Pop Thought -- Robert J. Sodaro

Well, the numbers are in, and they do tell a story. The biggest opening for a film ever, nearly a 2-and-a-half-hour runtime jam-packed full of state-of-the-art slam-bang SPFX and villains stacked up like cordwood. Yep, that’s what triquels are all about. Bigger, badder, and further over the top. OK, OK, you all know the story, Peter Parker (Maguire) is riding through his glory days with his webbed alter ego as the hero of the Big Apple. Spidey is beloved by the inhabitants of the City, and nothing can go wrong…or can it?

Peter wants to marry MJ (Dunst) and seeks his Aunt’s blessing, only, before he can pop the question, he is attacked by a new Goblin, non other than his best friend Harry (Franco), son of the original Goblin, Norman Osborn. As if that isn’t enough he is also beset by an alien symbiote fallen from space, by a new foeman, Flint Marko (Haden Church) who can alter his bodily form into sand, and a rival photographer named Eddie Brock, Jr. (Grace) who is gunning for his spot as The Bugle staff photog. Not to mention there is a new girl in his life, Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard).

OK, all together now; “Once you go black...”

Yeah, this film has everything including the kitchen sink (not to mention the requisite cameo by co-creator Stan “The Man” Lee. Only, that was (if you are to listen to some — not, however, this reviewer) part of the problem. There is some speculation that this is not the film that Director Sam Rami wanted to make, but was “forced” to by the pressures of, well going bigger, bolder, and farther.

Thus, we have several things going all at once. There is the soap-opera melodrama of MJ as the scorned Broadway starlet vs. Gwen the up-and-coming model and Peter’s beautiful blonde lab partner. There is Flint Marko’s attempt to steal enough to pay for treatment for his sick daughter gone bad (not once but twice) as well as his implication in the death of dear old Uncle Ben (way back in Spidey 1). We also have Harry attempting to seek revenge on Peter for the death of his own father presumably at the hands of Peter. Then, just to make things really interesting, we have the whole Eddie Brock/alien symbiote brouhaha (who, by the way doesn’t show up until way past half way through the film and is never actually called Venom during the course of the film).

How about a little sand, Lyle...er, scarecrow?

Nope, this really isn’t the way that Rami likes to make films, unfortunately this is the one that we were given this time out. We also have the mile-mannered Peter personality being overshadowed by the aggressive nature of the symbiote and we get to see the nerdy Peter go all John Travolta/Saturday Night Fever on us (trust me, as a reader of the comic for over 45 years; I could have lived quite happily without ever having seen this.)

Forced to choose between the seductive power of his new black suit and the compassionate hero he used to be, Peter must overcome his own personal demons come to threaten not only Peter but everyone he loves. Sure, I’m objective enough to admit that the film has problems, but, truth to tell, there is more good stuff in this film than bad stuff, and it is still the blockbuster film of the Summer that you are going to want to see, and see again. Needless to say, I am going to predict right here and now that the next Spider-Man film is either going to be Superman Quest for Peace (universally accepted as a dog) or Batman Begins (universally hailed as one of the best comicbook films turned to film ever made).

Robert J. Sodaro has been writing professionally for over 20 years. During that time, his movie reviews and articles have appeared in numerous publications, as well as on the web; currently his reviews appear on the Web here and in print in More Sugar.

Questions? Comments? Queries? Head over to PopThought’s film forum, log in, and have your own say.

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