As the Columbia Pictures and Marvel logos grace the screen and the opening credits zoom to a close, Spider-Man 3 zips into action with our friendly neighborhood hero sitting on top of the world.  Spidey Mania has caught NYC in a fever pitch with (almost) everybody showering him with love and adoration.  And his alter-ego Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) finds himself in the midst of an upswing as well.  In addition to relishing NYC’s Spidey-love, he’s also kicking butt in college (finally); and his love affair with Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) is as strong as steel.  As the film opens, she’s just landed the lead role in a major Broadway musical. 



Our boy Peter is right there on opening night to support his woman—sitting 3rd row center as he should be.  As she performs her big musical number (and he sings along with her), the lights start twinkling in Peter’s eyes and wedding bells start ringing in his head.  After consulting with Aunt May (Rosemary Harris)—who also gives him the wedding ring given to her by the late great Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson), Peter strolls along the streets of NYC ready to pop the big question to his beloved MJ.  His visions of love and sugarplums are suddenly interrupted by his former best friend Harry (James Franco)—now renamed New Goblin, armed with explosive new weapons and decked in an updated version of his late father’s metallic green suit—with vengeance on his mind. 

Meanwhile, escaped convict Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) is on the run from New York’s finest.  After making a stop to see his sickly daughter, the criminal is nearly caught by the boys in blue before leaping across a barbed wire fence to a seemingly abandoned field.  He looks to have made a clean getaway when he suddenly falls into a pit.  Before he has time to figure a way out, a group of scientists are conducting one of those comic book patented “top secret experiments” in the aforementioned pit.  As a result of said experiment, Marko’s DNA is merged with sand particles, and Sandman is born.


Sandman

As Sandman proceeds to blow through the streets of NYC, leveling anything and anyone in his path, Spidey/Peter saves the day once again after a construction crane loses control and nearly kills his classmate Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard).  For his efforts, Spidey/Peter gets the key to the city.  As he goes to receive his great reward, we find Peter burdened with a new laundry list of challenges.  He’s left to deal with the after-effects of his latest confrontation with Harry/New Goblin.  He has to comfort MJ’s bruised ego after getting bad reviews from her musical.  He has to deal with a new hotshot photographer/ rival (Topher Grace) at the Daily Bugle.  And, after he is “congratulated” by Gwen Stacy in a manner that is a total slap in the face to MJ—not to mention harkens back to a key scene in the first Spider-Man film—we get a glimpse at how his own pride and ego eventually prove to be his downfall,


A lot on his mind

Yep.  Peter Parker has a lot on his mind.  So does director Sam Raimi and his creative team in this latest Spider-Man adventure.  That’s not necessarily a good thing.  While Spidey’s previous adventures had a clearly defined focus and destination to drive the audience to, Spider-Man 3 bogs the viewer down in an unfocused direction.  Folks may find themselves getting antsy in their seats after experiencing all the ever-changing plot lines, twists and turns.  There are head-scratching character decisions that fail to accurately blend with the rest of the plot.  Even the affair between Peter and MJ seems to reach daytime soap opera-like proportions—complete with unnecessary love triangles, temper tantrums, and the whole nine yards. There are a few plot holes left unresolved as the film builds to a close. The climactic battle, in comparison to the battles of the previous Spider-Man films, is totally underwhelming.  Not even the heralded appearance of the third super-villain Venom can lift up the final confrontation. When the smoke settles, you’re left with this overwhelming feeling of “Is that all?”  Not a good sign for a big summer franchise.

Having said all that, the film does manage to succeed in one key area.  In fact, it’s the most significant area—both plot-wise and on a personal level—in the whole film.



In this film we see a similar struggle taking place in the life of Peter Parker.  Early in the film, while Peter and MJ are enjoying some “special time” together, what appears to be a small fireball comes crashing onto Earth.  When it lands, a black substance, later revealed by Peter’s college professor to be a symbiote, comes oozing out of the ball.  It slithers its way through the park and attaches itself Peter’s motor scooter just before Peter drives away.

Later on, the symbiote, which has made its way into Peter’s apartment, is passionately activated when the pressures and stresses of Peter’s life begin to get the best of him. As revealed in the many trailers for this movie, the black ooze violently takes over Peter’s body.  The aftermath of this attack is revealed when we see Spidey revealed in a sleek, brand new Black Suit.  Physically, Black Suit Spidey is more powerful than Red Suit Spidey.  He can spin greater webs, swing at higher distances, and his movements are more fluid and graceful.  On the other hand, the Black Suit reveals Peter Parker’s greatest enemy: himself.

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