Spiderman 3!

[iximisspiggyixi]

So it's my friend Candace's birthday, so we're taking her out to dinner and then going to the midnight showing of Spiderman 3. I'm so excited to see this! I'm soo not a comic book-ish sort of girl, but I think the first 2 movies were great. It's sort of sad though to see the trilogy coming to an end. But anyways! Whoever sees the movie, post opinions/thoughts/etc. here!

 

[BaroqueRockstar]

i wasn't a big fan of the first two, but i do want to know how the story ends....
has anyone seen it? is it worth seeing?

 

[iLoveCouture]

^^ It comes out tomorrow. I can't wait to see it.

 

[TheGlassAngel]

I'll be seeing it this saturday! Very excited. Love the 2nd one, not a fan of the 1st.

 

[Faith Akiyama]

I just came home from the midnight showing around here, which was packed for all 12 theatres I'll try to give a review without spoiling anything...

It was alright, I guess -- above average but nothing extremely exciting, besides the spectacular action sequences, of course The individual characters were well-written and portrayed for the most part (Topher Grace and J.K. Simmons take the cake), and the storyline was segmented yet not too confusing. However, the cheesy situations that you would expect from this movie (Crying policemen, American flag glamour shot, and overtly emotional kind-of-British reporter, anyone? ) were still rather overbearing/very contrived, and IMHO they overshadowed what could've been a superb film. On a positive note, though, the awkwardness can at least be attributed to the fact that the trilogy has been genuine to the comic book style. It leaves somewhat of a bland taste for me personally, but that's probably because I watch too many independent films

Tobey Maguire was especially impressive this time around for me. His performance of two extremes in personality was both well-articulated and entertaining at once. Most of my previously existent doubts about him being a decent Peter Parker have finally been diffused

I hope your friend Candace enjoyed her birthday gifts, at least! And the latest word is that there will be more films to come (Possibly not with Tobey and Kirsten fronting the cast, though).

 

[larien]

my brother is very exciting about that film!!!but i dont like it that much

 

[alix*]

I watched it on Tuesday and I must say I wasn't very impressed.

Sure there were great actions scenes but the plot was all over the place and it doesn't really seem to go anywhere.

Spidey turns emo - and I must say he looks rather sexy emo. Oh and he picks up this must see dance move

Probably the worst out of the three, but it's still a must see.

 

[iximisspiggyixi]

I dunno, the dork inside of me kinda loved it, I thought there was alot of good action sequences and this one def. had alot more funny moments than the first 2 - but it's true that there were almost too many cheesy things thrown in here and there that took away from the story. I say 4/5 stars though, I was pretty happy with it.

 

[Faith Akiyama]

^Yah, the humor was definitely enjoyable...I'll never forget that dance! I just hope they paid Tobey a decent amount of extra money to perform something so ridiculous (And hilarious) My inner comic book aficionado did like a lot of the elements throughout the film, but sometimes I just wish certain one-liners never existed on screen.

I think this review I found on Yahoo! sums up my exact thoughts as well (Text in white since there are spoilers - highlight to read

"Star Ratings (all, 5 stars

Overall 3.5 stars

Cast 4 stars
Plot 3 stars
Effects 4 stars
Cinematography 3.5 stars

Everybody needs a hero, be it an alien being wearing tights with a cape (Superman), or a rich mogul with a lot of toys (Batman), or even an average girl who can regenerate herself like The Cheerleader in TV's "Heroes". In this third installment of the "Spider-Man" movie saga, we're served the same affair of the city being hounded by evil-doers, and it's all up to one friendly neighbourhood 'Spidey' to save the day.

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), now having gone through what we've seen in "Spider-Man" 1 & 2 movies respectively, is living the life of a dream. He has a beautiful girlfriend by his side. As Spider-Man, he is revered by the city as a hero for fighting crime and saving people's lives daily. Although he still stays in a dodgy little apartment, and still has that freelance photography job at the Daily Bugle, he's a happy man.

However, problems soon arise, when Parker finds himself caught up with his fame as Spider-Man, so much so that he begins to revel in it at the cost of his love, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst). One morning, he wakes up to find himself in a new black suit, and discovers that an alien-like symbiote has merged itself into his suit, creating the new look which is a flashier, stronger - yet - darker Spider-Man. Parker soon exhibits a darker personality too, in keeping with his suit, and begins to change, not just where his alter-ego is concerned, but as an individual - pushing Mary Jane to the brink.

