Handles too much but nevertheless a funnier and enjoyable adaptation

Rating: 8/10 (22 July 2009)

Peter Parker (McGuire) is enjoying his fame as Spider-man which distracts his attentions from his unappreciated girlfriend (Dunst) and new villains Venom and Sandman.
The sequel to the then most successful box office smash of all time brought an exciting prospect for all Spidey fans in two of the most recognized and established villains from the comic book series: Sandman and Venom.
Now that the films were an established brand and anticipation could rival any other big name release like Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean this was a worldwide smash, and with good reason.
The trailer broke minds and fans flooded in to see a collection of fantastic action sequences, intriguing characters and a collaborative story of love, drama and good vs evil, so why doesn't this film match the previous two releases? Spider-Man 2 brought around the unfortunate villain Dr Octopus and with that one of the most stunning graphically enhanced action sequences ever seen in a comic book adaptation: the train sequence. Absolute brilliance in all terms for adrenaline, visual and shock. The story wasn't bad either as Parker debated his purpose in life.
Trying to follow the bonds of its predecessor Spider-man 3 takes a sentimental issue of friendship and love whilst juxtaposing real life with some tough villains.
Yes, there is an awful lot happening here. Parker's fame, Watson's career, Osborn's loyalty and there are a host of new protagonists to contend with. So at a good 2 hours 20 minutes there should be sufficient room to cram everything in? Well this is where the fabrication and good intentions to fulfil fan's expectations starts to unwind. There is simply too much going on with little focus on the significance of situations. Everyone has their own story to tell, which is fair enough but when mingling them all together everything just feels too perfect for the story's own good. Like Marco's involvement with Ben Parker. Like Peter coincidentally in the same place as Eddie Brock with Venom. It all fits too perfectly to be unrealistic. Not to mention a vast majority of the dialogue is clunky and cheesy.
But this is not all doom and gloom. If you forget the clunky scripting you see some well choreographed fighting, some established visuals and perhaps the funnier side of any of the films in the series. Whether you are a critique or a spider-man fanatic, there is no denying the spectacle of this Raimi picture. It is enjoyable and an obvious watch if you enjoyed the first two releases.
Raimi is once more on form and handles the script as best as he can. The early shot of MJ and Peter on the web looking at shooting stars is a bit awkward romantically but the unfortunate crane sequence is well handled.
Despite the plot this is a sharp fun film with once more stunning action and fantasy.