spider man 3 movie reviews

Spider-Man 3 Review

04 May 2007

139 minutes

Spider-Man 3

Think of a great movie trilogy. Chances are you’ve come up with Star Wars (originals, of course). Or the Wishmaster flicks. Now think of a great comic-book movie trilogy. Chances are you’ve thought of... bugger all.

When it comes to completing a trilogy, superhero movies have been generally bobbins. The ideal trilogy closer should augment existing themes and visual motifs, while introducing new characters that drive the story to unexplored heights. Comic-book movies have tended to translate this as ‘more explosions’; ‘bigger nipples’; ‘hire Brett Ratner’, or ‘Richard Pryor — on skis!’

The Spider-Man franchise had all the potential in the world to become that great trilogy: with Sam Raimi at the helm the first two films triumphed at the box office and, more importantly, were crackers. So it’s a shame to report that, while Spider-Man 3 is a consistently enjoyable start to the summer silly season, it more pings off the post than completes the hat-trick.

One of Raimi’s most admirable traits throughout the series to date has been his refusal to pit his protagonist against multiple villains, thus avoiding the unfocused fate of, say, Batman Forever, in which the title character essentially cameoed in his own movie. In Spider-Man 3, however, Raimi breaks his own rules, racking up not one, not two, but THREE different nemeses (four, if you count the enemy within) for our friendly neighbourhood whatsit to contend with. And while the broth isn’t spoiled by the presence of too many cooks — there's too much giddy entertainment here for that — it sure tasted a lot better with just a spider in our soup.

Multiple villains can be done, of course, as shown in Chris Nolan’s Batman Begins. But where Nolan had his bad guys simply show up, bringing little-to-no back-story, Raimi has always insisted that his villains should have an arc. Great thinking when there’s only one — bit of a problem when there’s three. Huge problem when Raimi is also determined that the focus not move away from Maguire’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man. And so an otherwise smart and engaging movie becomes bloated as a result.

To wit, it’s well-known by now that the movie’s central conceit sees Spider-Man don a black suit that, being an alien parasite, begins to exert an evil influence over him. It’s the catalyst for many of the climactic events, including the birth of Venom, but it takes so long for Raimi to establish the threads of the plot — from the creation of Sandman; to several contrived love triangles involving Peter, M. J., Harry, and Bryce Dallas Howard’s Gwen Stacy; to Harry’s thirst for revenge; to the origin of the alien suit — that it takes over an hour for Parker to even think of pulling on the black duds. It’s clear that something has gone askew during the planning stages.

That ‘something’ was, pure and simple, the decision to go with both Sandman and Venom as Spider-menaces. Apparently included because he’s a favourite of both Maguire and Raimi, Sandman is given a back-story that ties him to events in the first Spider-Man movie, but it’s an unnecessary complication. Fine actor though he is, even Thomas Haden Church struggles with the flimsy material he’s given. That’s when he’s actually on screen — most of the time it’s his enlarged, motion-captured CG self, bellowing in rage in sequences all too reminiscent of the sand FX in the Mummy movies.

Venom, meanwhile, is a mixed bag. Raimi has never been a fan of the alien symbiote, created when Spidey ditches the black substance and it latches onto a murderous Eddie Brock, and by his own admission had to be persuaded to include the character. Still, given the ‘dark Spidey’ storyline, Venom makes sense thematically and structurally: Eddie is what Peter might have been if the coin had landed tails. But because Brock’s screen time is so negligible (he’s introduced about 30 minutes in, almost as an afterthought), his murderous motivations seem forced. When Venom is finally created, in the third act, the drooling monster may be impressive visually, but lacks personality and, crucially for a creature that possesses the enhanced powers of Spider-Man, true menace. It’s almost as if Raimi was unable to withhold his disdain for the character.

Sadly, the gruesome twosome take some of the shine off Harry Osborn, as his vengeful New Goblin targets Peter physically and emotionally. James Franco’s complex and charismatic turn makes Harry into Spidey’s most interesting villain to date. With the benefit of an extended back-story, the two confrontations between Peter and Harry have an emotional undercurrent lacking from the battles with Sandman and Venom, and are easily the best of the movie’s many extended action sequences (we counted six). There’s nothing, however, that even comes close to the Doc Ock-Spidey train battle in Spider-Man 2, despite a budget reportedly north of $250 million, and sadly the final four-way showdown on a construction site comes dangerously close to being both familiar (oh look, it’s Mary Jane, screaming for her life. Again) and unintentionally hilarious (two words: British reporter).

