It really is sad

Rating: Null/10 (12 August 2008)

WARNING! THIS REVIEW DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS! I am a huge fan of the Spider-Man movies. I loved #1 and loved #2 even more! So I really felt bad after watching number 3. I know I'm sort of beating the dead horse, but sometimes you've got to let it out.
First off, they tried to do WAY too much with SM3. Particularly the villains plot bit. Harry, Venom, AND the Sandman all in one movie?! Sorry, folks, but it's not gonna work. If you ask me, I think that they should have gotten rid of Venom (though Eddie Brock was good). He is so obviously just THERE all of a sudden that it makes me sick. Save Venom for number 4 or 5 or make him the ONLY villain, which isn't gonna happen when you introduce him about 15 or 20 minutes before the end of the movie! And Sandman! He really could have been made interesting, but the movie was divided into SO many characters and SO little time, that he never really gets anywhere. It seems like they started with a good idea with his daughter, but then just let it die. I know this is just another re-make idea of millions of others, but I'm going to say it anyway: I think they should keep Sandman and Harry. Harry using M.J. against Peter was actually alright. James Franco actually seemed like a bad guy (though maybe that's just because he can't act very well) and you really didn't like him too much. Keep that and the Sandman's daughter, then have Sandman wreak havoc for his kid and that, in turn, forces Harry to join Spidey to stop Sandman. Sandman kills Harry, and Spidey forgives him for that and Uncle Ben's. Sandman then leaves like he did. (I know that sort of leaves Sandman hanging but he could easily be brought back and bumped off in number 4.) Maybe developing all that well would make for another half-hour of run time, but I doubt any of us would be bothered by that if the movie worked.
Next, Spidey himself. My big complaint: WHAT THE **** IS UP WITH THE BLACK GOOEY STUFF?!?! Isn't it painfully obvious how much that ruins the plot?! If you put it in there, everyone says, "Spidey's gone bad! Oh no! Let's blame it on the black gooey stuff!" But remove it, and you have to start questioning Spider-Man's will, and whether he's really strong enough to resist revenge. (I like the black suit though. Keeping that and saying his emotions caused it probably could be passed off.) Last, the acting. What can I say? Everyone was Mary dang Poppins in the first two: "Practically perfect in every way." Willem Dafoe: Great schizophrenic. Alfred Molina? Also a wonderful villain. Uncle Ben and Aunt May? Great! In # 3, I think the only one who does as well as they did before is J.K Simmons. (Even Rosemary Harris didn't do quite as well as before.) And Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst? I almost threw up.
All in all, it's an alright film, but it had the potential to be the best of the Spider-Man's, and it came out the worst. Why is it that so many great movie series fail at number 3? The Godfather, The Terminator, and of course, Spider-Man, were all brilliant in the first two, then failed and died on the threshold of a wonderful number 3. To me, it's a mystery. I hope and pray that someone, somewhere, will solve it.