This Spidey Sequel Flat Out Stinks!!!

Rating: 4/10 (9 May 2007)

As any observer of the insipid Batman sequels will tell you, too many characters make for messy sequels. In Spider-man 3, we are presented with a series of redundant villains that push Peter's soul to the brink of darkness. Compelling visuals and engaging fight sequences abound, but the detailed characterization that pervaded in the first two films is sadly absent. In its place we are presented with all the hallmarks of poor writing, which include an inordinate number of coincidences (funny how that alien symbiote manages to land just a few feet from Peter's scooter), sage advice coming from seemingly minor characters (the worst of which is uttered by Harry's butler near the film's conclusion), and an extremely convenient case of amnesia that turns on and off at the whims of the narrative.
Disappointingly, Peter's conversion to dark side is largely played for laughs. Donning a spiffy new black Spider-man costume, an ego-centric version of Peter Parker strolls about the city flashing retarded dance moves to the astonishment of countless New York City babes. The silliness reaches crisis point when Peter invades a jazz club where he makes Mary Jane jealous by thrusting his pelvis at her repeatedly.
Other bones of contention include:
1. Mary Jane and Harry doing "the Twist."
2. Peter's "evil" hairstyle.
3. Sandman willingly enters an alliance with Venom and proceeds to wreck havoc upon the city. Then, without reason, he changes his mind and delivers an out-of-left-field soliloquy that is meant to conjure our sympathy and simultaneously tie up all of the films loose ends.
Ultimately, this is a movie made for children, which is a shame given that the first two films were universally appealing.