Good Summer Fun, but Lost Opportunities for Greatness

Rating: 6/10 (14 May 2007)

Spiderman 3 was generally a fun movie to sit through for almost 2 ½ hours, but like a bad diet soda, it left a foul aftertaste. It's sad, because the prequels set the stage for this movie to be a classic vintage wine. The franchise has fallen back to the overcrowded pack of visually stunning but unfulfilling superhero movies, but as I will discuss later, the series has not yet been killed.
As for the present feature, there is obviously too much going on to compel any viewers to deeply care about the characters this time around. This is really ashamed because with more time to develop, the arc of Harry's story, ending with his death as he fights to save Peter's life, would have carried a real emotional punch. Unfortunately, Harry was so up and down emotionally, and in and out of the story, that we never connected with him or his evolving relationship with Peter. In addition, Venom deserved far better than the scant screen time and lack of malice provided by the screenplay and Topher Grace's portrayal. The past Spidey villains were so effective because they were egotistical, maniacal, and brilliant  guys at the top of their game that still weren't satisfied and WERE insane. Spidey 3's Eddie Brock was an admitted loser, so pathetic that he couldn't even get a job as a staff photographer without cheating  not exactly the pedigree of villains we deserve and Spiderman expects to battle.
Thomas Haden Church was completely squandered as The Sandman non-villain. The character was utterly useless. It's another unfortunate waste because Church would have been a GREAT true villain, with his chiseled face and dry, diabolical sense of humor (Scorpion or Rhino come to mind). Sandman should have been left out and his (along with Doc Connors) minutes used for Harry, Venom, and a more cohesive storyline that relied less on random events to make things work out (i.e. the black goo just falling from outer space, Brock just happening to be at the church where Peter jettisons the black suit). A better costume and vehicle for Harry would have been nice, too. The hover-board looked like something from a Back-to-the-Future fire sale.
All was not bad: The fight scenes, other than the over-the-top finale, were great. The acting was good, and I still like the characters. The funny parts were funny, meant to be tongue-in-cheek and I enjoyed them. I took Peter's morph into a Travolta-struttin' emo as the black suit turning him insane. It worked because everyone in the movie, not just the audience, thought he looked ridiculous.
Moving forward, Spiderman 4 could rejuvenate the franchise but it would take some awfully clever writing. There is a huge financial incentive. There are enough good actors and Spiderman villains to get that part of the story right. A little MJ/Gwen Stacy competition would spice things up. Maybe even a return of Venom, albeit with a different, move malevolent host.
I guess in the end, Spidey 3 WAS fun but could have been SO MUCH more. We shouldn't feel too sad. It's been a great ride, and two out of three ain't bad!