Recollection Reflection Review: 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2'

To accompany the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming, I've gone back and reviewed all the Spider-Man films so I'm also revisiting The Amazing Spider-Man 2. If you missed any of my other Spider-Man reviews, you can find them at the following hyperlinks: Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, and The Amazing Spider-Man.

'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' Review

Recollection- 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' Review

Reflection- I can recall around the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 that the idea of Spider-Man swinging over into the Marvel Cinematic Universe seemed like a pipe dream. Sony seemed hell-bent on establishing their own shared universe with the characters at their disposal and the likelihood of Spider-Man appearing alongside the Avengers was a long shot. With that in mind, I thought The Amazing Spider-Man movies were the closest Spidey would get to swinging straight out of his source material. However, a lot has happened since then and fast forwarding to today you'll find an unprecedented deal was struck between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures allowing shared control of the character and we now have two MCU flicks featuring the wall-crawler in some capacity. Since then, I've watched The Amazing Spider-Man 2 a few times and I've gotta say my tune has changed over time but you'll hear more on that in a moment. I feel the best way for me to elaborate on my opinion will be if I include spoiler-heavy plot points though, so this review will include spoilers.

Review- The Amazing Spider-Man 2 swings forward into the life of Peter Parker as he graduates high school and fights crime on the side. Meanwhile, Peter's conflicted about his promise to Captain Stacy as he begins to realize the severity of the dangers that accompany his double life. However, his greatest battle is just beginning as a new adversary Electro emerges, his old friend Harry Osborn returns to New York, and Peter recognizes Oscorp to be the thread tying everything together.

Marc Webb returned to sheppard the web-slinger's sequel but the film feels devoid of distinct direction. Like Spider-Man 3, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly where Sony interfered but The Amazing Spider-Man 2 reeks of studio interference. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 swung all over the place in search of a reliant anchor point but it never stays in one place long enough to find its footing. Nevertheless, the finished product suffered from an over-reliance of setting up the franchise's future and it's just sad revisiting The Amazing Spider-Man 2 with the foresight none of those plans will ever materialize. 

The script penned by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner, and James Vanderbilt is jumbled across the board. The characters sprawled throughout The Amazing Spider-Man 2 seem to belong in drastically different movies, while the film itself is tonally inconsistent from start-to-finish. In one moment the film is downright dour, but in the next it'll crank the campiness all the way up. The film never sticks to the realistic portrayal Webb swung out with in The Amazing Spider-Man, but it can't commit to the camp that accompanies New York's friendly, neighborhood web-head either. The screenplay juggled about four major threads that seldom intersected with one another, if at all. These being the mystery of Peter's parents, Harry Osborn's sickness, Max Dillon's rampant wrongdoing as Electro, and the romance between Peter and Gwen and the consequences of such. 

First off, Peter's investigation into the disappearance of his parents is suddenly abandoned about two-thirds of the way through but it almost had to be addressed simply because The Amazing Spider-Man introduced that story arc. However, these scenes were largely pointless in regards to furthering the story overall and even progressing that specific storyline in a meaningful way. It's understandable that Peter would want to know what happened to his parents since the viewers are in the same boat but it almost goes without saying that every time I revisit The Amazing Spider-Man 2, I'm irritated by its inclusion for drawing attention away from other interesting events and going nowhere. 

Secondly, there's all the drama with Harry Osborn that carries no weight because the audience has absolutely no pre-existing connection to Dane DeHaan's self-loathing Harry. Harry comes off as a irritable, whiny nuisance who faces an ill-conceived sickness that can magically be cured with Spider-Man's blood?... His transformation into the Green Goblin feels contrived for the sake of including a rather revolting rendition of the Green Goblin. At least, Raimi realized he needed to carry Harry's descent into villainy across three movies and Harry's arc to becoming the Hobgoblin occurs naturally throughout the trilogy. However, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 introduces Harry to viewers, hoping audiences will grasp the connection between him and Peter despite their cold scenes together and it definitely doesn't work. 

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 also incorporates side-antagonists Electro and Rhino, to which many like to point out doomed this project from the get-go, but I think it has more to do with the abundance of plot points and Sony's over-insistence to jump-start a new shared universe no-one really wanted. Sure, the use of three different evil-doers naturally handicaps the narrative because it takes focus away from the other two but it's not the primary problem. Would the movie have been better if Sony and Webb agreed to only concentrate on one villain? Maybe, but in reality there's essentially two threats. 

