Semi-interesting

Rating: 8/10 (21 May 2007)

Having seen the first of the installment, and pretty much hating it did not dampen my spirits going into this one. I was with a friend who had seen them all and was very excited to see this one, so I was basically just being nice and cooperative seeing this movie. Its not like there is a ton of other stuff worth seeing anyway...
But it was very good. I think it could have lost twenty minutes along the way, somewhere, but what's there is very interesting. I liked that it seemed to concentrate quite a bit on friendship - the importance of it, the loss of it and the idea that it should weather anything that might get in the way of it.
Mary Jane has the hardest time of it, in many ways. This girl cannot get a break. After being fired from her Broadway debut (there's not a chance in the world that would have happened the way it happened, but if the main character in your movie flies through the air, you cannot expect full logic and you cannot ask for the things you might normally expect to get from a movie) and then getting a total lack of attention from Peter right when she needed it the most, she's lacking several things necessary for one's happiness. Dunst does not have a whole lot to do other than look pretty annoyed most of the time. Its not exactly her movie anyway but you kind of want the leading lady to be a little less joyless.
Harry is also at a crossroads. Having battled Peter and then conveniently forgetting it ever happened, he's re-born as a nice guy following his 'accident' and then as his memory returns, he realizes that..'oh yeah, I want Peter Parker to be dead', things of that nature. When they are unable to reach an understanding, they battle again but Harry's elderly butler butts in, telling Harry that Peter was not responsible for his father's death, and this does not happen a moment too soon, since Peter needs Harry's help in order to rescue Mary Jane from not one but two evil dudes who are out to remove her from not only his life but her own as well.
The f/x for the emergence of the Thomas Haden Church Evil Dude character are very well done. The same cannot be said for the Topher Grace character, since they are fairly cut and dried.
Laughs are provided by Elizabeth Banks, as J.K. Simmons assistant. Bill Nunn, Theresa Russell and Rosemary Harris have a little to do with the proceedings, but not much.
Its not a bad movie, its just not that memorable. Its rather somber at times and even sad. It does seem open-ended in its conclusion, so many there really will not be a sequel. Okay with me. Better to end while you're ahead, I always say. 8/10.