I have written a review of this film already. However, having recently seen it for a second time, it struck me that the new look at the film changed my perspective and my opinion of it.

We have an expression in French that says "Qui trop embrasse, mal etreint." It could be regarded as a cousin of "Jack of all trades, master of none." Loosely translated, it means that the one who tries to do too many things at once ends up doing none of them well. This desire of writer/director Sam Raimi to tackle lots of issues, too many of them actually, proves to be Spider-Man 3's undoing. That and the failed attempts to grind more out of the Peter Parker/ Mary Jane Watson romantic saga.

Tobey Maguire returns as the friendly neighborhood hero, who is now loved by the entire city of New York. Things are also going well on the Peter Parker front. He is doing well at school; his life with Mary Jane is wonderful. However, danger lurks as his former best friend Harry Osborne (James Franco) still harbors vengeful feelings against Spider-Man, whom he believes to be responsible for the death of his father. When he becomes the New Goblin, Peter is in serious danger.

Then, there is Flint Marco (Thomas Haden Church), the murderer of Peter's uncle, who falls into this gigantic machine that seems to convert everything it touches into sand. Next thing we know, he is the Sandman.

Peter also faces a professional challenge in the form of ambitious young photographer Eddie Brock (Topher Grace). Brock's arrogance is striking and he gets on everyone's nerves quickly.

Are you somewhat tired of these descriptions? If so, know this. I am tired of writing them. The best thing about these separate plot points? There are flaws in all of them. Let us attack the deepest problem. The bond of love between Peter and Mary Jane seems strong enough. Heck, it is so strong that it dulls down the mighty Spider sense enough for Peter (and Mary Jane) not to notice the meteorite containing the aggressive symbiote landing about 40 yards away from them. However, it does not even survive the utterly stupid misunderstanding involving Spider-Man kissing Peter's classmate Gwen Stacy upside down, just like Mary Jane did. "That was our kiss," she cries. This happens just as Peter has finally gathered enough courage to propose marriage.

Now, most sensible couples would get past this and take it for what it is, a misunderstanding. But the movie denies MJ and Pete even the slightest complexity and intelligence because this is required in order to split them up again to then get them together, again. This machination fails to alter the fact that this is the same romantic plot as in the first two films, reheated and misguidedly used as the film main plot point.

Then there is the Sandman. As a man who finds him marginalized against his best wishes and grasping for a way to cure his ailing daughter, there is a certain interest to him, which is nullified when he turns into the giant sand monster that can be blown up by rockets and grenades and then retain full physical integrity. Great vilains have personalities and so does the Sandman, but the film waits too long to let us know, and the monologue in which it does shows us feels forced.

The great Rosemary Harris, who plays Aunt May, is relegated to a role greatly inferior to what her talent warrants. She had several of the previous installments' more touching scenes, yet here she is reduced to a one-scene part. Shame.

I am not one to dismiss a film on the basis that it strays away from its story's original form. However, the symbiote doesn't have computer-like features and it does not replicate every details of Spidey's costume when it engulfs him. If you go by that logic, Venom should look like a guy wearing a t-shirt and jeans. And whose bright idea was it, in 2007, to have Peter comb his hair forward and dancing like John Travolta in Grease and Saturday Night Fever? And every girl in the street can look at him with a straight face? He must be wearing Axe.

Speaking of Venom, all those even vaguely familiar with Spider-Man know that Eddie Brock will get fired from the Daily Bugle thanks to Peter showing him to be a fraud. Therefore, when he inherits the symbiote, he becomes Venom. And the writers botch him. Oh, how did they, how could they botch Venom? He is there for far too little time and would have warranted a single villain role, like Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus did in Spidey 2.

I suppose the most meaningful villain in the film is Harry. He does pick up his father's powers, but it is as himself that he hurts Peter the most. Indeed, as Peter is too absorbed by his own problems to worry about Mary Jane's flop on Broadway, Harry shows up to pick the pieces. This is about the sole moment of interesting complexity from anyone in the film. Harry still loves Mary Jane, he always has, but he spends quality time with her never losing sight of his primary goal, which is to hurt Peter. That's cold. All of this culminates into a scene involving the two former best pals at a cafe, which James Franco plays very well. Too bad the movie turns the epilogue of this saga into sheer caricature at the end.

I hope Spider-Man 4, 5 and 6 will spare us any more scenes like the one in the restaurant where Peter wants to propose to MJ. In this unfortunate moment, the waiter (Bruce Campbell) steals the show. Need I say more?

Spider-Man is a mess. It tries to do far too much. There are too many villains so none of them is interesting enough. There are too many romantic glitches so neither Peter or MJ is nearly as likeable as they should be and the romantic glitches themselves are too silly to feel plausible. In short, the film spreads itself too wide for us to maintain interest in anything it does. This is truly a shame, given the movie's potential.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older