Sidewalks On The Corner

The "Spider-Man" series is one of the highest grossing Marvel film franchises of all time, so a third sequel was inevitable. "Spider-Man 3" is definitely the darkest in the trilogy, and if you thought it was an ordinary day in the neighborhood for your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.... think again. Something sinister drops into town in this third installment. And Peter Parker takes on some new enemies, while he takes on the little battles in life.

Follow up:

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is torn between his romantic involvement with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), his job and the pressures to succeed, the death of his uncle, and, to add to the frustration, there is the ongoing rivalry with his best friend Harry Osborn (James Franco), who holds Spiderman responsible for his father's death (a.k.a. Green Goblin).

To top it all off, two new evil forces emerge. One villain is a dark alien force that arrived from the depths of space. The alien forms a symbiotic bond with its host and feeds off of the hostel emotions within. This dark life form bonds with both Peter Parker and photographer Eddie Brock ( Topher Grace, That ‘70s Show, upcoming "The Crusaders"); turning Eddie into a creature who calls himself Venom. The other is a misunderstood convict Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church (Wings, "Sideways"), who escapes the clutches of the law. Marko is caught in a nuclear experiment and his body fuses with the sand under his feet; turning him into the Sandman. Sam Raimi, director of all three movies, wanted to pack the new sequel with as much as he could to accommodate the countless fans that know the story all too well.

One of the strong points of "Spider-Man 3” is the story line that revolves around Peter Parker. Parker wants marry the love of his life Mary Jane, but when duty calls he is unable to shake the dilemma of love or duty. Avenging the death of his beloved uncle Ben weighs heavily on his mind and convincing his friend Harry that his father's death was an accident proves to be pointless. Peter Parker's frustration manifested itself, resulting in a new form of Spider-man. One he has almost no control over.

The story is one that many can somewhat relate to, and it draws the audience into the world of Peter Parker. The web slinger progressed slowly, from the loveable super hero to a sinister force in a reasonable span of time. The transformation didn't feel rushed or unfinished. But, what weakens Spidey 3 just a little is the development of its super villains. You get only a fraction of the story about their lives. Many stated that the Sandman was disposable character, and others thought the focus should fall on Venom. Maybe a fourth Spider-Man will go into the details.

Bryce Dallas Howard makes a nice addition to the new group of supporting cast members. She plays the cute and bubbly Gwen Stacy. Howard was adorable and the character came naturally to her. Gwen Stacy wasn't represented as the typical blond bimbo nor was she an airhead. Grace is the egotistical Eddie Brock who is hunting for Peter Parker's job. Grace fits perfectly into his role and makes the transition from the character he plays on That ‘70s Show to the bigheaded Brock quite easily. Church is the Sandman / Flint Marko, who would have been lifeless and a complete waste of skin if Church wasn't in the driver’s seat as the unique super villain. Although many felt he didn't belong in the film, Church actually brought spirit to his character and in many ways the audience felt sorry for Flint Marko.

As far the original cast is concerned, the acting was strong and character development was there from the start. Picking up where they left off is Dunst who reprises her role as Mary Jane, only this time around Dunst feels worn and tired. Kirsten's portrayal of Mary Jane in the first two films was more lively and bright eyed. But for third, she had to turn down her energy level just enough to bring out the emotional side to fit the darker overtones of the film. Maguire is no doubt perfect as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, who becomes a narcissist, meaning he is only focused on himself. Maguire is at his best in his role.

Overall “Spider-Man 3” does a nice job of summing up the first two films and though the story doesn’t quite live up to Spider-Man 2, it still makes the trilogy a strong collection. The effects were excellent, and there were even some great comical moment where it felt like "Saturday Night Fever" clashed with "The Nutty Professor".

“Spider-Man 3” is fun, cheesy, dark and touching. I would recommend seeing it in IMAX for maximum fun.