After two weeks in the making, here is my review of Spiderman 3. I went with a big group on Friday, May 4th, and loved it - but then again, I'm biased. I was so glad I caught up on the first two that afternoon!

CAUTION: CONTAINS SPOILERS!
The whole movie is about vengence, and how it can be like a poison: Peter is trying to take revenge on Flint Marko (A.K.A.: Sandman) for killing Ben Parker ... Harry Osborne is trying to get revenge on Spiderman for killing Norman Osborne (A.K.A.: The Green Goblin) ... Eddie Brock is trying to take revenge on Peter Parker for ruining his career and stealing his girlfriend, Gwen Stacey. Peter is also getting more cocky and self-assured as the city of New York begins to accept and praise Spiderman for his efforts. Spidey's black symbiote suit enhances his aggression and arrogance, turning Peter into an emo-goth jerk.

Unfortunately, it does nothing to improve his dancing or teach him how to flirt with women without looking like Steve Urkel. Everyone was saying how this movie was supposed to be so much more "dark" than the first two. It was, but there was also a huge amount of goofy slapstick for comic relief, which sometimes got to be too much.

The movie also further follows the relationship of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, which has progressed to the point where Peter has decided to propose to MJ. I thought that Aunt May offering her engagement ring was very touching, showing that she hopes that Peter and Mary Jane will have many happy years together, just as May and Ben did. Who do either Peter or MJ have to look to as relationship role models aside from May and Ben Parker? Not Peter's parents, who died before he could know them. Not the Watsons' abusive relationship, which the whole neighbourhood was witness to. I'm sure Harry's parents weren't happily married either, judging from Norman's general attitude about women and workaholic nature in Spiderman.

Also, Peter is not exactly making Harry Osborne money in the superhero/freelance photography business, so I'm sure getting a free second-hand engagement ring doesn't hurt. Besides, MJ already has her wedding dress from leaving J. Jonah's son John at the alter in Spiderman 2!

However, as Peter's star is rising, the curtain is closing on MJ - at least for one Broadway role - and Peter doesn't seem to notice. Mary Jane also becomes jealous of Peter's classmate, Gwen Stacey, who Spiderman saves and publically kisses. In the comic books, Gwen was sweet and smart, and I think that is how they should have kept it. In the movie, she is a self-absorbed fashion model who Peter describes as not especially studious.

I also found it ironic that, in real life, Kirsten Dunst (MJ) is a blonde and Bryce Dallas Howard (Gwen) is a redhead ...

Spiderman 3 has three villans: Venom, the Sandman, and The Green Goblin: Version 2.0. The movie starts with Harry and Peter estranged due to Harry's anger at Spiderman and discovery that Spidey and Peter are one in the same. Harry re-invents and resurrects the Green Goblin, getting even further away from the original costume. What was the point of casting Willm Dafoe as Gobbey if they were just going to put him in a metal mask? His face was so perfect for that role, he only needed make-up!!! Now Harry is on a flying snowboard with a visor and goggles! It is a cool costume, but I personally prefer the old-school Goblin look.

For a brief time, Harry gets amnesia and turns into a beter friend to Peter and Mary Jane than he ever was before. Unfortunately, it all has to come to an end, and Harry hatches a plot to force Mary Jane to leave Peter, then rubs it in by saying that Harry and MJ had been having an affair. Peter pays Harry back by reminding him that Norman considered Harry a failure and an embarassment, then hideously deforming half of Harry's face with a pumpkin bomb. Peter later tries to get Harry to help him defeat Venom and Sandman to save MJ, and Harry refuses until his loyal butler, Houseman confesses, "I've seen things in this house that I've never spoke of ... I cleaned your father's wound the night he died, they were from the blades of his own glider. There is no doubt that your father died by his own hand".

Where was that guy two movies ago?!?

Personally, I was not convinced by Harry's sudden and total change of heart. Even though Peter is not to blame for Norman's death, there is still the little matter of Harry's scarred face ... not to mention his scarred psyche after Peter's little, "Your dad never loved you" speech. I would have preferred a temporary partnership, where Harry tells Peter, "I'm doing this for Mary Jane, not you".

Spidey and Gobbey team up against Venom and Sandman, but Harry ends up dying as MJ and Peter weep over his body against the backdrop of the rising sun. I was nearly in tears during Harry's funeral scene, especially when Peter and MJ went their seperate ways following the service and didn't reconcile until the following scene.

Just when you think it's over, it's not over ... and it is revealed that Uncle Ben's real killer is at large. Worse, he gets turned into The Sandman when he hides in a nuclear testing ground.

Just a tip for all you scientists: when you assume, you make an ass out of you and me ... and a mutant out of innocent bystanders.

My favorite part of this plotline was that they showed the scene where Flint kills Uncle Ben repeatedly, changing it each time according to the person's perceptions of Flint's actions. In the end, I really felt sorry for Flint, and saw him as a man, not just a monster. I believed that Peter would forgive him, although Flint seemed to still not forgive himself. I wished that Peter would have offered to help Flint's sick daughter in some way. Mark liked that Flint had to adjust to the changes in his body chemistry and learn to use his powers, rather than jump up totally capable right after the experiment. However, he pointed out that fact that Flint is wearing the same clothes when he kills Uncle Ben that he changes into and wears for the entire movie. I don't know about you, but if I had to pick an outfit, I'd pick the one I was wearing the day I made the biggest mistake of my life ... especially if police were trying to identify me and only had one picture of me, probably wearing that very distinctive shirt.

As much as I had doubts about Topher Grace playing Eddie Brock, I thought that the origin scene of Venom was very well done. I also liked that they included foreshadowing when Peter tells Eddie, "You want redemption? Go find religion". Eddie comes to the church looking for revenge rather than forgiveness, and gets more than he bargained for. I liked the way the bell started ringing as soon as Eddie prays for Peter Parker to be killed, as if he was to take turning into Venom as a sign from God. I also thought it was funny that Eddie addressed Jesus as "Sir".

Venom has always terrified me, right back to the days when I was still collecting
comics. I think it's the razor-sharp maniacal grin. I was trying to remember if Venom made that velociraptor-like scream on the 90s cartoon series, or if I imagined him that way. It seemed to fit and was extremely chilling. I had forgotten than sound waves effect Venom negatively, and was wondering how Peter would ever beat him. However, I was disappointed that Venom died at the end of the movie. How will they ever facilitate Carnage's origin without Venom? (Maybe they don't plan to, but I'm wondering if some of the old school villans will get passed over for flashier recent additions.) The best part of the old cartoon and the comics was that hardly anyone died ... except for friends and family of Spiderman. Villans were just beaten into submission and left to eventually resurface.

Stan Lee finally got a good cameo. In the original movie, he was supposed to be selling sunglasses out of a case, and call out to Peter Parker, "Do you want to buy a pair of these? They're the kind they wore in the X-Men!", but that ended up on the cutting room floor. In both Spiderman and Spiderman 2, Stan was only seen for a split second pushing children out of the way of debris. In 2, I think he got to say, "Look out!". In this one, he walks up to Peter and, as they both look at a marque that say Spiderman will be getting the key to the city, Stan says, "I guess one man can make a difference. 'Nuff said". I knew it was him as soon as I saw the back of his head! Excelsior, Stan!

My favorite quote from this movie came when Peter is trying to return the ring to Aunt May, saying that he is not ready to propose, he has hurt Mary Jane and he doesn't know what to do:

"You start by doing the hardest thing, you forgive yourself. I believe in you, Peter. You're a good person, and I know you'll find a way to put it right ... in time."

But, of course, it is no match for:

"WITH GREAT POWER, COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY ..."