Directed by Sam Raimi, Written by Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent
Runtime: 140 minutes, Released on: May 4, 2007
Review by: Ben Tay
Let the 2007 summer blockbuster season begin. Spider-Man returns to face his greatest challenge yet: He faces off against four villains (if you include himself too, of course), while trying to keep Sam Raimi’s franchise from going stale despite this being the third Spidey film in just five years.
Spider-Man 3 has a lot going for it. In fact, it may have too much going for it. Added to the mix this time around are the Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Venom (Topher Grace) to cause additional grief for Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) and his red-headed squeeze (Kirsten Dunst). If that’s not enough for you, Harry (James Franco) is still seeking bitter revenge against his father’s murderer, and Spider-Man himself seems to be suffering from an identity crisis.
Resulting from such an overcrowded lead cast are underdeveloped characters and half-baked storylines (Batman & Robin anyone?). However, the film’s saving grace lies in its action scenes. Rami and his crew have really outdone themselves this time, delivering breathtaking special effects and impressive action sequences that easily trump anything from the first two installments. It also helps that Maguire still seems to be having a lot of fun playing the good guy (although he really seems to enjoy playing the bad guy) despite this being his third go-around. Sadly, the same can’t be said for Dunst as she fails to bring anything new to her now one-dimensional Mary Jane role.
It was inevitable that Spider-Man 3 would fail to live up to the insurmountable expectations that preceded the film’s release. This is by far, the least focused entry in the series. However, fans of the web-slinger should simply be happy that Raimi and company have delivered a sequel that deserves to stand beside the first two films in this historic franchise. The Godfather III this ain’t. 
| Mike Sez: While I'll agree that this installment wasn't quite as good as the first two, it's still a better-than-average summer blockbuster. And come on -- Batman and Robin? That seems a bit harsh. The film is quite long and contains a few more characters/plot-lines than its predecessors, but it never feels bogged-down or plot-heavy. I think Sam Raimi is probably the perfect comic book director, because he's able to strike a perfect balance between action and drama. Sure, there's a lot going on in this film, but it's just more movie for your money, right?
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