Spiderman 3

Spider-man was a fun film. Coming in the midst of a total drought of quality film-making the simple fact that it was competent meant that it was extraordinary. But it had problems, mainly that the first half was interesting and the second half just unsatisfying. Spiderman 2 was the reverse. The first half was appallingly dull, the second half a fairly satisfying bit of comic book action. Spider-man 3 is something else again. It can’t be split into two halves the way the previous two could. This is more like fourteen pieces awkwardly smooshed together with no room for anything to breathe.

The problems with this film are basic, but run throughout its long running time. There is a great saying when it comes to acting: Show me, don’t tell me. It applies to writing, directing, any kind of dramatic communication. This film reverses the dictum in similar ways to the previous two films , but not nearly as frequently. There is no subtlety in this third instalment at all. Ordinarily that’s fair enough, it’s a comic book blockbuster film so we shouldn’t expect so much, should we? But it’s insulting to have scene after scene with dialogue that isn’t addressed to each character, but to us, the audience, telling us what has just happened or is happening between the characters. It’s not quite exposition, but it’s not character dialogue either. It’s just on the nose.

The multiple plot threads are unfortunate too. Too many stories mean that nothing gets enough time to actually spark into life. Interesting plot threads are thrown up and then forgotten about, and the tonal shifts as the film switches around them have the jarring nature of trying to shift down to first in a four wheel drive when you’re in third. Noisy and unpleasant.

It’s a pity, because individually each character is actually quite interesting. The Sandman, Flint Marko, is a small-time crook on the run who just wants to get enough money to help his sick daughter. Venom is the result of Peter Parker ditching the alien symbiote that latches onto him and amplifies his negative personality traits. The new host body is Eddie Brock, a rival photographer whose life is ruined by bad choices but who, instead of dealing with his own culpability, blames Peter/Spiderman for his ruin. Interesting ideas to play with. Venom is essentially Spiderman’s shadow. And Harry as Green Goblin Mark II is a son trying to protect his father’s honour and legacy. They’re all individually engaging, but only Harry gets any time to develop. The other two are background elements that barely feature.

The action is pretty awesome. But the best comes early, as Peter and Harry battle through the streets in a sequence that probably cost more than Spiderman 1 in its entirety. It’s impressively done, but the later set pieces, especially involving Venom, just don’t rise to the same standard. So despite it being good, somehow it ends up just disappointing.

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