Spider-Man Triumphant (Sympathy Factor)

Rating: 9/10 (6 May 2007)

I walked in to my local AMC theater with mixed feelings. Having just come out of a Hot Topic across the street and seeing a Venom t-shirt, I was somewhat pumped. However, critics had panned the film... but then again, most of the films they pan I end up liking.
The introduction of Flint Marko, played brilliantly by Thomas Haden Church of SIDEWAYS and GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE, and his metamorphosis into the Sandman, helped make the film. For once there is a villain who is just trying to save his daughter and truthfully wants no harm done. It made me sympathize for him and wanting the rage-driven Spidey to forgive him for, yes that's right, killing Uncle Ben.
Topher Grace, a cool cat in my book, was for the first time down right nasty. I did, however, feel sympathy here too. Before Spidey reveals the photoshopping of a picture Eddie Brock, Jr. (Grace) used to outsource Pete Parker, he begs him not to, seeing as that the Bugle is the only place that will hire him. After this and Parker's stealing of Brock's girlfriend Gwen Stacy (hottt Bryce Dallas Howard), Brock was destined to become Venom, filled with enough rage to destroy the world. Venom made the movie, and fellow comic fans will enjoy the symbiote menace as well.
Now we come to Harry Osborn. You gotta love James Franco here. After a fight with Parker under the guise of Goblin 2, he tries to kill Spidey using his newly acquired ultrahuman strength and is knocked out by Parker, only to lose his short term memory (the film takes place immediately after the end of SM2) and believe Pete is still his bff. When reawakened to his anger, he ruins Parker's relationship w/Mary Jane and throws Spidey off he deep end, feeding the symbiote's hunger for rage and turning him into the Dark Spider-Man. But then Spidey does the unthinkable: after burning the left side of Harry's face so that he looks like Erik, le Phantom of the Opera, he goes to Osborn for help. And later, during a duel with Venom and the Golem-size Sandman, he ACTUALLY helps Spidey, even sacrificing his life for Pete's, which becomes the catalyst for Eddie Brock's vaporization (highlight of the movie even with my sympathy).
Mary Jane's life goes south, getting fired from a play b/c she can't sing (BS!!!!), losing Pete to Gwen, and being forced by Harry to betray Pete.
The best part of the movie, though, is Bruce Campbell. I hope to God he's Quentin Beck in SM4 and becomes Mysterio. Then we can have Mysterio, Lizard, and the other possibities and do what the original Batmans didn't. Have multiple villains and not make it campy.