With 3 different villains, numerous subplots and a running time of just 2 hours and 15 minutes, there's just too much of everything and not enough of anything in Spider-man 3. Oh, don't get me wrong, it, like its predecessors, is a great super-hero movie, but it could have benefited greatly if it had focused more on just a couple of the plot threads.
Although there has been no official word, it is widely assumed that this will be the last of the Spider-man movies in its current incarnation. Either some or all of the stars probably won't be back and perhaps neither will director Sam Raimi. It is therefore reasonable to expect that this movie will provide some emotional closure for the characters. Since the two biggest loose threads are, what's Harry going to do to get revenge on Spider-man for defeating his father, the Green Goblin, in the first movie? And, now that Mary Jane knows that Peter is Spider-man, how is that going to affect their relationship? Just those two ideas right there, which are explored in-depth, would have been enough for a movie.
On top of those two plots however, another is added that deals with an alien life-form that crashes in a meteorite and hitches a ride on Peter's moped. A black ooze, it adheres itself to the spider-suit and, when worn, enhances Spider-man's powers and penchant for violence. Since this rise in power coincides with Spider-man's rise in popularity and his distancing himself from those around him, it adds to the story nicely. It also, as Peter grows ever more cocky, provides some of the movie's lightest moments as he finds himself literally strutting down the street trying to charm the ladies. In fact, this storyline is probably my favorite in the whole movie.
Okay, so we've got dealing with Harry's lust for revenge, Peter and Mary Jane's relationship, and dealing with an alien, mood altering black ooze. Surely, that's enough for a movie?
No, no, no. Obviously, the movie needs to bring in a story about an escaped convict (who was only in jail because he was trying to steal money to pay for medicine for his sick daughter) who ends up caught in an experiment that transforms him into the powerful Sandman. A being made up entirely of sand, who is able to grow and transform his shape as well as be carried along like sand on the breeze. And just for good measure, let's dredge up the death of Peter's Uncle Ben and add a little bit of revisionist history by connecting Sandman to his murder.
Now you can't tell me that isn't enough to make a movie! But hey, what if we throw in a rival photographer (played well by Topher Grace) at the Daily Bugle, a girl for Mary Jane to be jealous of, problems for Mary Jane with her latest Broadway show, and how about temporary amnesia for Harry?
Enough already! Even if this is going to be the last Spider-man movie this group makes, they don't have to throw in every unused idea that they have!
If I were editing this movie, the first thing I would have done is chop out the Sandman storyline completely. Then, they could actually have expanded upon some of the other parts of the story and kept it the same running time.
Apart from there just being too much crammed into the movie, the rest of it is what we've come to expect from this franchise. A strong cast of characters played by talented and likable actors, with a strong hand and sharp mind behind the camera, and a script that often tends to stray into the soap opera, melodrama area. The special effects are all top notch and keep getting better with each installment. It's become increasingly difficult to tell when Spider-man goes from CGI to Tobey Maguire. In other words, this is a very good super-hero movie.
If you enjoyed the first two Spider-man movies (and let's face it, who didn't?), then you'll enjoy this one. I just wish they hadn't tried to throw everything (there's probably even a kitchen sink in there somewhere if you look closely enough) in to it at once.
