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Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Preceded by: Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Director:
Sam Raimi
COUNTRY
USA
GENRE
Superhero/Adventure
NORWEGIAN TITLE
Spider-Man 3
RUNNING TIME
139 minutes
Producer:
Avi Arad
Grant Curtis
Laura Ziskin
Screenwriter (based on the Stan Lee character):
Sam Raimi
Ivan Raimi
Alvin Sargent


Cast includes:

CHARACTER ACTOR/ACTRESS RATING
Spider-Man/Peter Parker Tobey Maguire ½
Mary Jane Watson Kirsten Dunst ½
Harry Osborn James Franco
Sandman/Flint Marko Thomas Haden Church ½
Venom/Edward Brock Topher Grace ½
Gwen Stacy Bryce Dallas Howard
May Parker Rosemary Harris
J. Jonah Jameson J. K. Simmons ½
Captain Stacy James Cromwell
Dr. Curt Connors Dylan Baker
Robbie Robertson Bill Nunn
Maitre d' Bruce Campbell
Betty Brant Elizabeth Banks
Hoffman Ted Raimi
Norman Osborn Willem Dafoe
Ben Parker Cliff Robertson

 

Review

It is sad to see a once so innovative filmmaker as Sam Raimi sink down to not only recycling old formulas, but even repeating the recycling. It's not that Spider-Man 3 isolated is that much worse than the first two films, it's just that it is completely unnecessary. Apart from a slightly amusing Topher Grace (early on), this film has nothing new to offer. And for the second film running, the thematics are nicked from Richard Lester's Superman films from the 80s. Unfortunately for Spidey, Tobey Maguire's good/bad acting is ridiculous compared to that of Christopher Reeve in Superman III.

And as the storylines get more ineffective, the weaknesses of this Spider-Man franchise become more and more apparent: The Tobey Maguire/Kirsten Dunst romance is sugary, anti-erotic, and dated pulp literature, Spider-Man's adversaries are stupid, pathetic and uninteresting, and the special effects leave a lot to be desired. I submit the crane incident as proof for the latter. When the two almost irrelevant bit characters played by J. K. Simmons and Bruce Campbell become the film's undoubted highlights, you know for sure that the film is in trouble. Please bury this series as soon as possible.

Copyright © 6.11.2007 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang

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