Brilliant...Funny...Too Compact

Rating: 9/10 (6 May 2007)

As we all know the first two Spider-Man's are magnificent, so of course we all anxiously await the next chapter in the Peter Parker/Spider-Man film.
Now...in this film we see - for the first time - Spidey getting the s**t getting beat out of him, which is a daring move, and a wonderful one. It makes Spider-Man seem more human, and more interesting to see. Also we see a different side to the confident Mary Jane, who is struggling with her career after she is littered with unfriendly reviews and is replaced on the show. Harry is having his own troubles, thanks to a fight he had with Peter as the new Goblin, Harry suffers from amnesia and can't remember his hatred for Spider-Man/Peter or his father..blah blah.
Enter Flint Marko. He escapes from prison to help his dying daughter. There is an emotional scene between him and his either estranged (thanks to prison) or divorced wife where the daughter comes out and gives something to her dad. Moving on...Flint casually walks through the street and is spotted by the police, he runs they pursue. Flint climbs a fence and gets stuck in a machine that makes him Sandman. Then realizing his new powers Flint wreaks havoc on the city trying to steal money to help pay his daughters medical bills so she can get better. Enter Spidey Sandman face off. Though Sandman doesn't get any of the money, Spidey is obviously defeated.
Enter Gwen Stacy. Although she is a genuine love interest of Peter's in the comic books (and dies in the comic books) she is more of a sloppy way for Peter to make MJ mad (unintentionally of course).
Enter Eddie Brock. He's the new photographer at the Daily Bugle, so he and Peter become rivals from the get go. He's dating Gwen - until she dumps him and moves on with Peter - But things really start to get interesting with Brock's character when he photo-shops a picture of Spider-Man to make him look like a criminal -Peter outs him & Brock is fired from the paper- Thus begins Eddie's supreme hatred for Peter. but when Brock becomes attached to the symboite that was previously attached to Spider-Man's costume he becomes Venom.
The finally fight is superbly done. But every now and then there are those corny lines, and typical Peter Parker moments where he makes a complete fool of himself.
My only problems with the movie was that WAY TOO MANY TEARS ARE SHED!!! I mean come on! Man up Peter! Stop crying! MJ hardly shed a tear and her life was in the s**t hole in this movie! Harry even had more of a reason to cry, and he didn't! Also Eddie Brock/Venom could have been toned down/up. We saw more of the spunky wanna-be hotshot photographer than of the malicious Venom.
Overall see the movie. It may disappoint some, but will entertain the many.