Spiderman 3-Very enjoyable!

Rating: 9/10 (4 May 2007)

I must say that I really disagree with some mainstream movie critics in their tepid response to Spiderman 3. On the whole, it's a very engrossing, albeit complex story. Yes, the special effects and physical conflict scenes are terrific, but there's a good deal of humor, drama, interpersonal struggle, romance, and a commitment to principles peppered throughout. One of the best features of Spiderman 3 is its complex presentation of heroism--of sacrifice with regret, courage with fear, confrontation with cost, and of redemption after mistaken judgment. Spiderman is a hero not because of what he is but what he chooses to be, and he repeatedly discovers that being a hero is choosing to be decent when it would be more appealing to be simply powerful, popular, or selfish. Much of this is developed without special effects, in ordinary interactions among the characters. Critics of the movie seemed to want Peter Parker to be darker in his moments of failure. But Parker's awkwardness in trying to be "cool" is a great satire of the brooding adolescent. At first I thought it weak that Spiderman's two challengers never fully cooperated against their enemy, but even this seemed a useful contrast with the quality of Spidey's friendships. Yes, it takes a bit of mental work to make sense of several villains various motives and special abilities, but isn't that life? I'm surprised the critics couldn't keep up.