Fast-Paised review: 'Spider-Man 3'

This web is all over the place (but we know you'll see it anyway)

By Matt Pais

May 1, 2007

Lots happening in director Sam Raimi's third Spidey flick: Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) remains on the outs with former BFF Harry Osborn (James Franco), who used to date MJ (Kirsten Dunst) and thinks Spider-Man killed his father. Meanwhile, Peter wants to propose to MJ, calm her jealousy about a classmate (Bryce Dallas Howard), fend off a new rival photographer (Topher Grace) and get revenge on Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), an ex-con who, aside from turning into the villain Sandman, may have killed Peter's Uncle Ben. Peter also absorbs an otherworldly substance that changes his and Spider-Man's personality. And Harry loses his short-term memory in an accident. And MJ struggles on Broadway. Got all that?

Big questions: Can "Spider-Man 3," likely the final installment with these stars, balance all these elements and live up to the greatness of "Spider-Man 2"?

Skip it: With all eight eyes of this "Spider" on something different, the film is crazily uneven and unable to get its excitement or its psychology in place. (Peter, MJ and Harry have always had a complicated thing going, but "3" can't decide how anyone feels about anything.) The corny, gee-whiz elements of the original installment have also returned and temper some of the fantastically choreographed action sequences.

Catch it: For the unusual scenes of Parker acting like a strutting, finely dressed, tough-guy stud. All he has to do now is lose the squeaky voice and it could be the premiere episode of "Pimp My Superhero."

Bottom line: While generally entertaining, "Spider-Man 3" is like a boomerang in a basement. It bounces all over the place, occasionally hits something solid and never settles in.

Bonus: Word of advice: If you're running from the law and take cover in a "Particle Physics Test Facility," don't be surprised if you convert into a no-longer-human super-villain. Hey, Sandman; what did you think was going to happen?

Matt Pais is the metromix movies producer.

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'Spider-Man 3'

Directed by Sam Raimi; screenplay by Raimi, Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent; photographed by Bill Pope; edited by Bob Murawski; music by Christopher Young and Danny Elfman; production design by Neil Spisak and J. Michael Riva; produced by Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad and Grant Curtis. A Columbia Pictures release; opens late Thursday. Running time: 2:19. MPAA rating: PG-13 (for sequences of intense action violence)

Peter Parker - Tobey Maguire

Mary Jane Watson - Kirsten Dunst

Harry Osborn - James Franco

Flint Marko - Thomas Haden Church

Eddie Brock - Topher Grace

Aunt May - Rosemary Harris