Spiderman 3

I know this has been out a week or so already, so I will try not to repeat what's already been said. But, you know, I have to put in my two cents.

I had gotten the heads up from various friends, and even conversations of complete strangers overheard, that this movie does not live up to its potential. But I had to see it anyway, because its Spiderman, and Spiderman is fun. And I have to agree: it does not live up to its potential. But it wasn't complete unwatchable trash either. (I did find the "jealousy" scenes between MaryJane and Peter, and then Peter and Harry, a bit tiresome). It was just... mildly disappointing.

What Worked
The special effects. Yes, we know going in this is going to be an F/X heavy movie, and it doesn't disappoint on that score. They do some amazing CGI sequences, especially with the creation of the Sandman.

The bad guys. Sandman/Flint Marco, Venom/Eddie Brock, and New Goblin/Harry Osborne are complex and sympathetic (okay, sometimes Harry gets a little pouty, but I'll pardon him). Thomas Hayden Church is brilliant as the Sandman. (Oh, and watch for Bruce Campbell as the snobby French waiter: delightful!)

What Didn't
For one thing, it desperately needed editing. It started 10 minutes too early (we don't need to see (and hear) MaryJane sing to know she's terrible-- cut to the bad review); and ended 10 minutes too late (Peter and MaryJane weeping over their fallen friend with a spectacular sunset in the background (or was it sunrise? Whatever)-- fade to black. We don't need to see them reconcile. We know they will); and, I'm sorry, but the whole John Travolta jig down the street was just goofy.

The good guys. Sappy. I've seen better acting from a damp dishrag.

The narrative. There are too many stories going on here. Whose story is this? Is it Peter's? MaryJane's? Harry's? Marco's or Eddie's? It was so diffused, I couldn't tell who I was rooting for. (Ultimately, I settled on the Sandman, which was a good choice).

But the thing that disappointed me most was the whole Dark Spiderman subplot. There is an entire mythopoeic precedent they could have drawn on for this, and they just let it fall flat. Where is Peter's dark side? We see him push a rival into a wall, break his girlfriend's heart, and go on a brief murderous rampage in revenge of his uncle (which turns out not to be so murderous in the end). Any person in crisis could manage this, and without the aid of an alien suit. Anakin's slaughter of the Sandpeople in Attack of the Clones had more potency. Where is the epic struggle of good vs. evil? Where is the ultimate epiphany that Spidey needs both these sides of himself to be the hero he wants to be? Star Trek did it before and did it better. What lesson did this alien suit teach him? How to flirt (badly) with the ladies and be a snappier dresser? Plus, he never embraces his dark side, he destroys it. According to the rules of myth (and Jungian psychology), this only means that his dark side will rise again, unexpectedly and more powerful than before. However, I doubt if they will address this in any of the future films.