Spiderman 3

[Bennett]

Yeah, I saw it.

Pretty weak

[Jennifer Doyle]

I thought some parts were super cheesy, Parker walking down the street and dancing and throwing the guns at women? Wierd. But I loved it overall, just because I love Spiderman so much.

[Raskolnikov]

I thought some parts were super cheesy, Parker walking down the street and dancing and throwing the guns at women? Wierd. But I loved it overall, just because I love Spiderman so much.

I liked that because it made his evil side look rediculous and uncool. They have to counterbalance the coolness of the black Spidey suit and all.

[Agentpaw]

Me and my brother are going to go see it in a short while (about 15 minutes). I'll tell you all what I thought of it when we get back!

And we are going to go see it in the IMAX, cant wait!

[EK]

Also. I was surprised that Brock was the guy that plays Eric Foreman on That 70's Show.

[sether]

I didn't think it was that good.


Sether

[Taps]

*thread merged*

So, we've talked a lot about the new Spiderman movies coming out, but it's been a while since we've had some good ol' Spiderman Trilogy talk I recently bought these films at Walmart (4 bucks each for the special two disc editions! ) And watched them all again... man, they are way better than I remembered them being. Right now they are right up their with my favorite trilogies of all time. Spiderman 1 was excellent, with a great plot, great morals, and a great villain. Spiderman 2 is considered one of the greatest superhero films of all time and for good reason. I mean, it had everything, romance, action, humanity, substantial plot, a complex villain... I really can't get enough of this movie. Probably my 5th or 4th favorite superhero movie of all time. Spiderman 3 has... mixed reactions from most Spidey fans to say the least, but after seeing this film again, I can honestly say I enjoyed it more than the first Spiderman. This film just had so many amazing scenes. One of my favorites is when Sandman tries to pick up the locket, but can't, and we just see the agony on his face. Another favorite is when Peter slaps Mary Jane in the Jazz Club and she asks him "Who are you?" And he just looks at her and says "I don't know." The scene right after that, the chapel scene, is excellent as well. I could go on and on, but I really do love this movie. So what is everybody's thoughts on this Trilogy as a whole? Go ahead and comment on what you think!

[jelly]

^ I agree with everything posted above me.

[American Eagle]

^ I as well.

Spider-Man is classic.
Spider-Man 2 is epic.
Spider-Man 3 is enthralling, aggravating and captivating.

I did enjoy The Amazing Spider-Man also... but it's not the same. Sam Raimi found a way to make his movies really rewatchable.

[Shennifer]

I haven't seen this trilogy in awhile, but I remember liking the first one the best, thinking the 2nd one was...rather meh (don't hate me, maybe I'll like it when I watch it again), and the third was okay but it had too many villians.

[The Top Crusader]

The first one was classic, despite its flaws. Like the horrible Goblin costume. Dafoe made up for it when his mask was off, though. I don't think its aged as well, though. 2 is definitely my favorite, and while it does show its age to an extent I think it holds up better. It had such a great ending with all the good stuff happening for Peter but then a cut to Harry and he sees his father, etc.

3 was just bad. I was super excited to see it, I was just married and dirt poor when it came out, so it was like the only movie I saw in a theater that entire year, and wow, such a let down. Later I tried to watch it again, with lowered expectations, and I just can't like it. Such a wasted opportunity and screwed up character of Venom. Sandman wasn't awful, at least. I wish it had just been about Sandman. Goblin 2 or whatever Harry was was pretty lame as well. I can understand them wanting some kind of romanticy subplot but Gwen felt shoehorned in and after the first two movies I think most people just wanted Peter and MJ to be together without any weird breakup plot and stupid emo Peter.

I think it all could've gone a lot better if they basically scripted 3 and 4 at the same time, and introduced Eddie Brock, but have the movie end with Peter getting rid of it and it merging with Brock at the church. Great setup for a sequel, and Venom could've gotten the screen time he deserved.

Hopefully the "Amazing" series will get Venom right. A lot of the first movie in the new series felt like a retread but it was well-done overall I think. Hopefully once we are into a sequel it won't feel like a movie that we've already seen before. And hopefully they kill off Gwen!

[jelly]

It's been awhile since I've seen 3, but let me try to defend it anyway. As a disclaimer, I have no such thing as a character or comic book bias. I appreciate film within its own respective medium, regardless of whether or not it's an adaptation. The stories that great movies tell are stories that can ONLY be communicated appropriately through film, and a movie that tries way too hard to be an 'accurate' adaptation of a book or a musical ends up falling short (one of the main reasons I had misgivings about both The Hunger Games and Les Miserables).

