Director: Sam Raimi
Writers: Sam Raimi, Ivan
Raimi, Alvin Sargent, Stan Lee (comic book), Steve Ditko (comic book)
Starring: Tobey Maguire,
Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas
Howard, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, James Cromwell, Elizabeth Banks, Dylan
Baker, Theresa Russell, Ted Raimi, Bill Nunn, Bruce Campbell
You know, I was right there
with everybody at one point in time. When I originally reviewed it, I was kind
to it. I gave it the three stars for delivering a high quality comic book
action movie, if not the greatest Spider-Man movie. I eventually felt I’d been
too easy on it. Now, after seeing it again years later, I think it’s a little
better than everyone seems to give it credit.
It is true that there is far
too much going on in this movie. Telling Sandman’s story and Venom’s story in
the same movie that they resolve the Peter Parker, Mary Jane, Harry Osborne
triangle is tearing off too much at one time. It’s Venom’s story the really
suffers, and that’s the one that’s least interesting to begin with. I would’ve enjoyed
a feature length Alien Costume Saga story after Peter and MJ were already an
experienced couple, however, but not here.
The rest of the movie, on
the other hand, is handled with the same care and appreciation that Raimi gave
to both the other episodes in this trilogy. It’s a shame he gave into the
studio’s pressures to add a third villain to the mix. I don’t understand why
they didn’t trust Raimi’s judgment to deliver on a model he’d already proven
with 1 & 2. Still Raimi understands these characters, understands their
origins and source material, and he once again infuses the film with that
understanding. While it could’ve been better, it is still better than most of
what’s out there in this genre of filmmaking.
Read my original review
here.
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