Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Director:

Sam Raimi

Writers (WGA):

Sam Raimi (screenplay) &
Ivan Raimi (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

4 May 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller

Tagline:

Next summer, the greatest battle lies... within.

Plot:

A strange black entity from another world bonds with Peter Parker and causes inner turmoil as he contends with new villains, temptations, and revenge.

Plot Keywords:

Spider-Man | Revenge | Venom | Photographer | Amnesia

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 26 nominations

Cast

Tobey Maguire	...	Spider-Man / Peter Parker
Kirsten Dunst	...	Mary Jane Watson
James Franco	...	New Goblin / Harry Osborn
Thomas Haden Church	...	Sandman / Flint Marko
Topher Grace	...	Venom / Eddie Brock
Bryce Dallas Howard	...	Gwen Stacy
Rosemary Harris	...	May Parker
J.K. Simmons	...	J. Jonah Jameson
James Cromwell	...	Captain Stacy
Theresa Russell	...	Emma Marko
Dylan Baker	...	Dr. Curt Connors
Bill Nunn	...	Joseph 'Robbie' Robertson
Bruce Campbell	...	Maître d’
Elizabeth Banks	...	Miss Brant
Ted Raimi	...	Hoffman

Also Known As:

3 (USA) (trailer title)
Spider-Man 3: The IMAX Experience (USA) (IMAX version)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence.

Runtime:

139 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX | Sonics-DDP (IMAX version) | SDDS (8 channels) | DTS-ES

Certification:

Finland:K-13 | Ireland:12A | UK:12A | Norway:11 | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:PG | Germany:12 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Australia:M | Hong Kong:IIA | Denmark:11 | South Korea:12 | France:U | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Italy:T | USA:PG-13 (certificate #41004) | Malaysia:U | Argentina:Atp | Peru:PT | Brazil:12 | Argentina:13 | Sweden:11 | Spain:7 | India:UA | Portugal:M/12 | Taiwan:PG-12 | Philippines:G | New Zealand:M | Iceland:10

Filming Locations:

5th Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures

Trivia:

Ground corn was used as sand because it reflected well on camera.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Peter wants to propose to Mary Jane in a fancy restaurant. He has a diamond ring put in a glass of champagne. When he retrieves the ring, we can quite clearly see that there is no fizz in the glass: what we see is white wine, not champagne.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Peter Parker: [Narrating] It's me! Peter Parker! Your friendly neighborhood... You know. I've come a long way from becoming the boy who was bitten by a spider. Back then, nothing seemed to go right for me, and now...
Kid in Times Square: [pointing at a giant screen in Times Square] Hey look, it's Spider-Man!
Peter Parker: [Narrating] People really like me.

Movie Connections:

Features Spider-Man (2002)

Soundtrack:

Backstage

A Let Down.

There are some things that work really well, like the goofy comedy that's also present in the other movies. The movie starts off nicely with a great looking action sequence that implies how great the rest of it could be. The special effects are fantastic. Unfortunately, the movie is so convoluted that anything like a coherent plot is lost, as well as any significant character development further than Harry, Mary Jane or Peter himself.

Peter's "transformation" into a darker self when he dons the dark suit is laughable. You're not sure whether you're watching a comedy, a drama, or a purposefully ridiculous B movie. Peter's actions are so over the top that you just want to laugh at the script rather than WITH it.

The main villains get only a short amount of screen time, and by the "big" ending you're just wondering when Dawson's Creek is going to end and when Spiderman 3 will begin. 90% of the film consists of Peter Parker walking around, crying, and making a fool of himself in various over-the-top ways. Perhaps I went in with too many expectations, such as the possibility of an atmosphere to the film that would fit with what was happening.

As a fan of the old cartoon, and a real fan of Venom, I was incredibly let down by the amount of time spent on his character, as well as the fact that Topher Grace is essentially Eric from That 70's Show, and I don't mean that it's the same actor. He's the same scrawny, sarcastic joker that he always plays, which, if you're familiar with the comic or the cartoon, Eddie Brock was NOT. Even if you've never heard of Venom or aren't a big fan, the villain has a total of about fifteen minutes on screen and isn't very exciting, nor is anything about him explained. He's simply suddenly THERE, as if thrown into the movie only to get butts in the seats. So feels the entire movie. It all seems like filler, even as the end credits start.

There was a point about halfway through the movie that I simply gave up trying to justify the movie, and realized that it was just plain bad. They tried to do too much, and by having so many villains, weren't able to make a single one very deep. And the whole "inner conflict" theme is a joke. Literally. Peter's "dark side" is more comedy than anything else.

I recommend waiting for this to come out on video and giving it a rent if you're really that much of a fan. Overall, it's a big let down considering the expectations and hype surrounding it.