In the midst of all this, Parker is dogged by more problems. Word is out that the real man responsible for the death of Parker's uncle, Ben, is Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), who has just escaped from prison and is now loose on the streets. Digging deep into his darker side, Parker goes after Flint for more than just revenge; Parker wants to exterminate him, only to find that the ex-convict has somehow become The Sandman.

More chaos occurs when Harry Osborn (James Franco) takes up the mantle of his father as the new Green Goblin. Out for revenge for his father's death, which he believed was caused by Spider-Man, Harry pursues Parker at every turn of the corner - creating havoc, and pushing Parker into finally embracing his darker side.

Now at the losing end, Parker must find a way to destroy his enemies, and sever his link to his alien symbiote - but ends up creating a new enemy when the symbiote lands on Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), the new guy at the Daily Bugle who is out to replace Parker as Spider-Man's photographer, thus creating Venom whose hatred for Spider-Man runs deep.

The beginning credits of the film showed freeze frame snippets from "Spider-Man" 1 & 2, giving a little background history for the viewers before delving into the third movie. However, the movie was above-average. I felt that there were parts that were too slow, and could do with a little bit less character development. There were too many stories and new characters, compressed into the 2 hours and 20 minutes on-screen. Although there were some exciting bits, there were also the drab, slow, and unnecessary scenes. With such a huge storyline, most parts became a little jumbled - and sort of 'everywhere-at-once'.

Sam Raimi has brought different facets to his characters, be it in producing his TV series ("Hercules", "Xena"), or his movies ("Army of Darkness"). "Spider-Man 3" is no exception, showing that good and evil are no longer as simple as black and white. Behind every character, there's a story to be told.

The main story here, however, should have concentrated on the Venom/Eddie Brock character development; the reason given for his character embracing the new symbiote doesn't hold much water. However, Raimi has spent too much time revealing the story of Flint's life, before emerging as the Sandman.

Venom seemed very puppet-like, and wasn't really scary - looking more like Spider-Man in a black suit, with fangs. It was nothing impressive, and didn't seem that venomous; unlike the symbolic original costume in the comic strips. Topher Grace's acting is rather wooden, bringing to mind his character as Eric Forman on TV's "The '70s Show". As much as one would like to believe that Eddie Brock here has embraced his evil nature by being Venom, it's hard not to laugh when he talks like his mouth is stuffed full of teeth.

There are some genuine laughs, especially when we see J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) controlling his temper (which any major fan would know is hard for him to do!), and when Parker becomes the new, hip, flashier Parker, grooving his way through with the ladies and even standing up to his boss! Look out for a cameo from Stan Lee, who as usual makes an appearance here, with a line to say; and Sam Raimi's brother, Ted Raimi, who has a role in almost all of Sam's produced or directed movies/TV series.

After a while, it gets a little bit tiring when you know you can predict what's going to happen before every scene. The fight sequences are, as usual, impressive, yet, it lacks the smoothness and excitement of the first two movies. The action sequences, when it appears, are still exciting, and sometimes gripping; yet doesn't last very long before the movie drags you kicking and screaming back into the boring scenes.

The third instalment of the "Spider-Man" franchise takes the movie into "Star Wars" territory, with Spidey getting 'seduced' by a 'dark side'. This seems to have come the way of Superman - in the form of a meteor of gooey black silk that crashes onto Earth from another galaxy.

Now, if you are thinking that the script-writers are rummaging in the 'box of movie cliches' for plot ideas, yes, "Spider-Man 3" can be rather predictable, and even a little long-winded. However, director Sam Raimi has upped the ante in the special effects department and his awesome sequences of the shape-changing Sandman would probably blow you away. If, somehow, you feel disappointed with the plot of this sequel, it is probably because Raimi had made the two predecessors so fantastic that expectations inevitably run high for this one. No, "Spider-Man 3" is not disappointing. It just gets bogged down a bit by a heavily-laden plot, repetitive sequences and some recurring jokes...

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) seems to have everything going for him and his girlfriend Mary Jane (Kristen Dunst). He has been given a special ring by his Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) so that he can pop the question to MJ at a posh French restaurant. However, a blob of black goo drops from outer space, latches on to his Spidey suit and generally fouls things up for him by enhancing his powers and corrupting his ego. From here on, his relationship with MJ hits the proverbial rocks.

