Spider-man 3
Directed by Sam Raimi.
Starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst.
The Spiderman story is as much about the web of contradictions that is life, as it is about the story of Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), who transforms from a bookish student to an unlikely and reluctant superhero. His reluctance is well portrayed by the events leading to the death of his uncle, Ben Parker (Cliff Robertson). This reluctance becomes all the more acute after the death of Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe), a.k.a. the Green Goblin, who also happens to be the father of Peter's best friend, Harry Osborn (James Franco).
The conflicting relationship between Peter and Harry comes to a head in Spider-Man 3. However,Harry (a.k.a. the New Goblin) is not the only challenge that Peter faces. The Sandman/Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) and Venom/Eddie Brock Jr. (Topher Grace) are new villains that threaten not only Peter's alter-ego, but also — directly or indirectly — his job at the Daily Bugle as well…
Then, there is Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst),Peter's sweetheart, who is also facing a very uncertain life. New York loves Spiderman, and is about to give him the keys to the city, with some help from the beautiful Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard). Will Peter Parker start buying into the hype? If not, there's always plan B from outerspace…
Is this all too much? This reviewer certainly thinks not. Much has been made of the number of villains bogging down the movie, but this reviewer begs to differ. There is an overarching theme of the triumphs and frustrations of the underdog, and in Spider-Man 3, almost every major character in the movie seems to deserve this label.
The actors continuing in the franchise have grown well into their roles. Kirsten Dunst plays the long-suffering Mary Jane with dignity, even as her character faces many frustrations in this movie, including yet another stint as a damsel-in-distress. Tobey Maguire gets to explore other aspects of Peter Parker, although one would have preferred fewer close-ups that seem to set off fits of facial paralysis.
The heaviest lifting comes, however, from the villains. James Franco is outstanding here as Harry Osborn, the tormented son of the Green Goblin. He brings a heightened sense of humanity to Harry, imbuing the young Osborn with an innocent, even whimsical, manner that would surely earn many sympathies for Harry. The newcomers also bring their own strengths: Thomas Haden Church is remorseful and tortured as an escaped-convict-turned-supervillain, while Topher Grace portrays believably Eddie's fall from a merely spirited rivalry with Peter Parker to an irreversible vendetta.
Not that Spider-Man 3 is without its flaws. Some of the editing left the reviewer disoriented, and while corn cobs may have made a good substitute for sand, surely they are not meant to substitute for lines as well. One scene even caused the reviewer to wonder if Captain America may have a guest appearance. The cinematography is, at times, influenced by the decompression technique. The latter may have worked well in the Ultimate Spiderman comic-book series, from which this current franchise takes some of its plot details, but fares rather poorly when translated onto the big screen.
Still, Spider-Man 3 is vintage Spiderman, as conservatively constructed as Peter Parker's apartment, and sometimes as painful to push forward as the front door of the said apartment. Ultimately, the Spiderman story is a story about the struggles of the battlers and the salt of the earth. In this respect, then, and for this reviewer, Spider-Man 3 delivered this story with conviction and a good dose of humour.
3.5/5 Stars
Rongmin Lu