Yet there is plenty to like about Spider-Man 3, and not a little to love. Commendably, Raimi develops his themes (the corruption of power; the burden of choice; is black really slimming?), applies them diligently to nearly every character, and pursues them to the bitter end. And despite such deadly earnestness, Spider-Man 3 can be very funny, with Bruce Campbell and J. K. Simmons — as blustering Daily Bugle editor and refugee from ’40s screwball comedies J. Jonah Jameson — showing Topher Grace and Haden Church how to make an impact with limited screen time.

While Raimi takes his time getting there, the exploration of Peter’s unleashed id sends the character into unexpectedly mature territory, as his relationship with Mary Jane comes under immense strain. Yes, the dialogue really ought to appear in bubbles over the actors’ heads, but there’s a genuine emotional intensity here, with one scene on a bridge proving particularly painful. Maguire, in particular, carries the film: more convincing now at the heroic stuff, he also clearly relishes Peter’s descent into hell, skilfully turning Spider-Man into a sleazeball while still making him sympathetic. It’s a good showing for what is probably his Spider-Man swansong.

Though there will be a Spider-Man 4, this outing is also likely to be Raimi’s last swing. If he doesn’t hit the heights this time around —  his impish visual sense feels a little boxed in by a need to keep the dense plot on track  — it’s not for a lack of ambition. In fact, anything but, and that should always be applauded. But for the love of God, just one bad guy next time, please?

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• DVD & Streaming

Spider-Man 3

• Action/Adventure , Drama , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Content Caution

In Theaters

• Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man/Peter Parker; Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson; James Franco as New Goblin/Harry Osborn; Thomas Haden Church as Sandman/Flint Marko; Topher Grace as Venom/Eddie Brock; Bryce Dallas Howard as Gwen Stacy

Home Release Date

Distributor.

• Columbia Pictures

Movie Review

Four years after being bitten by a radioactive spider and gaining wall-crawling powers, things are looking up for Peter Parker. He and Mary Jane are in love, he’s excelling in his college studies, and crowds are cheering the web-slinging Spider-Man while he’s being handed the keys to the city.

Peter is feeling so good that he decides to take the next step with MJ and seeks his Aunt May’s advice on how to ask for her hand in marriage. But that’s when things start to crumble. (You knew they had to, right?) First, MJ is fired from her job in a Broadway musical, which causes a little tension. Then Spidey gives an upside-down kiss to a pretty girl for the newspapers, which causes a lot of tension (“That’s our kiss!” MJ grumpily informs Peter).

On top of that, Peter’s friend Harry has strapped on the high-tech gadgetry of the Green Goblin and wants to avenge his father’s death (that he mistakenly thinks Peter deliberately caused). On top of that, there’s a thief-turned-Sandman-monster, who turns out to be the guy who really killed Peter’s Uncle Ben. And on top of that and that , a manipulative photographer named Eddie Brock is trying to steal Peter’s job with the Daily Bugle .

And there’s still one more “on top of” calamity: A tar-black chunk of bio-organism from outer space (to become known as Venom) crash-lands and hitches a ride on Peter’s motor scooter before eventually attaching itself to our hero’s outfit. One of Spider-Man’s red-and-blue suits turns a cool, coal black—and his heart begins to darken, too. Peter fights against the urge to wear the power-amplifying suit, but comes to the decision that wearing it is the only way to seek out his revenge and battle off new threats. Besides, he’s starting to like the dark changes he’s feeling.

Positive Elements

Alongside their superhero action sequences, all of the Spider-Man movies have set up a pulpit and preached about courage, responsibility, friendship, duty and follow-through. This one doesn’t alter the formula. At its end, Peter proclaims, “Whatever battles we have raging inside us, we always have a choice. It’s the choices that make us who we are and we can always choose to do what’s right.” When Peter chooses to use his superpowers to exact vengeance upon the man who killed his uncle, he soon realizes that his hatred is taking its worst toll on no one but himself.

He finds he can only be rid of this burden by forgiving his foe.

[ Spoiler Warning ] Harry is consumed by rage as well, all focused at Peter. He, too, not only learns to forgive, but he puts his life on the line to protect his friend. Eddie, on the other hand, is so eaten up by malignant hate that when he is given a chance to free himself, he refuses and is destroyed. Sandman also makes choices. He loves his sick daughter, but he turns to theft to try to help her and loses everything, even her.

