2/3rd's Great, 1/3rd a Tonal Nightmare

Rating: 5/10 (10 June 2016)

Spider-Man 3 would prove to be the final film in Sam Raimi's series despite plans for further films down the line. The film was one of the most expensive ever made at the time and there was high hope that it would continue to bring the success that the previous films had. It is well known that Raimi and the producers clashed, with the Venom aspects forced upon him due to fan popularity and it resulting in a host of characters vying for screen time. What we get is a strange turn of events. The film is cluttered in its writing and has a constantly wandering tone, but it's also the most enjoyable from a purely entertainment view and visually thrilling of the trilogy.
Story: Peter has to balance both his lives out after a vengeful Harry suffers from amnesia and his relationship with Mary Jane begins to fall apart due to his commitments as Spider-Man. Alongside these issues Peter also has to deal with a criminal named Flint Marko linked to his uncles death who can manipulate sand, a photographer vying for his job and a mysterious symbiote that changes his personality. It's plain for everyone to see that there is way too much going on here. In a film just over two hours there has to be time for the relationship woes, Harry's personality, Sandman's development, Brock's development, the symbiote changing Peter, Aunt May, the Uncle Been revelation and even a slight romance with Gwen Stacy. For me the whole venom and symbiote aspects could have been dropped, mainly because there's not enough time to do them justice.
Hero: Tobey Maguire is solid as Peter, he's so comfortable in the role by this point while he still brings a lot of charm and emotion to the character. However I don't think he handles the personality change that well, the stuff with 'emo Peter' is cringe-worthy and feels so forced.
Villains: James Franco does a decent job as a more ruthless Harry, even though the characters motivations are muddled at times. Thomas Haden Church is excellent as Sandman despite his limited time. He adds real physicality having clearly bulked up and nails some really tender moments. Topher Grace is okay as Brock but suffers from a lack of development. The character is a little too annoying and forced in but Grace manages to get down the slimy aspects.
Support: Kirsten Dunst continues to do a good job, yet Mary Jane is bordering on unlikeable at times. All she does is complain about Peter's responsibilities and it wears thin quickly. J. K. Simmons continues to steal every scene he's in and is as hilarious as ever here, his rapid delivery and sardonic attitude make him great fun to watch. Rosemary Harris is still a very warm and motherly Aunt May. Bryce Dallas Howard is good as Gwen and makes the character charming, it's just a shame she isn't featured more. A shout out to Bruce Campbell in his third and best cameo so far as a French head waiter.
Action: The action in the film is spectacular. All of it contains dazzling effects and plenty of energy, making every blow or movement look fantastic. The first fights with Harry and Sandman are simply superb, both effortlessly thrilling thanks some excellent directing and flowing action. The climax at a construction site is one of the best set-pieces of the trilogy and makes for a brilliant final battle.
Music: Christopher Young's score keeps a similar tone as the previous films and is very enjoyable. There's a lot of energetic pieces for the villains and fight scenes, but the mellower compositions really standout and add a touch of splendour to the film.
Production: The films visuals are a highlight. It looks sleek and stylish in equal measure. Once again there are many shots that look like they came right out of a comic book and the vast city is captured perfectly. The CGI is superb and holds up well, most of the fight scenes incorporate it and it blends in without notice. The birth of the Sandman is simply beautiful. Just as with the previous two films, most of the issues come from the writing. As said there is far too much going on here for a start, but a lot of the character motivations are convoluted. An example being Mary Jane breaking up with Peter after Harry blackmails her, she knows he's Spider-Man so why doesn't she just tell him? The same goes for Harry being told the truth about his father's death, why wasn't that revealed to him sooner? Its things like that which hurt the film. With that said I do think the plot line of Sandman's sick daughter and his involvement with Uncle Ben's death is handled expertly. I also have to mention the tonal issues. The film constantly hops between pure fun, melancholy, funny and reflective, often in the same sequence. When you go straight from Peter's inner turmoil to him strutting down the street, it's just bizarre. The previous films did have tonal shifts, but never to this degree.
Conclusion: When it's all said and done, I actually enjoy Spider-Man 3 despite all of its problems. I truly think the first 2/3rd's are very good and the tonal as well as the writing issues only really come into play in the final 1/3rd. It's probably the most enjoyable of the series in a basic sense. The issues arise because it's trying to cram too much in. Cut out most of the Venom related pieces and you actually have a lot of good material. I think both the Sandman and Harry stuff is great, and could have been even better with more time devoted to it. What we get is a film that is unbalanced and often muddled, but one that is still a visual and emotional feast that can still be enjoyed on a number of levels.