entertaining allegory

Rating: 7/10 (6 December 2007)

I like this film pretty well -- much better than installment 2 -- but it has FAR too many story lines. I appreciate subplots and intertwined stories which converge and come to fruition together, but there are too many in this film. We have: a walking gravel pit for whom we feel compassion; an extraterrestrial sludge spider which alters the personalities of people it touches; M.J. vacillating among commitment to Peter, Harry, and her career; Harry brutally coercing M.J. into crushing Peter's feelings; Peter succumbing (temporarily, of course) to the intoxicating power of the sludge spider; Eddie Brock succumbing to the sludge, being rescued from it by Peter, then diving back into it at the worst moment. Cutting a couple of characters completely would have made this a much tighter film.
I DID enjoy thoroughly the depth of the supporting cast, especially J.K. Simmons' over- the-top portrayal of Peter's editor. To put it simply, he's a hoot. Also, the cool, aggressive Peter Parker, diddybopping around town with the Black Spider suit under his clothes, did so exactly as Normal Peter would've done it, with the slightly spastic style of a dancing nerd, rather than Travolta smoothness. It worked for me.
While M.J. was stranded in the dangling taxi, it occurred to me that she was awfully helpless for a young woman of the 21st century. I felt much better about her character when she chucked the concrete block onto Eddie Brock, then had the presence of mind to dive out of the car when the truck was falling toward her. She vindicated herself nicely.
I also was delighted to learn that the gray-haired guy who had one line -- obviously a cameo -- was Stan lee, the creator of Spider Man. I'm glad that those who are interpreting the stories for modern audiences appreciate their origins.
To sum up: it's decent entertainment, and that's from a guy who hasn't read a Spider Man comic in 35 years. Rent; enjoy! P.S. The outtakes on the DVD are hilarious, so don't miss them.