"You know, I guess one person CAN make a difference..."

Rating: 7/10 (24 April 2009)

Unlike the first two Spider-Man films which I saw in theaters when they first came out, I sat this one out until last night to catch it on one of the cable channels. That decision was probably justified, as this one didn't feel like it had the heart of it's predecessors. Too many characters, too many sub-plots, too much of the angst ridden Peter Parker to take the joy out of the Spidey character. Growing up I wasn't much of a Marvel Comics fan, but you could tell that the film makers doing Marvel really had it together with their characters and writing. Even this one was pretty slick with the action and the special effects, but on the flip side, those elements might have been a negative as well - just a little too much and too over the top to produce any feeling of identification with the hero or his significant other. Not to mention the trillion to one (notice how economic stimulus has affected my thinking) coincidence of some outer space meteor depositing a tar-like symbiote right in Peter Parker's back yard, and not affecting any one else. You needed it for the story, but you just can't think about it for too long.
My favorite part, as always, catching the creator of Spider-Man in his expected cameo appearance - the great Stan Lee - uttering my summary line above. He went on to finish the sentence with the trademark Marvel zombie catch phrase - 'nuff said'. This will be the only time you'll hear it from me.