Forgiveness, what a concept...

Rating: 8/10 (11 May 2007)

By now, I've heard my share of conflicting reports on this movie. I made a promise to myself long ago not to go into films I haven't seen with unrealistic or unfair expectations. It's served me well, and it was no less of a learning experience this time, having heard most every critic and wannabe critic's take on it, several of them negative.
I submit to them all, negative and positive, that they're missing the point. Spider-Man 3 successfully does what few films will even ATTEMPT nowadays. More on that later.
Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is on cloud nine. Things are finally looking up. As Spider-Man, he is the greatest thing since...well, the internet. A bona-fide celebrity. Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) isn't doing too shabbily, either, having debuted in a Broadway show. Peter sees the perfect timing in finally proposing to MJ, for which Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) entrusts him with a precious family heirloom ring. Harry Osborn (James Franco) attempts the direct approach to exorcising his own demons in a confrontation with Peter, and as a result, becomes friends with him again. But not all is well in New York. Escaped convict Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) has the heat breathing down his neck as he desperately looks for a way to reconnect with a repressed wife and a critically ill daughter. Meanwhile, upstart photo jock Edward Brock Jr. (Topher Grace) is looking to become Spider-Man's new unofficial PR for the Daily Bugle. Things get more and more complicated as protagonists and antagonists alike cross paths, and wind up learning something about themselves.
I'll admit, it won't win any awards, save maybe an Oscar or two for the effects and editing, and some MTV awards for the fights. You've heard it all, I'm sure, by now, so I'll mention in passing that the special effects and animation in this film are truly eye popping. Cinematography is grand, which it ought to be, 'cause this one wasn't cheap. On a basic level, and considering the source material, the story is well-handled; Sam Raimi remains the most capable director as far as taking a comic-book plot, virtually sticking to it verbatim, and making it work in a film format. Everyone earns their paycheck in portrayals--and additions and deviations, where damaging in other franchises, are welcome here. Haden Church gives classic brute Sandman a firm measure of humanity, James Franco must be applauded for his stalwart handling of a highly conflicted character in Harry Osborn, and despite limited screen-time, Topher Grace, yes, I have to admit, did gleeful justice to the wall-crawler's most fascinating adversary.
So what's different, you ask? What does Spider-Man 3 do that's so rare and great? The moral. Forgiveness, sadly, is a concept that's rarely broached in either fantasy OR real life. Particularly, at this most cynical time, and in our eye-for-an-eye, litigant-rich society, this is a lesson that kids from 3 to 133 could stand to learn and re-learn. If the cast and crew of Spider-Man 3 would take any pride in anything they've done here, it should be mostly for that. While I felt that the first two films were nicely done, this is the first Spider-Man that I actually wanted to buy.
Here's hoping the world's most popular comic book hero has started a long-overdue new trend in storytelling.