The darkest, most complex, and best of the three

Rating: 10/10 (5 May 2007)

I saw the midnight showing and was blown away not only by the special effects, but also by the acting and the story. Each movie in this series is better than the last, putting this in the league of trilogies such as Star Wars (the originals) and Back to the Future.
How the movie stands on its own:
Plotwise-The primary plot is Peter Parker struggling with the arrogant and aggressive desires given to him by the alien being that has created his notorious "black suit". There are numerous subplots in the movie (Peter's ego affecting his relationship with MJ, the discovery that the Sandman was his Uncle's real killer, Harry blaming him for the death of his father, and a rival reporter in Eddie Brock, plus romantic attention from Gwen Stacey), but all of these either cause him to accept the alien's powers, or are aggravated by his use of the black suit, so they are all tied in nicely to the main plot.
Characters-Maguire is able to portray Peter's darker side while keeping his "nerdy" core. Dunst is great at portraying a jealous MJ. Franco is fantastic at being an obsessive, vengeful Harry. The versions of the Sandman and Venom portrayed by Thomas Hayden Church and Topher Grace, respectively, are different from the comic versions, I am told, but within the scope of the movie, they are well done, especially considering the lack of screen time they each get. Here, the Sandman is a sad, reluctant villain who stoops to crime to get money to find a cure for his daughter, and Eddie Brock/Venom is a cocky, devious "evil twin nerd" version of Peter Parker. Bruce Campbell as a French host is hilarious. The actress who played Gwen Stacey doesn't get as big of a part as she deserves, but she works with what she has.
Setting-New York City, so it's obviously good. Also loved the American Flag in the background before the final battle-USA! USA!
Dialogue-Funny moments such as J. Jonah Jameson being buzzed to take his blood pressure medication more than make up for cheesy lines said during a break-up scene on a bridge in a park.
Flaws: -The villains, since there are three of them, aren't as well developed as they are in the first two movies. In particular, Venom needed more screen time (and a MUCH closer relationship to Gwen) to give him more of a motive for hating Spiderman. This is a shame, considering how well Doc Oc was characterized in the second movie. -Some of the emotional moments (i.e. the bridge break-up) are overacted, making them somewhat cheesy. -MAJOR SPOILER: Harry changes sides way too quickly after a less-than-minor character tells him the truth about what happened to his father. END OF SPOILER.
The good elements of this movie far outweigh the bad elements, and it is honestly the best movie I have seen in a long time. Not only is it a great story, but it also has a brilliant theme of how liberating forgiveness is and how poisoning revenge is in contrast. There are rumors of a fourth movie coming out; all I have to say is, if Sam Raimi, Maguire, Dunst, and other members of the original cast are still in it, I am SO there!