The franchise dies on the editing floor

Rating: 5/10 (6 May 2007)

The last time I was in a film in which the audience just burst out laughing in an emotionally dramatic scene was the dreadful Attack of the Clones. But as Green Goblin junior spent some quality screen time crying with his mates, one laugh in the audience started a chain reaction of unstoppable mirth.
I'm actually going to blame Alfred Molina. He provided such a good counterpoint in the last film - a non camp baddie - that the job was too hard for the scriptwriters this time. Hayden Church had a weak script, one expression, and no back story. I think the final film was a desperate attempt to cut what remained into a film but it failed.
So see this film from the view point of the editing team. There is one and half hours of good film, there is plenty of good CGI action. There is some good humour, but everything else is lacking. So by putting in as much as possible, you get to make good previews. So the film stinks? People will see it anyway, and number 4 is coming - ready or not.
But I think the franchise is clearly in trouble. The Silver Surfer looks cool, and Batman has returned. The third X-men attempt now looks kind of good. Odds are that Rami will jump ship, or maybe two franchises will merge. I think the web flinger will live on, but this kind of disaster surely won't be repeated.