Sam Raimi knows how to do this. He understands his medium. Granted, Spiderman 3 was not an excellent film by any standard. Most of the blame for that goes to the Studio pressure that forced him to give in and add all those extra characters. But given what he had to work with, the man did a fine job. The reason the trilogy as a whole was so successful (most notably Spiderman 2) was because Raimi chose to focus our attention on the Hero's internal journey. Much attention is given to the small things. Peter's awkward, out-of-place personality. His innocent love interest in Mary Jane and his first real conversations over the fence with her. His unique relationships with his Aunt, and with his Uncle. Other superhero films give us the character's backstory too, but most of the time the character's relationships are only important in so far as they provide a convenient setup to the 'real' story, which involves superpowers and bad guys and special effects. In the Spiderman trilogy, the opposite is true. Yes, Peter Parker becomes Spiderman, but that isn't the real story. The real story is who he is becoming as a person; who is becoming to the people in his life. The fact that he also has superpowers and has to fight villains is only a plot devise that helps us understand his story a little better.

At the end of the first Spiderman, Peter isn't dwelling in the accomplishment of having defeated the villain. There are no victorious moments with cheering crowds and honorary awards. Those may come later. But for now, he stands in a graveyard, reflecting on the decisions he made. Mary Jane finally confesses her love to him, which is the moment we've been anxiously hoping for. But rather than 'getting the girl' in the end, he realizes something of greater importance. The theme of responsibility is potent. His role as Spiderman isn't a novelty or a convenience, it's a curse as well as a blessing. Turning his back on the girl he's always wanted, he chooses to embrace the role of great responsibility.

The second Spiderman takes this theme even further. Trying to live two lives isn't working out, and on top of that, his powers are waning. Everything seems to be going wrong. Finally, in an act of desperate desire for a comfortable life, he discards his role of responsibility and settles back to normality. At first, this seems to be the solution. But his decision starts to weigh heavily on him. It's not until he again sacrifices his love for the girl that everything falls into place. His powers return. He's able to defeat the villain, rescue the girl, and his identity is even revealed. It's the 'big moment' we saw at the end of the first flick. Yet as they lay together on the massive spiderweb, Peter knows that she still isn't his to have. So in another act of responsibility, he lowers her down to her fiance on a web and returns to his apartment. The final scene has Peter standing alone, with a face of sacrificial determination. Yet at his door, Mary Jane stands in a white dress, giving herself to him. In the end, his faith is rewarded.

Everything culminates in Spiderman 3. Peter's rivalry with Harry takes a genuinely thought-provoking twist, and ends with emotional resolve. The black goo from space offers a scenario that allows Peter to explore the 'dark' side of his gift. Eddy Brock is a genuinely believable character who only wants what Peter wanted back in the first movie. In many ways, he's an excellent mirror of Peter's personality, and because of that he's the perfect rival. Even 'Emo Peter' is totally brilliant. Remember, Peter was a total nerd at the beginning. He's grown up since then, but under the symbiote's control, the arrogant, prideful dork inside of him comes to the foreground. It's ridiculous, but that's because it's supposed to be.

Once Peter realizes that he's hurting the people around him, and failing his Spiderman responsibility as a result, he heads over to the church in order to be cleansed. Brock also heads to the church, but for a very different reason. His hatred makes him the perfect catalyst for the black substance that Peter is choosing to reject. Say what you want about the 'misuse' of the Venom character, but in the context of Sam Raimi's Spiderman 3, Brock is the perfect villain. He's the dark reflection of Peter's potential. Rather than fighting the temptation of power, he succumbed to its potency, and it cost him his life.

Sandman was, in my opinion, the only real weak point. His plot was just a little too far separated from the rest of the story. It did bring home the theme of forgiveness in relation to Peter's uncle, though, so that's a fair resolve. Again, I'm super impressed with the way Raimi weaved this seemingly out-of-place character in with the rest of the plot.

All the while, May Jane has been pushed away by Peter as a consequence of his temporary duet with darkness. Not all hurts heal right away (plus there's not enough run-time left), yet we're still given a final, wordless embrace. Forgiveness will win out in the end, just as it freed the Sandman from his painful regret. There is no final voice-over this time, because everything has already been said. Peter Parker's story is resolved. I, for one, I am glad we never saw any further sequels with these characters.

Oh, and the new Spiderman reboot was awful. I could easily write an essay just as long as this as to why it was a bad film on almost every level. >_>