Paul Giamatti's Aleksei Sytsevich (aka the Rhino) is only in two sequences book-ending The Amazing Spider-Man 2 so you'd be hard-pressed to really call him one of Spider-Man's foremost foes in this movie. That leaves you with Electro and the Green Goblin, who never really fight Peter together even though they join forces to break into Oscorp for about five minutes. The film's a mess and that's without mentioning the drab dubstep dragged together by Hans Zimmer, The Magnificent Six (Junkie XL and Michael Einzinger), Johnny Marr, and Pharrell Williams. The more character-resonant orchestral compositions are striking because they completely contradict the rest of the score by enhancing the onscreen events. These themes are greatly appreciated in comparison though because they sound epic and befitting to the character of Spider-Man rather than included for the sake of popularity. 

Despite all the storytelling shortcomings, there are actually redeeming qualities that enhance The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and are the reason I ever enjoyed it to begin with. Most notably, Andrew Garfield's take on the wall-crawler. Over the course of the movie, Peter demonstrates his heroism in many ways but there's one sweet scene where he swings down to help a young boy who was being bullied that has always stuck out to me. He not only helps rebuild the boy's windmill but escorts him home and actually engages in comforting conversation with the boy. I've always felt it's moments like these that define Peter as the friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man and drew me to the character in the first place so seeing a feature length, effects heavy blockbuster take the time to interject a scene like this is heartwarming to say the least. 

On the other hand, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 features numerous slick action sequences for Spidey to shine including a mad scramble through the city involving Plutonium, the Electro's antics in Time Square, a shocking sequence at a power plant and then a ticking, terrifying fight in a clock tower. All of these set-pieces utilize a plethora of visual effects and I've got to say they hold up remarkably well as Electro looks like he zipped right out of the Ultimate Spider-Man comics. I believe credit is also due to the costuming department for weaving an outfit for Spidey that bears the resemblance of his trademark tights with the well-known webbing and eminent engorging eyes. 

The stand-out sequence though is undeniably the clocktower fight depicting the death of Gwen Stacy. Upon rewatch, I watched a majority of the film with little-to-no reaction but this scene still mangled to elicit an emotional response from me because it's so heart-wrenching. This carries the story significance of following through on Peter's worst fears and invokes the realization that those closest to him will always be in jeopardy due to his super-heroics. Sorry for that morbid detour but I felt Gwen's death is such a key part of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 that it couldn't be avoided in this discussion. 

Of course, the shining stars of The Amazing Spider-Man movies were Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone due to their illustrious pairing and how well they fit their respective roles. I always felt their relationship seemed infinitely more believable than the pairing of Maguire and Dunst because the sparks never stop flying between the two. While I've found his Peter Parker to exhibit some creepy characteristics upon subsequent revisits, there's no denying that Garfield knocks it out of the park when he puts on the mask and Stone charms your socks off as Gwen Stacy. Sally Field is also deserving of recognition for her hefty contribution in the dramatic department as Aunt May. 

I touched on each of the villains to some degree earlier in my review but DeHaan's Osborn is cold and calculating, Jamie Fox's rendition of Max Dilon is kooky and unsettling and Paul Giamatti's Rhino is nothing more than a thinly sketched Russian caricature. There's no assistance from the supporting ensemble who do little more than progress the plot so it's ironically entirely up to Garfield, Stone, and Field to save the day. 

In summary, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 undoubtedly has its merits with outstanding leads and memorable moments scattered throughout, but it ultimately gets dragged down from gleefully swinging about New York by Sony's overcrowded ambition.

Film Assessment: C-

Throwback Thursday Review: 'The Amazing Spider-Man'

Sorry for the delayed review but this week I'm wrapping up my Spider-Man series of reviews with a Throwback Thursday Review of The Amazing Spider-Man and Recollection Reflection Review of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. I've already published my review of Spider-Man: Homecoming, so click on the blue hyperlink if you want to check that out. Next week I'll be publishing a Throwback Thursday Reviews for Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a Triple-R Review over Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and a review for War for the Planet of the Apes. Reviews you can expect to see through the month include Throwback Thursday Reviews of Inception and Shaun of the Dead in addition to reviews of new releases Dunkirk, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, The Emoji Movie, and Atomic Blonde.

'The Amazing Spider-Man' Review

The Amazing Spider-Man accompanies an orphaned, teenage Peter Parker as he seeks to learn the truth behind his parents disappearance several years ago. His investigation leads him to Oscorp, where he's bitten by a radioactive spider and begins to exhibit extraordinary abilities. Once tragedy befalls Parker's family, Parker realizes he must use his powers to help others and fight crime as the Amazing Spider-Man. 

