1. Watchlist: Spider-Man 3

    Spider-Man 3 (2007)
    Directed by Sam Raimi
    Watched 2/14/2010 - 2nd Viewing

    After feeling pretty meh towards Raimi’s third and now last in the Spider-Man franchise, I put quite a bit of intentional distance between my first theater experience with the film and now, my second viewing - 3 years later. I loved the first Raimi Spider-Man for all the same reasons everyone loves that film, and loved Spider-Man 2 even more - which at the time I didn’t think was possible. Spidey 3, however, was a huge let down.

    Or at least, I’ve thought it was for the last 3 years. Upon a second viewing I see much more in the film, particularly in the first 2/3 of the 2.30min runtime. The first 2/3 is glorious superhero camp. A little too cartoonish in the action scenes, yes, but overall on par with the first two series efforts. Even the “humor” is spot on with the tone set by its predecessors - vintage Raimi cheeseball wit. Scenes that bothered me on first watch, such as the Jazz club dance sequence and the emo-Parker Saturday Night Fever dance down the sidewalks of NYC, somehow all fit in line now that we know that part 3/3 of the flick WILL drop the ball. Knowing this, I suggest you watch the film again, only this time, shut it off just before Topher Grace makes his Venom turn. Sure, it’s kind of anti-climactic, what with no strong action sequence to mind-blow you into submission… But in retrospect, what we were given (ie millions of pixels valued at hundred’s of millions of real on-screen dollars) was spectacularly anti-climactic too.

    blog comments powered by Disqus