Never far away from her pearls of wisdom, Aunt May tells Peter, “A man has to be understanding and put his wife before himself. Can you do that?” She also warns him that revenge “is like a poison. It can take us over. Before you know it, it can turn us into something ugly.” Peter is told, “Everybody needs help sometimes.”

While looking at an announcement of a city gathering to celebrate Spider-Man, a passerby tells Peter, “I guess one person can make a difference.”

Spiritual Elements

We see Spider-Man contemplating his choices while sitting on the cross-adorned peak of a church’s bell tower. And he makes the choice for rightness and freedom inside that same bell tower. (I’ll deal with the biblical implications in more detail in my “Conclusion.”)

In a much less spiritual moment, Peter confronts a lying Eddie with, “You want forgiveness—get religion!” Eddie subsequently enters a Catholic church, dips his fingers into the holy water, crosses himself and asks God to kill Peter Parker.

A TV announcer says of Spider-Man, “He seems to have come out of nowhere to answer the prayers of the city.”

Sexual Content

MJ (along with most other women in the film) wear blouses and dresses that show cleavage. Some costumes reveal midriff, and a fair amount of leg and back, too. Peter is shown shirtless in the opening credits, and in one scene Harry appears dressed in nothing but his boxers.

MJ and Peter kiss while lying together on a huge spider web in the moonlight. Gwen, a classmate of Peter’s, gives Spider-Man a big kiss (while he hangs upside down). MJ and Harry briefly (but passionately) kiss, too.

When Peter wears the Venom suit under his street clothes, he starts acting out of character and flirts with every girl he comes in contact with. He does some pelvic thrusts. And to make MJ jealous, he pulls Gwen close and does a hot-and-heavy dance number with her. When he sidles up to Mr. Jameson’s secretary in the office, Jameson calls out, “That’s not the position I hired you for!”

[ Spoiler Warning ] Enveloped in Venom, Eddie gains superpowers and kidnaps MJ. While holding her, he leeringly says to Peter, “My spidey-sense is tingling. If you know what I mean.”

Violent Content

Last go-around we said, “Incrementally more violent than its predecessor, Spider-Man 2 offers up hefty doses of bloodless-yet-intense, highly stylized combat.” No less can now be said about 3 . There’s certainly lots of head banging, body slamming and appendage crushing. I wouldn’t really call it cartoonish, but it is superhero-ish in that there’s little blood—even when bodies are impaled.

Tumbling air attacks are the specialty of the day as Spider-Man, Harry and Venom all fly and smash into and through various walls, windows and other objects. Things feel more intense when Harry stabs Spider-Man with a sword. (We see blood on the blade as he withdraws it, but no visible effects on the hero.) Harry also slashes at Peter with sharp blades on his gloves. And we see blood on Harry’s lip at one point. The Venom-suited Spider-Man throws a Goblin bomb back at Harry and it blows up next to his head. (We later see Harry with scars on his face.) Venom has sharp gnashing teeth. A man is impaled by a flying blade. Etcetera.

There is a lot of destruction of surrounding property (smashed and crumbled walls and sidewalks, smashed windows and construction sites). A large crane atop a high-rise starts veering wildly, sending a girder smashing through walls and windows and collapsing floors (people slide around and fall). The police fire guns at Sandman. Harry blows him up. Spider-Man turns him into mud with a torrent of water.

Speaking of Sandman, the filmmakers take advantage of the fact that he can be eroded , showing us acts of violence that normally would be reserved for movies with harsher ratings. For example, Spider-Man holds Sandman’s face up against a racing subway train, and we see half of it disintegrate. We also see Spider-Man’s fists and feet cut through the brute—who at times is sand and at times appears human. Of course, Sandman returns fire with, well, sand, and proceeds to pound Spider-Man to within an inch of his life.

MJ is in a car caught in a huge web 40 stories in the air. She falls out of the car, is almost smashed by it and a dump truck (also caught in the web) and later falls again (to be caught by Spider-Man). Worse, while dabbling with the dark side, Peter starts a brawl at the jazz club MJ is working at. She tries to stop him. He hits her and knocks her down.