In The Amazing Spider-Man, director Marc Webb sought to deliver a new grounded take on the web-slinger's origins. Webb's interpretation retained the crucial components of the traditional origin story but shifted its focus in a different direction. Webb's spidey flicks centered on many mysteries surrounding Spider-Man that were never explored in Raimi's trilogy such as what happened to Peter's parents. Webb even forged a new path for the wall-crawler with a darker, realistic tone, grounding Peter in our reality rather than positioning him in the context of a campy comic book. 

While I feel Webb's ideas had merit, the darker tone simply doesn't fit the character as snuggly considering Spider-Man is a character who's meant to have fun. Sure, Spider quips a lot but the angst and realism almost feel contradictory to the inconceivable events. Webb is able to get the web-head swinging but it takes some time to pick up speed as the first half of The Amazing Spider-Man is bogged down by the well-worn origin story beats. 

Screenwriters James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, and Steve Kloves were tasked with weaving a new narrative web for the slinging franchise to inhabit that was relatively reminiscent of what had come before while including distinct differentiation where possible. Vanderbilt, Sargent, and Kloves stride sufficiently in that regard but never quite escape the shadow of the spectacular storytelling showcased in Raimi's trilogy. The third act's admittedly very unbalanced as the writers frantically search for a coherent ending to no avail but they do manage to uncover some underlying emotional elements to help swing things in The Amazing Spider-Man's favor.

Where The Amazing Spider-Man shines is in the stylistic sequences of Spidey swinging around New York and the action set-pieces. Each battle between Spider-Man and the Lizard remains fairly entertaining, even though they never quite reaches the visceral heights of Raimi's energetic action. The visual effects are excellent and have held up well over time as the Lizard looks like he leapt straight out of a comic book into the real world. I also always liked the design of this Spider-Man suit and the inclusion of web-shooters as they were nice nods to the web-head's source material. James Horner composes a score suited to this version of the character but it's nowhere near as exciting as any of Elfman's themes. The Amazing Spider-Man's most accomplished asset though is undoubtedly its capable cast.

Andrew Garfield brought new life to the web-slinger with a charming and endearing attitude. I never quite bought into his version of Peter Parker since he exhibited more of an angsty teen hipster than an actual nerd but I've always enjoyed his take on Spidey. Garfield not only had the physicality for the role but he nails the line delivery anytime he's wearing the suit. I always bought into his quippy demeanor and felt he perfectly translated that aspect of the character.

Opposite Garfield, Emma Stone imbues Gwen Stacy with intelligence, determination, and a relentless dedication to set her aside from falling into the archetype of damsel-in-distress. Stone also stands apart from just being "the love interest" also thanks to her spunky go-getter personality that enables her to have a hand in the unraveling events. Stone and Garfield were dating at the time but their dynamic has always been one of the saving graces of this franchise since their chemistry was off the charts and the romance felt incredibly authentic. 

Filling out the supporting ranks, Martin Sheen and Sally Field serve as proficient parental figures in Peter's life as Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Both actors convincingly expressed concern and worry for Peter without over-doing any of the anxiety while Dennis Leary's Captain Stacy exhibits all the tenacity that would accompany the heading the NYPD and the unease of an overprotective dad.

Elsewhere, Rhys Ifans brilliantly brings a dual-pronged portrayal of Doctor Curt Connors as a brilliant mind that makes a rapid descent to becoming a mad reptilian scientist. Ifans' Dr. Connors doesn't hold a candle to previous Spidey rogues but he serves his purpose here admirably. 

Even though its no longer the new kid on the block, The Amazing Spider-Man still swings around as a relatively sufficient reboot that's buoyed by its lead performers and stylistic flair. 

Film Assessment: B-

'Spider-Man: Homecoming' Review

Spider-Man: Homecoming is set two months after Peter Parker's exciting encounter with the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War. Parker's returned to his humble home of Queens, New York so that he may balance his life as an average high school student and the friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man under the watchful eye of Tony Stark. Trouble emerges when Parker discovers salvaged alien tech exchanging hands on a black market to be utilized in a series of heists and Peter realizes it's the opportunity of a lifetime to garner Stark's praise and prove he's deserving of joining the Avengers.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is drastically different from any of the wall-crawler's previous outings for a number of reasons. One, it's the first time the web-head's had a chance to swing around the greater Marvel Universe and I felt the MCU references and tie-ins were handled rather tastefully. Two, none of the other Spider-Man movies have really dealt with Peter Parker's time in high school and Homecoming hits that ball out of the park, not to mention how refreshing it was to see a Spider-Man movie that wasn't bogged down with the long-established origin story.

