Flawed but still a wonderful blockbuster

Rating: 8/10 (12 May 2007)

"Spiderman 3" doesn't disappoint at all like some reviewers commented. Of course this movie has flaws but overall it delivers on many fronts! Everything looks great. Spiderman and the villains all look very real. This third part contains even more action than the previous movies! The green goblin, the sandman, the symbiont (the alien black stuff) and last but not least Venom make an appearance in this third part.(Although he doesn't appear as long as I wanted to. Also Venom spoke in the I form and not using the first person plural case (we) like he did in the comics! A minor flaw. But could have made a huge difference.) At first it seems that Sam Raimi wanted to do much. But if i think about it isn't that unusual for Spidey. In the comics he encounters many villains in one storyline all the time! I think Sam Raimi stays true to most of the stories in the comics and that is one of the main reasons why Spiderman is so great. "Spiderman 3" has some surprises in store (meaning that some plot lines deviate from the marvel comics). A great part of the story is consistent with the spirit of the Spidey universe! However that doesn't mean that "Spiderman 3" is perfect. There are some mistakes that can't be easily forgiven. First of is the character Mary Jane. She is so different from the character in the comics. Which becomes painfully obvious in this third part. In the comics she is much stronger and more confident and loves Peter for who he is. In "Spiderman 3" she gets jealous because Peter/Spidey gets the fame she longs for.Especially when Gwen Stacy shows interest in Peter. (In the comics it is the other way around. Gwen is Peter's first love and she is jealous of the feisty Mary Jane Parker). And if that isn't enough she even goes as far to betray Peter with his best friend Harry Osborn. Kirsten Dunst portrayal of Mary Jane doesn't help either. It is clear that she isn't familiar with the comics which is a big shame. A second mistake is the twist concerning Ben Parker's murder (Peter's uncle). I know that this plot line is inserted to add some depth to a certain character but ultimately totally unnecessary and ridiculous compared to the first two movies and the comics. The third mistake is the under use of Venom. Archenemy of Spiderman. Surely he should have gotten more screen time. There is however an explanation for this. Sam Raimi is a fan of Spiderman in the early years. And therefore is more familiar with the villains of that period. And that is the main reason why he didn't want to put Venom in "Spiderman 3". My guess is that end result is sort of a compromise. Even with the little flaws and mistakes "Spiderman 3" is an action adventure not to be missed. It still is a lot of fun!