If that is not bad enough, he has to contend with escaped convict Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) who transforms into the formidable shape-changing Sandman; wrestle with his buddy Harry Osborn (James Franco); and ward off Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), the new photographer at the Daily Bugle who is also changed by the black goo into the nasty Venom.

Fighting three villains - and himself - may be too much for Spidey but it can also be a strain on the movie as Raimi seems to be trying to cramp everything into the plot. With so many things going on, we are distracted from the main characters, especially the juicy love triangle among Parker, Mary Jane and Harry Osborn.

Some of the other subplots are equally engaging, like Parker's tryst with his beautiful course-mate Gwen Stacey (Bryce Dallas Howard). However, it also gets the short shrift when it is quickly dismissed so that Spidey can get to other matters at hand. Yeah, if we feel letdown, it is because Raimi gives us glimpses of such delectable plot dishes, only to take it away before we can digest them. While he had maintained a wonderful balance between stunts and story-telling in the first two efforts, he seems to be in quite a hurry here.

The saving grace is the cast, though. Maguire and Dunst have definitely grown accustomed to their roles - and each other - and it is delightful to see them together again. Church and Grace have fleshed out their roles convincingly as 'accidental' villains, and many of us would feel pity for them. Ms Howard also proves she is not just 'eye candy' and has made good use of the little on-screen time she has. The only one who looks rather 'lost' is Franco, the poor rich boy who can never get the girl or anything he wants.

There is no doubt "Spider-Man 3" will do well in the summer box-office stakes. After watching the 'origin' of Sandman sequence, you will realise that Raimi and his crew have made good use of the budget. Welcome back, Spidey!"

^Couldn't have said it better myself!

 

[vmob84]

I don't understand why they turned Peter Parker into an emo kid. wtf. It was okay, entertaining but nothing worth a second watch.

 

[BaroqueRockstar]

I watched it on Tuesday and I must say I wasn't very impressed.

Sure there were great actions scenes but the plot was all over the place and it doesn't really seem to go anywhere.

Spidey turns emo - and I must say he looks rather sexy emo. Oh and he picks up this must see dance move

Probably the worst out of the three, but it's still a must see.

sexy tobey mcguire???
that's an oxymoron...

 

[misssakura]

This film was pretty terrible. The first half (about 5 minutes before the jazz bar scene) were entertaining. Dumb fun. Some very well pulled off gags. The second half? Stupid. There were more plotholes than X-Men3 (and that's really saying something). Not only was it completely stupid but somewhat dull. The action failed to grab me. I didn't feel any emotional connection. The British reporter is probably the worst case of acting I've ever seen on the big screen, and I've seen Lady in the Water.

Just remember kids...

The butler did it.

 

[iLoveCouture]

Thanks for the reviews guys. It seems to be 50/50 so far, some loved it and some hated it. I will just have to see for myself!

 

[TopofNewYork]

I dug it.

 

[kissmesweet]

I saw it on Tuesday and I LOVED IT! It was fast paced and at times, it was a bit more peaceful. It has punch and it has a perfect mixture of romance and action!!

Go, Peter Parker!

 

[alix*]

sexy tobey mcguire???
that's an oxymoron...

I know I couldn't believe myself when I saw him.
I'm digging his eyeliner and emo hair do

 

[misssakura]

I saw it on Tuesday and I LOVED IT! It was fast paced and at times, it was a bit more peaceful. It has punch and it has a perfect mixture of romance and action!!

Go, Peter Parker!

Fast paced? You gotta be kidding. This movie was so drawn out and slow. Perhaps you're confusing fast paced with clutter. This movie was cluttered. It had too many random scenes thrown in, too many villains, too many life lessons...messy messy messy.

 

[TheGlassAngel]

Ah....spiderman goes emo. Well, looking forward to that

Personally. I know I would probably be disappointed. Everybody kept telling me how good X-3 was. Then I saw it and I didn't think it was not a good movie, not even for a blockbuster

 

[scatterak]

I really want to like it, but some things were just unbearable. The acting for the most part was very good, but I can't believe some of the lines, some of the insanely corny shots that were in this movie.

Two words: AMERICAN FLAG. WTF.

 

[Preahya]

I was green of envy of Mary Jane`s outfits. I love James Franco in this one. He had alot chemistry with Tobey and Kristen. He wasn`t a good villian though!