Jon Watts directs Homecoming in the vein of a John Hughes teen comedy, going as far to give one of those memorable movies a shout-out. From beginning-to-end, Watts is able to place viewers on the ground level of the Marvel Cinematic Universe while in the headspace of a teenager facing difficult dilemmas. Watts maintains the upbeat attitude well into the two hour thirteen minute runtime considering Homecoming is one of Marvel's funniest ventures yet!

Most of the humor is situational, derived from practical occurrences Spidey's never really found himself in before, and the screenplay penned by Watts, Johnathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Christopher Ford, Chris McKenna, and Erik Sommers makes great use of these moments as strategic sources of comedic relief. The writers find inventive ways to playfully prod at the web-slinger as circumstantial comedy continually comes to the surface and the fresh take on Spidey is oddly the most faithful swing from source material audiences have ever seen. 

Spider-Man has always been one of my favorite superheroes so I can't express how delighted I was to finally see him realized to his fullest potential. I've never really been a fan of Tobey Maguire's take on the web-head and Andrew Garfield's portrayal of Peter Parker just didn't seem nerdy or awkward enough. I was hopeful Holland would deliver both sides of the troubled teen based on the glimpse we got in Civil War and boy was I right (more on that in a moment)! Almost everything about this iteration reminded me of the classic comics and hearing Michael Giacchino's orchestral arrangement of the trademark theme as a backdrop to the Marvel Studios intro gave me chills.

Homecoming's action doesn't slouch either with some satisfactory sequences interspersed amidst the high school drama. While there's not anything that will hold a candle to the airport battle in Civil War (something I'm unsure will be surpassed till Avengers: Infinity War at the very earliest), I was earnestly entertained from start-to-finish. Among other technical components, there's competent costuming, proficient production design, and the visual effects made Spidey's web-slinging, swinging, and wall-crawling appear to be incredibly authentic. 

Despite my overwhelming enthusiasm, I had a few concerns about Homecoming based on the marketing material and am relived to see none of my worries translated to the big screen. For starters, the trailers relied so heavily on Tony Stark that I was slightly concerned the movie might as well. I was never in the mindset this would be Iron Man 4 but I did feel the movie might lean a little too heavily on that crutch or RDJ would take over all the scenes he shared with Holland. Just so you don't walk into this movie thinking it's the Stark show, I'll inform you that a majority of his scenes have been prominently featured in the trailers but there's enough under the table that you won't feel cheated.

I also thought the trailers seemed to reveal some pressing plot points but rest assured, there are some terrific twists left in store. If you haven't seen any trailers though, I would avoid them if at all possible. Oh, and that image included above that's been prominently displayed in nearly every trailer IS NOT featured in the movie in any capacity so I'll let you know that now rather than be disappointed while watching the flick.

The final source of unease materialized when I saw the suit Stark fabricated for Peter had a seemingly infinite number of convenient features. However, they serve a story purpose and weren't nearly as excessive as I thought they would be instead coming off as a couple bells and whistles to top things off. 

One thing that definitely won't let you down though is Tom Holland's turn swinging around New York. Holland expertly embodies the crucial characteristics necessary to portray the dual identities Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Holland exhibits an authentic awkwardness and excitability to his Peter Parker that's never as over-exaggerated as Maguire or unbelievable as Garfield. Not to discredit the actors who came earlier but Holland brings a youthfulness the predecessors were never able to.

His Spidey has a energetic exuberance about him that any teenager with those powers would display, he's more enthusiastic than Maguire but he doesn't get too quippy like Garfield. To make matters even better, Holland is the youngest actor to portray the web-head to date. Despite being 20 years of age, Holland sells the youthful nature of Parker and you'll buy into the fact he's in high school. He also demonstrates some extraordinary acting chops opposite more experienced actors, never getting overshadowed by RDJ, Marisa Tomei, or Michael Keaton but challenging them all to play ball. 

Surrounding Holland are an excellent assortment of adolescent actors who each offer eccentric personas around Midtown High including the likes of Jason Batalon, Laura Harrier, Zendaya, Tony Revolori, Abraham Attah, and Angourie Rice as the nerdy Ned Leeds, lively Liz Allen, madcap Michelle, brash Flash Thompson, aloof Abe, and bratty Betty. Batalon in particular stood out as not only a fantastic friend but an endearing presence. Laura Harrier's Liz locates a tricky balance between being the popular senior and Peter's down-to-earth captivating crush while Zendaya doesn't have much to do but snap snide, sarcastic remarks. 

