as Spiderman is having a crisis it only gets more complicated. I think this is where Spiderman 3 starts to sink. A new problem is with Eddie Brock (Topher Graceless). Desperate to keep his job at the Daily Bugle, Eddie plastered negative and Photoshop versions of Spiderman.

It seems Spiderman 3 is much more hurried paced and more complex than Spiderman I and II. I am already starting to zone out at this point. Luckily, I had plenty of sleep and I already finished my popcorn. I now realized those who have been sleeping, in the film, are only going to ask “what the heck is going on?”

While the relationship issue between M.J. is not resolved, at least Parker finds a way to have Eddie fired. The audience at this point is cheering as one problem is down; another problem is to be solved.

Parker is wise to realize that wearing the black spider suit only made his relationship with M.J. to worsen. Parker is at a church one day and rips off his black suit. Several stories below, Eddie prays to have Parker killed. Eddie wants Spiderman to be killed because he lost his job as a newspaper photographer, at the Daily Bugle. After successfully ripping off the suit, the black goo somehow finds its mark. Eddie Brock.

Eddie becomes Venom and he now has the power to kill Spiderman. So what about Sandman? In Spiderman 3, Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) is revealed to be the actual triggerman who killed Uncle Ben. As an escaped convict he has been molecularly transformed after ending up in a scientific test facility during a foot patrol. Sandman had the power to utilize sand to blend in with sand on a truck or to be tall as a skyscraper. Hmm, the special effects look something out of The Mummy series.

By now you might be lost. At least we know who the antagonists are: Harry, Sandman, and Venom.

In Spiderman 3, despite his injury and some loss of his short term memory how is it that Harry remembers his father’s death in 60 seconds when he looks at a large painting of his father at his father’s office? Talk about a speedy recovery considering a brain injury that resulted in several days’ stay in the hospital. Fortunately, Harry’s caretaker convinces Harry that his father’s death was justified as Spiderman tried to defend himself.

How is Harry and M.J. fairing? M.J. realized her mistake to kiss Harry and walked off.

Now the pace of the film is starting to slow down to a level that I can appreciate. There is a hostage situation. As I have mentioned, Venom and Sandman are to tag team against Spiderman. M.J. is the hostage in a yellow cab stuck in Venom’s black web. The audience is cheering as Parker does the right thing and dress in his original red and blue outfit to rescue M.J. As Spiderman comes to the rescue, Venom and Sandman tries to kill Spiderman. When the skyscraper sized Sandman pounds Spiderman with his fist, Harry comes to the rescue in his hoverboard. The audience cheers as another twist has just unfolded. Spiderman tag teamed with Harry to take on Venom and Sandman.

In the end, Spiderman is alive, Venom is not. Another twist unfolded on me, when Harry saved Spiderman’s life by placing himself as a shield at the time when Venom was going to stab Spiderman. Harry dies and Sandman apologized and asked for forgiveness regarding the death of Uncle Ben. The film ends with M.J. and Parker being in love again. Only five patrons out of 200 clapped and cheered by the time the credits rolled.

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Watch Spiderman 3 in 2 weeks when the movie is not considered as “special engagements.” This way your movie comps at AMC theaters allows you to watch the movie for free. If you do not have a “Movie Watcher” card get one. My 16 year old cousin fell asleep in this film, yet I wonder how the die hard fans who waited for 6 hours in line must have felt. I left the theaters with a good feeling after Parker’s narration revealed that we all have choices with our lives and I believe that the film had a great happy ending. The special effects were the same level as the special effects of the year 2003. The plot was predictable and the ending could have been more spectacular. I thought that my “spidey” sense was tingling for a well rated meal. However, it turns out that the well rated meal was more of a leaf blowing in the wind.


Recommended: Yes

Movie Mood: Action Movie
Viewing Method: Studio Screening/Premiere
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Pacing