You're going to get your money's worth

Rating: 6/10 (13 August 2007)

I yearn for the day that sequels prefer scaling back in lieu of the Overstuff. Villain on top of villain - tone change outside of tone change - poor Mary Jane is regarded with the same nonchalance...bouncing to and from the same 2 men. Raimi invests 15 minutes into the Sandman's backstory then drops him as a character til Venom requires a tag partner. One moment Tobey's got roid rage, the next he's strutting like Tony Manero from Flatbush. Poor flick requires a valium. Thankfully, amidst all the schizo ambitions, there are pleasures. The menace of the 'venom' is both well-realized as a possessory and malicious source of evil. Tobey glides through the material with his usual effusive ease. Villainy is far more suited to Topher's lizard eyes...and the special effects, especially the disintegrating grains of the Sandman. If only there was some tonal coherence and a singular commitment.