Donald Glover also has a minuscule supporting role outside the high schoolers, worth noting simply because of the actor's profile right now. Especially when you compare his screentime to all the speculation surrounding his casting. However when onscreen, he showcased trademark charm that I can't wait to see him wield as Lando Calrissian in the untitled Han Solo spin-off. 

In the adult camp, Marisa Tomei reprises her role as a youthful iteration of Aunt May and I've gotta say Tomei's May makes her mark. She's unique when compared to the precursors based on age alone, which factors not only into some humorous gags but also weaves its way into the narrative. This May is looking out for Peter not only as a maternal figure but also in trying to help Peter with his social life and I liked how she factored into Peter's story.

Along his journey, Peter receives muddled mentorship from Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark and Stark's assistant Happy Hogan, played by Jon Favreau. RDJ puts forth a cool disposition, exhibiting the confidence that gravitated audiences towards Iron Man in the first place while Favreau's Happy is as charming as ever. Oddly enough, I think Favreau may have had more screen time than RDJ but both are excellent in the capacities utilized. 

Meanwhile, Parker finds himself up against the villainous Vulture portrayed by none other than Batman himself, Michael Keaton. Keaton's a high caliber actor so the gravitas he carries onscreen enables Vulture to be menacing and his alter-ego Adrian Toomes to come across as a relatable everyman. Keaton flies Marvel forward in terms of their universe's villains by depicting a multifaceted malevolent force. He's not quite up to the heinous heights of Loki but don't discount the Vulture on his status as a B-level member of Spidey's rogues gallery. 

Spider-Man: Homecoming won't be in theaters till July 7th but you'll definitely want to conserve your web-fluid so you can swing into theaters for this one. In the meantime, I highly recommend checking out Baby Driver if you're searching for something to see this weekend (you can read my review by clicking on the blue hyperlink). To spin all my thoughts into one contrived cobweb, Spider-Man: Homecoming is easily the most entertaining incarnation of the web-head since Spider-Man 2. Glad you finally made it home Spidey!

Film Assessment: A-

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Spider-Man 3'

This review's a few days late because I wanted to be sure I got my Triple-R over Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 review uploaded and I had other prior conflicting commitments. To make up for the delayed review I'm going to be reviewing the entire Alien Anthology prior to Alien: Covenant's release next week. Anyways, this week I'm reviewing Spider-Man 3 to tie into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as a Marvel release this past weekend and simultaneously advance my series of Spider-Man reviews swinging into July's Spider-Man: Homecoming. I'll go ahead and give you a head's up that this review will include spoilers but the film is ten years old at this point so if you haven't seen it yet then it's not really a big deal. For the remainder of May I'll be publishing Throwback Thursday Reviews over Despicable Me, Prometheus, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Retrospective Reviews for the Alien Anthology, and new reviews including King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Alien: Covenant, Baywatch, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

'Spider-Man 3' Review

Spider-Man 3 serves as the concluding chapter for this iteration of the web-head. Resuming immediately after the events of Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker is just getting into the swing of balancing his dual identities only to have danger looming overhead once more. Spider-Man 3 is a widely maligned feature, failing to materialize into a thrilling threequel and cap off an incredible superhero trilogy. Sam Raimi returned to direct and lent his hand to penning Spidey's third screenplay. Raimi's creative lens helps to steer Spider-Man 3 away from being a total disaster but his touch wasn't enough to completely save the venture.  

Raimi and cinematographer Bill Pope were able to construct at least one great scene to juxtapose nearly every atrocity captured but none of it really makes up for the fact that Spider-Man 3 shouldn't have turned out this badly. Spider-Man 3's main issue is its insistence on being three different films featuring three (a case could be made for four) different antagonists that were forcibly interwoven into one overcooked mess. The script comes from the brain trust of previous script spinner Alvin Sargent, Sam and Ivan Raimi. 

There are plenty of story components to pick apart but I'd say the most pressing problem was an overcrowded story that didn't particularly service any of the characters. For starters, Peter's facing at least three sources of conflict and that's an overwhelming amount to resolve in two and a half hours, give or take. There's the pre-established quarrel between Peter and Harry and the introduction of Sandman and Venom, the latter of which never quite jive into Spider-Man 3's natural narrative. You'd think that the sensible direction to follow would be for Harry to take the mantle of being Spidey's big baddie considering the groundwork has been lain in two prior franchise entries. 

