But, would you like to see it again?

Rating: 6/10 (6 May 2007)

"Spiderman 3" suffers from excessiveness... There is too much drama, too much background references, too much self-importance, too many indulgences, and rarely enough, not enough action or innovative special effects to make us care for what is special about this character and the new villains.
Enter Topher Grace, James Franco (well, re-enter), and Thomas Haden Church, and you have some very competent performers. Unfortunately, their time is shortened because we have a rather uninteresting drama unfolding between the main characters, a development that drags the rest of the film down, as we plod through scenes that we know can lead to nothing else but a happy outcome. There is no way the filmmakers are going to split M.J. and Peter, so why waste our time with story lines that are dead to begin with? Back to the villains, Sandman is probably the most interesting of the three, and he would be a terrific presence if he was a bit meaner... more diabolical, and less of a victim, himself. Then there is Mr. Grace, a man who shows promise, but looks like he belongs on the side of the good guys. His transformation into the horrifying Venom is semi effective, as we know what is behind the "suit".
There are problems with the direction because there is no sense of danger, impending violence, or anything remotely destructive. The only danger is to the audience's attention, who might be able to take a nap and not miss much in the first third of film.
When I walked out of the theatre, I felt like a had a nice light snack, but I wondered if that would be equally satisfying again...