Flawed, but Fine

Rating: 7/10 (8 September 2019)

While the first two Spider-Man films from Sam Rami were great, this one does feel like a bit of a step-down. It is good, but it does have its flaws.
The plot, for starters, is a problem. Too many things go on at once, to where it all ties in towards the end. Peter Parker is still continuing his life with college, seeing Mary Jane, and of course, being Spider-Man and saving the city. There is a guy named Flint Marko (played by Thomas Haden Church) who gunned down a man and is on the run from the police. He falls into a particle accelerator that binds him with sand, and transforming him into the Sandman. Peter then finds out the actual killer of his uncle, Ben, was Flint Marko. He then gets nightmares about it, and then this strange creature, known as Symbiote, bonds with Peter and turns him into a bad person. He now must make the biggest decisions of his life now that he has more power than he has ever had.
This was pretty much the main plot. Other stuff added to it is Harry Osborn becomes the New Goblin to avenge his father's death by killing Peter, but he fails and gets amnesia. There is also two new characters, Gwen Stacy (played by Bryce Dallas Howard) and Eddie Brock (played by Topher Grace), who are in a relationship that later on gets ruined because of Peter being a bad person. Later on, Peter gets the symbiote suit off because he realizes he has been hurting people left and right. He takes it off and it goes on to Eddie Brock, and because Brock is filled with revenge, it turns him into Venom. Peter now must save Mary Jane from being killed and escape the clutches of Sandman and Venom.
The plot is basically the biggest problem of the movie. I know I gave some spoilers, but only to thoroughly tell the plot in detail since there's a lot of stuff going on when really there should of been just at least one or two story-lines.
Another issue I had was Venom. He didn't get much screentime (as he appeared in the last 30 or so minutes of the movie), he didn't look that good (he is supposed to look a lot bigger and stronger, and it looks like he went on a diet here), and Topher Grace wasn't a good choice to play him. He is an alright actor, but for Venom? They should of have a bigger and more intimidating guy to play him. But, oh well...
Another issue I had was Sandman. He just felt unnecessary to have in the movie. Thomas Haden Church did a great job, but Sandman could of just been erased easily from this movie and not make him as Uncle Ben's killer. The guy that Peter let roamed free with the money in the first movie was, to me, the TRUE killer.
One last issue I have with Mary Jane. She was WAY worse here than she was in the second film. Again, it wasn't Kirsten Dunst's fault. But she was incredibly rude to Peter and turned him down after he has saved her in two movies and just treats him badly.
Other than these issues, I can watch Spider-Man 3 and like it for what it is. I do think the special effects and action are really good. The acting from Tobey Maguire, James Franco, Bryce Dallas Howard, J.K Simmons, Rosemary Harris, and Thomas Haden Church were great. Topher Grace was alright as Eddie Brock, but not as Venom. The pacing is also solid for 2 hrs and 15 mins. I've seen it quite a bit of times. and it always does go fast for me.
Overall, Spider-Man 3 is flawed, but it is good and watchable nonetheless.