However, Sony seemed to really want to force Venom into it (this is still evident today with plans to release a standalone Venom movie next year) and Raimi must have been dying to play around with Sandman. It's not that these villains are all terrible, rather the fact that they weren't all pertinent to the story at hand and don't fit well together. 

This is especially evident in the design and layout of the film. First, Harry's the threat until he suddenly gets amnesia. Then Sandman comes out of nowhere to bring everything full circle regarding the death of Uncle Ben till he's temporarily disposed. Eddie Brock fills the void of Peter's workplace rival at the Daily Bugle and the symbiote arises as a symbol of Peter's inner conflict. Eventually the two join forces to become Venom but till that point remain separate sources of conflict. 

One common thing you'll notice is that no more than three of these antagonists are adversarial towards Peter at once. The threats work but only two or three at a time due to the constraints of the narrative, almost like a game of Whack-A-Mole. Fifteen minutes into the film Harry gets amnesia so he's friendly till he regains his memories. During that time Sandman resurges, Eddie Brock threatens his livelihood, and the symbiote latches onto Peter in his most troubling time. Sandman is almost immediately disposed of (for the time being) and the symbiote gets put away for a bit. Harry regains his memories and Brock continues to be a jerk at work. Peter pulls out the symbiote again and fights Harry once he realizes his memories have resurfaced. When Harry's defeated, he remains on the sidelines. Sandman re-emerges and Brock and the symbiote coalesce into Venom. 

That's not even mentioning the string of plot-holes in between or the cringeworthy mess that is emo Peter Parker dancing at a jazz club... 

Believe it or not though, there are actually redeeming aspects to Spider-Man 3 if you know where to look such as the fights between Sandman and Peter, Peter's second confrontation with Harry, Harry's sacrifice, J. Jonah Jameson, or simply the fact that the black symbiote suit looks wickedly awesome. However, all these stand-out sequences or memorable moments are paired with an equally atrocious scene so it all kinda evens out when it's all said and done. The visual effects are inconsistent to say the least with gorgeous renderings opposed to disgusting digitized avatars and inadequate green screen work. It almost makes you wish they had gone the Spider-Man route, utilizing more practical effects or at least cut out a few baddies to conserve the budget. Elsewhere, Christopher Young stepped up to the plate after Danny Elfman bolted and I've gotta say he did a commendable job at composing some beautiful pieces to coincide with Elfman's pre-existing heroic anthems. 

For anyone that's followed my reviews of the two predecessors, you should be well aware I'm not a fan of Tobey Maguire in the role of Spider-Man. Maguire purely lacks charisma when he puts on the suit so I never buy the dual identity dynamic of Peter Parker/Spider-Man and his stint with the symbiote this time around is painful to watch. I'll admit he's got the awkwardness of Parker down to a tee, just no other aspect of his personality. 

Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane is once again relegated to her familiar damsel duties and she's fine at that I guess. However, I personally would have rather seen Mary Jane do anything else than be exploited by the villain for a nefarious scheme to ensnare Spider-Man for the third consecutive time. 

James Franco is probably the only returning cast member who I feel truly grew as an actor over the course of making these movies. Franco provides one of the better performances in the crowded ensemble, finally letting Harry's malevolent side loose, and Franco found a nice balance between being friend and fiend. Other retuning mainstays include J.K. Simmons and Rosemary Harris as Daily Bugle's irksome editor and the tender, supportive aunt. Newcomers include Thomas Hayden Church, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Topher Grace. Church brings terrific concealed tragedy to Flint Marko, making Sandman stand out as one of the more compelling characters among the group. Howard offers a fine portrayal of Gwen Stacy but has little more to do than serve as a love triangle/relationship drama plot device. 

Lastly, Topher Grace feels the most out of place among the ensemble as both Eddie Brock and Venom. Grace is suffficient in bringing a displeasing demeanor to Brock but Grace's portrayal of Venom verges on being featured in a scary Saturday morning cartoon. Raimi does his best to make Grace's over-the-top performance menacing, but it flounders with mixed results. 

I could go on and on about how flawed Spider-Man 3 is but I'm pretty sure you either already know from personal experience or get the gist from my extrapolation and analysis. When it comes down to it, Spider-Man 3's placement in the Raimi Spider-Man trilogy is equivalent to Spider-Man scaling the Empire State Building only to dive off the with no web fluid, no parachute, and only a rusty trampoline underneath to break his fall. 

Film Assessment: D+