Despite its flaws,better than the first two

Rating: 10/10 (9 May 2007)

We waited three years for this, the third Spider-Man adventure- and what a long wait that was ! Now I've finally seen it and can only say breathlessly-AWESOME !! It starts with the storyline itself- whereas we only had to concentrate on Doc Ock and one long(though, unforgettable !) duel between him and Spidey in the second instalment, here we are left speechless at the variety of themes that are treated,and deftly brought together by Sam Raimi's masterly direction .The sheer idea of bringing together so much in one film shows just how dedicated Raimi is to his character,and he ends up delivering a near-flawless product, which by the way, has once again broken box-office records all over the world.We are treated to three villains at one go-Sandman,portrayed brilliantly by Thomas Haden Church,Goblin alias Harry Osbourne,and the delightful Topher Grace as Venom.To make things even worse, Peter Parker has to fight his own inner demons too- what could be more entertaining ? Raimi never lets the script get too dark at anytime, and throws in some classic comedy moments into the mix , courtesy J.K. Simmons and the evergreen Bruce Campbell.Both shine in their brief, but memorable on-screen moments.Tobey Maguire has improved greatly as an actor, and it shows right from the start. He still is the centerpiece in this movie, though he is somewhat upstaged( however briefly) by Church and Grace,both of whom are experienced actors. Then there is Kirsten Dunst, who is perfect in her role as MJ, and even impresses with her vocal talents this time ! Of course it's not the first time-she did a pretty good job in " Get Over It" too. Special mention must be made of Bryce Dallas Howard, who is rather good as Grace's girlfriend, and seems to have a good future ahead of her. She is very easy on the eyes , too. And now to the special effects, which are the first and last reason for anyone to go to see this flick - they are simply UNBELIEVABLE. CGI was never this perfect, never this heart-stopping. Every action sequence is executed with incredible precision , making the train sequence in the second movie look like an antique ! The CGI guys have clearly outdone themselves, and anyone who criticizes them must be out of their minds. Well, there can't be any movie without flaws- and yes, this film has them too. The greatest flaw of Spider-Man 3 is that it actually has no real villains ! Sandman is terrifying, and yet, the way he is dealt with is actually pathetic to see. Goblin and Venom , despite being formidable baddies, end up looking like dilettantes.The film actually ends up looking like a family drama with action thrown in for good measure.And it hurts me to say it.There were teens in the movie-theater next to me who were complaining about too much emotion and character development being thrown in. Maybe they were right.If a fourth movie is to be made(and I am sure it will ), Raimi should spend less screen time on Aunt Mae or MJ crying/brooding/fuming, and give the audience a villain who'll make their blood curdle, yet one who Spidey can take on his own, and NOT with the help of some friend ! Still, all things considered, Spider-Man 3 is a great movie, certainly not to be missed.It clearly outshines both its predecessors,drama or no drama. Great work, Raimi !