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A short review of Spiderman 3.

While most of the Denizens were focused on the Milblog Conference this weekend gollum was drug by The Wife to see SPM3. The best way I can talk about it without being a spoiler is to say that it felt rushed and attempted to be very ambitious with the amount of story it tried to tell.

The Wife and I being casual comic book people we were able to fill in many of the gaps, but people less familiar with the material might be a little bewildered since it is shot at you at 100mph. Maybe not since much of it isn’t dwelt on at length, even though it’s a 2hr+ movie. Which is sad since the back story of Venom, Sandman, and Green Goblin 2 are intensely rich and well developed in the Marvel universe. They could’ve picked just one villain and done the entire movie about Spiderman and that villain.

It’s entertaining. The message is the same as in both SPM1 and SPM2: you always have a choice whether to be an agent for good or not. It is 2 hours and some change long, so if you’ve got Child Labor Units be prepared to have to take them to the bathroom a couple of times.

It was ambitious, and it fails to live up to that ambition. The multiple storylines get little development and can leave you with a 'huh?' moment if you actually wonder about the why. There are great special effects scenes (too many as they interfered with the story telling) and a few not so good ones. It tries to weave at least 4 story lines together at one time. While that keeps you interested it kinda cheats you when you get such truncated ending of each story line.


It is still a pretty film; it’s still a fun popcorn flick with a minor moral message, but not as good as the first two. Well worth matinee ticket prices, but you need to be epic to be worth normal prices in my book. It’s good, but not epic. The first came closer to epic without attaining it so it’s only a little let off, but still worth matinee if you are looking to be entertained. Three and a half out of five I’d say. Not a must see, but worth seeing.
--ry

9 Comments

Spiderman1 will always be my first choice as a Darn Good Movie. Thanks for the review and warning re: time. The CLUs will be told to 'go' before we leave the house. Although, the funny thing about the CLUs is that they can play literally, for HOURS outside without so much as moment of discomfort, the second you task them with something frivolous like cleaning their rooms, or polishing the kitchen with a toothpick and q-tips, they have to 'go' every 10.7 minutes. And if they have to fold their laundry, put the schoolroom and family room to rights, it goes down to 4.9 minutes.
 
I had to say that I was VERY let down by Spiderman 3, due to the lack of story about how the hate Venom and Spiderman came to be. I was at the drive-in (I have 2 within 20 moinutes of the house) this last weekend with SWHTBO (She who HOPES to be obeyed), and I was just not feeling the comic book geek love from the movie. I also felt that they needed to take it 1 evildoer at a time, and that having to face Sandman, Venom AND have a love/hate are we friends or enemies with Harry in the same movie was too much. I can only hope that Fantastic Four 2 with Silver Surfer is better.
 
Hmmmm. Unfortunate acronym, Jon. Much as I hate to discourage readers, I sure hope Sh*tbo doesn't read Argghhh! for your sake. She Who Will Be Eventually Obeyed (SWWBEO) is safer, methinks. But it's your life.
 
Guys, Since this is a wife-free zone (mine anyway) I have my own acronym to offer: SWWDWMMLMISIO. She Who Will D*mn Well Make My Life Miserable If She Isn't Obeyed. Don't get me wrong, I love my wife dearly. It's just that she can be just the teensiest bit, shall we say, FIRM in her desire to have things done JUST SO. On the other hand she can also be a bit overprotective of yours truly. I once got into a strongly worded discussion with a friend who is an idiot (and yet I consider him a friend, go figure) Sharon thought the friend went over the line with his argument and took some personal verbal pot shots at me and when she got done I thought the poor guy was going to need an ambulance.
 
Jon, when I tell her about The Castle, she rolls her eyes and walks away disgusted. I have ZERO concerns that she will ever show up here. And I introduce her to people as She Who Hopes To Be Obeyed. At that time, I block the right jab and smile my award winning smile at her. Then I call her mom and tell her that her daughter is misbehaving and mom puts her in line. Great thing, mothers who like their daughter's male friends.
 
I'm waiting for this one to hit PPV/OnDemand - not high enough on my wish list to see in a theater - even before the lukewarm comments from all of you. I was amazed that I could actually drag the Hubster to "300", since it had a graphic novel heritage. The words 'comic book' do not help me to get him out the door to a movie, trust me. Now, the next Harry Potter will be high on my list. But it's not due till July. (Hear that, BCR??)
 
So, like, you and BCR are hosting the West Coast Castle Blogmeet and Movie Party, right? Well, if I'm not stuck at Dix, anyway.
 
Yes ma'am. Will wait for clearance before attempting to see the new Harry Potter movie ;-) Did Hubster survive 300? Yay, blogmeet! July should be warm enough to let anyone who wants to camp out in the back 40, too. Ignore the raccoons the size of Rottweilers. They hardly *ever* eat humans.
 
Too bad the racoons aren't perverts. If they were, you could syc the PG17(c) on 'em. THOU SHALT NOT DEVOUR HUMANS (without their express consent, of course)