by Chris Alexion, Copyright May 07, 2007, all rights reserved. 181 views
Think of Spider-Man 3 as one heck of an action movie sandwiched between two doubtful cinematic elements. Back for part three, Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, and director Sam Raimi largely deliver what they promise, leaving only slight room for criticism. In this installment, things finally start going right for Peter Parker, until his relationship with Mary-Jane begins to suffer and three new villains–brimming with personal hatred for Spider-Man–emerge.
The first part of the film veers dangerously close to chick-flick territory, including some awkward acting and a few head-scratching scenes. This early part, with the exception of a spectacular aerial dogfight, moves a little slowly and could have been trimmed down. Once the action gets going, though, the ride is amazing. Raimi hasn't gotten complacent since Spider-Man 2. He includes breathtaking fight scenes and camera work that makes you feel like you're swinging alongside Spidey. The villains of Spider-Man 3 are satisfyingly chilling, requiring the wall crawler to bust out all the brain-and-brawn combat tactics we love him for.
The other dubious element of the movie was its moralizing tone. Any story has a message or worldview, of course; but the trick of good literature and film is expressing this message tastefully, artistically, and–above all–inconspicuously. For the most part installments 1 and 2 did this nicely. But the lecture-room atmosphere of Spidey 3 is pushing it. Peter gets lectured twice by Aunt May and gives one of his own to M.J. Then, at the end, the fighting ends and the whole thing slides toward sentimentalism.
Yet if Spider-Man 3 pushes the edges of moralism, at least the message is worthwhile. If part 1's theme was the conflicting pulls of power and responsibility, and part 2 brought out the need for sacrifice in doing what you know is right, then part 3 highlights the enemy within and the power of bitterness. When police reveal that Uncle Ben's killer wasn't who they thought–and has recently escaped from prison, revenge nearly overcomes Peter, allowing the symbiotic black suit to bond to his body, amplifying Peter's anger and aggression until he–like those around him–hardly knows who he is.
The point is clear. Bitterness isn't a private matter; it always hurts those around us. But forgiveness and redemption are powerful, too, as the surprising symbol of the cross near the film's climax reminds us. And though circumstances push us, they don't control us, leaving us with the weight of choice and the responsibility for our own actions.
In the end, the film's problems do only minor damage. Lectures and all, the lessons are well-needed. And despite the sentimentalism, we really do care about these characters–the story fleshes out the film, making it more than simply an action flick. Spidey is, well, Spidey, and his latest battle is definitely worth the price of admission.
As Spidey's creator Stan Lee would put it, 'nuff said.
1 • LHR • May 13, 2007 • 4:38 PM
I'm glad you wrote a review of Spider-Man 3. Our paper printed a review, but they can't always be trusted…. I hope I can see it soon.