Pretty Good

Rating: 6/10 (16 October 2009)

I have seen this movie three times. Once in theaters, once while home alone, and once in English. Spiderman 3 is very entertaining, but is also a very good movie overall. It think it is better than the 2nd and almost as good as the first. I enjoyed both of the first two Spiderman movies. But, I find this one to be the better somehow, because it is more developed, and has more memorable characters. Let's face it though, sequels often go in completely different directions from the original. They sometimes are so different, that they have lost the charm the first one(s) had. I think this is true with Shrek 2, and the new Indiana Jones movie. Spiderman 3 does go in a much different direction from the first two, but it does so skillfully.
In Spiderman 3, Pete is taken over by an evil substance. This substance turns turns his Spiderman suit black. It also changes Pete. It makes Pete more agile than he was before. Whenever he wears the suit, he is taken over by the same evil that compels his enemies. These are the enemies that he has risked his life, and his identity, to ward off. However, Pete embraces this new personality that the suit gives him. It makes him "feel good". He realizes it has taken over him though, and in a few times in the movie tries to fights it off. This suit gives Pete the perspective of his enemies. It's as if he is now in their shoes.
This is all very plausible, as Spiderman is human. This movie is a reminder of that: Superheroes may have supernatural powers, but they still go through the same things humans do. Pete has a lot on his mind, besides the fact that the safety of the town is in his hands. He has to go to school, he has a job to go to, and he has a girlfriend. He experiences problems much like those of the audience. (How many of you have to jump in the air to save a crashing airplane once a week?) I actually like what I have seen of Superman, but the Spiderman movies have more emotional depth.
There is also a greater distinction between Peter Parker, and Spiderman, than the two characters in any other superhero movie (like Clark Kent and Superman). Superman doesn't wear a mask, so when he flies around, everyone can see his face. He turns into superman, by taking off his glasses and clothes, exposing the superman suit. How come no one ever makes the connection? There is not only more of a distinction in appearance, in Spiderman, but also in personality. Spiderman is wild, graceful, and glorious. Peter is awkward and nerdy. They are really opposites, and it's easy to see why no one would make the connection.
One thing I have always liked about Spiderman is that it doesn't dwell on its genre. The plot of the average superhero movie revolves around the conflicts between the Superhero and the villain he/she is fighting. In this Spiderman, much of the conflict lies within Peter Parker, and the conflicts between him and his best friend, Harry. In Spiderman one, Pete is forced to fight Harry's dad, the Green Goblin. The Green Goblin ends up dying, and Harry is led to believe Spiderman did it. He then wants to kill Spiderman. Harry does not know Pete's true identity though. So he still loves Pete, but hates Spiderman. When Harry finds out that Pete is really Spiderman, he is shocked. In Spiderman 3, he decides that he wants to kill Spiderman, even if it means killing his friend. All of these concepts deal with Trust, Loyalty, Betrayal, and Friendship. It is the rare superhero movie that possesses these, which is what makes the Spiderman movies so special. I would recommend Spiderman 3 to any superhero fan. It proves to be a worthy sequel.