In “Spider-Man 3” the way those issues and themes are depicted makes the movie more like a daytime soap opera. The previous movies featured only one villain, to make sure due attention was given and the movies wouldn't be cluttered. Deviating from that course turned out to be a huge mistake, and on many levels ruined the experience. Eddie Brock/Venom (Topher Grace), Flint Marko/Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), and a vengeful Harry Osborn (James Franco) are all fighting for screentime and completely underdeveloped characters. It doesn't help that these are three of the most interesting and popular characters in the Spider-Man universe, with the most complex stories to be told. The material in this film should not have been compressed into a single movie, but rather told properly over a few films or not told at all.
Fans have been begging director Sam Raimi to include Venom in the series since production of the first film began. The character finally gets his literal fifteen minutes of tacked on fame, but we never actually hear the name “Venom” spoken. The only story to the character we receive is a meteor crashing on earth in the beginning of the film with an extra terrestrial goop making its way onto Peter Parker, and later Eddie Brock. It is said that the substance amplifies aggression and brings out the darker qualities of the object it is attached to. This leads to dark scenes of Peter doing things we would have never imagined him doing, and some fun, campy scenes of him indulging in his fame and popularity.
As a whole, the movie feels unfinished and does not fulfill even moderate expectations. For the most part the acting feels more tongue-in-cheek than in the previous films, at times clashing with the dramatic tones of the movie. The best performance is given after the final action scene by Academy Award-nominee Thomas Haden Church, which is truly a shame because there were plenty of great opportunities for the recurring characters to really make something great out of their legacy. The special effects are acceptable, but they definitely could have used some more work. Given how fast everything happens viewers are never really given the opportunity to enjoy the great characters. Often finding yourself bored of what's on screen, you'll probably be wondering what's happening with one of the other storylines.
“Spider-Man 3” is enjoyable if you're a huge fan of the series, but there is little compelling or innovative material to urge you to watch a second time. Riddled with too many plots and villains, it's hard to imagine how a group of people who have worked together on two solid previous films could let the series come to this. Sony Pictures is currently planning three more sequels according to director Sam Raimi, and all of the cast and crew have expressed mixed feelings on returning. Hopefully the next films will take a step back and tell the stories at a proper pace, but at this point it's hard to say if the audience is sick of “Spider-Man.”
There is plenty of fun to be had with this movie, but it's far from the best in the series as the amazing cast is underutilized.
