Spiderman 3

Starring: Tobey Maguire ... Spider-Man/Peter Parker
Kirsten Dunst ... Mary Jane Watson
James Franco ... New Goblin/Harry Osborn
Thomas Haden Church ... Sandman/Flint Marko
Topher Grace ... Venom/Eddie Brock
Bryce Dallas Howard ... Gwen Stacy
Rosemary Harris ... May Parker
J.K. Simmons ... J. Jonah Jameson
James Cromwell ... Captain Stacy

Synopsis: Our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is back for a third time webslinging into action. There is a lot happening this time around; life is good for Spider-Man, the city loves him and crime is down. Mary Jane is on Broadway and she and Peter are in love more than ever. Harry Osborn is as pissed as ever at Spiderman and to complicate things even further for Spidey, Flint Marko, aka Sandman, is on the loose. Oh, and an interesting black snot from outerspace latches onto Spider-Man altering his personality and making him more aggressive. And finally, we get to experience the one and only...frickin’ Venom!!! Nuff said! Enjoy the ride folks!

Review: Well...let’s just say we have another Blockbuster on our hands. This film has great character development, awesome special effects and excellent action sequences. They're idiots if they decide to stop making these movies after this one. They're great fun and the length didn't bother me at all (it was long) since I was never bored. I can honestly say that I was glued to the screen the whole time. Aside from a few plot points that could have been handled better, the movie flowed nicely, giving us what we really came for: a great comic-to-movie experience!

Tobey Maguire returns as our friendly neighborhood webslinger and once again shows us that nerdy is cool. I totally dug the direction he went with the character this time around. After the alien goop attaches itself to Parker, we get to see an interesting transition from his typical character to this extroverted aggressive guy, which was hilariously cool to watch (Parker dancing in the street...classic)!

Let's talk about all the villains now. Where do I begin? Let’s go with "Sandman for 200", Alex! Flint Marko/Sandman, played by Thomas Hayden Church, is probably the best casting for a villain yet. He played it perfectly. The effects that went with him were amazing. However, I'm not sure if I agree with the way he traveled through the city like a huge sand storm tunnel and the fact that he can become three stories high...yes, it was fun to watch and made good entertainment, but I'm a "less is more" kinda guy. I also liked the character's motivation, but I just found it a bit conflicting in the end or least his interactions with Spider-Man were. One minute he's one way, the next he's something else.

Harry Osborn -- or should I say Green Goblin -- is back and well played by James Dean's reincarnation, James Franco. He was good, but I think I would have preferred him in a cooler looking suit and mask. As it was, he almost looked like a Power Ranger. Eddie Brock or should I say...wait for it....VENOM was played by Topher Grace. Grace gave us an interesting take on Eddie Brock adding some charming wit and wickedness once he became Venom. I think most fans will appreciate the treatment they gave Venom in this filme and I for one, was quite satisfied with the overall look and dynamic of the character. I just wish there had been more scenes with him.

As for the rest of the characters, Bruce Campbell is always a pleasure to watch on screen and his scenes were hilarious! Bryce Dallas Howard was hot as Gwen Stacey, but she was nothing more than eye candy. Kirsten Dunst returns as Mary Jane and...meh! She was alright, but I didn't like the way the love triangle was handled between the main characters. It just didn't flow right.

Also, Sam is the man! Sam Raimi, that is. Where does this guy go from here? THE QUICK AND THE DEAD II? Whatever it is, I'll be the first in line. He created such a memorable franchise here , that it's sure to be a classic. This time around he went deeper into all of the characters and it felt more than just a superhero flick. Of course, the action and special effects were grander, but when the action wasn't happening, the main storyline was just as much fun and interesting.

This is a great start to the summer flicks! I enjoyed it very much and most will too! I would love to see a part 4 in the future with -- or even without -- the main actors. I personally found that the actors, as good as they were, didn't make the movie. It was the whole idea of Spider-Man and the amazing directing, that did it for me. Go see it!

*Review by Tim Goernert , JoBlow.com

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