[ Spoiler Warning ] In an attempt to destroy the Venom suit, Spider-Man devises a way to pull Eddie out of it. But when an explosive is thrown into what is now an independently thriving organism, Eddie yells and jumps back to it (and is blown up in the process).

Crude or Profane Language

One use each of “a–,” “d–n” and “h—.” There are several exclamations of “oh my god.” The scriptwriters seem to be having a little “fun” with a French man’s accent when he twice calls Peter “Pecker” instead of “Parker.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

Harry guzzles brandy from a decanter and, later, drinks a martini. People down mixed drinks at a club. Eddie celebrates with a glass of champagne. Peter gets a maître d’ to serve champagne with a wedding ring in the bottom of the glass.

Mr. Jameson has a stockpile of prescription and over-the-counter medications on his desk. He takes some after a call from his wife.

Not very many action movies take the time to tell teens, “These are the years a man changes into the man he’s going to be for the rest of his life. Just be careful who you change into.” Or tell the rest of us, “There’s a hero in all of us that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble and finally allows us to die with pride.” Or, even more poignantly, “Remember, with great power comes great responsibility.”

That was then (in Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 ). This is now. Thankfully, the now isn’t much different from the then.

If anything, the lessons here are more spiritual than before as we watch a superhero choose between good (the red-and-blue suit) and evil (the black one). It’s the old-man-new-man struggle that Paul talks about in Ephesians 4. The viscid, symbiote organism that latches onto Peter amplifies his strengths, but it also inflates his desire for vengeance and power. He slides into the darker side of his nature, becoming moody and arrogant, and driving away everyone he values. Peter loves the rush of the change, but soon laments the consequences of his actions and struggles to break free.

Thus, the CGI web-slinging and sandy shape-shifting may be right off the pages of a comic book, but the struggle it represents is of biblical proportions. (Romans 7 chimes in with, “For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.”) And the movie’s ultimate resolutions take on a scriptural tone as well. A man gives his life for a friend. Bitter enemies repent and find forgiveness. And the clear statement that we live and die by the choices we make is echoed by every character and situation in the film.

Sometimes I found myself wondering how in the world that kind of positivity could be flying at me from the same screen as brain-bruising battles, sharp-toothed-and-screeching monster attacks, and requisite Mary Jane-dangling-from-a-precipice moments. But there it was, and there it still is, all mashed together in one skintight spider costume.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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Spider-Man: No Way Home

With Spider-Man's identity now revealed, Peter asks Doctor Strange for help. When a spell goes wrong, dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear. With Spider-Man's identity now revealed, Peter asks Doctor Strange for help. When a spell goes wrong, dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear. With Spider-Man's identity now revealed, Peter asks Doctor Strange for help. When a spell goes wrong, dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear.

• Chris McKenna
• Erik Sommers
• Tom Holland
• Benedict Cumberbatch
• 6.1K User reviews
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• 35 wins & 71 nominations total

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• Happy Hogan

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• Dr. Otto Octavius …

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• Betty Brant

• Agent Cleary

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• Coach Wilson

• Mr. Harrington
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• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia Benedict Cumberbatch admitted to not reading the full script, wanting to surprise himself with the final product.
• Goofs (at around 13 mins) When Peter goes back to his high school and walks up the stairs, there is a mural behind him. Part of the mural contains a chemical structure, however, one of the carbons has five bonds. This is impossible as carbons cannot exceed four bonds.

Matt Murdock : You may have dodged your legal troubles but things will get much worse. There's still the court of public opinion.

[Matt catches a brick thrown through the window]

Peter Parker : How did you just do that?

Matt Murdock : I'm a really good lawyer.

• Crazy credits SPOILER: There is a scene in the closing credits: Eddie Brock and Venom from the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters are talking with a bartender. When the multiverse is restored, Brock and Venom are re-transported back to their universe, leaving a bit of symbiote behind.
• an introduction by Holland, Maguire, and Garfield
• additional scenes of Parker and May being interrogated by the Department of Damage Control
• the scene with Holland's brother Harry as a thief that was cut from the original release
• additional scenes of Parker at school; Brant interviewing Parker, his teachers, and his classmates
• Daily Bugle reports of Parker's first day back at school and the arrivals of Dillon and Marko
• additional scenes in the basement of the New York Sanctum
• a scene featuring May, Parker, and the villains in an elevator while on the way to Hogan's apartment
• an additional scene with Murdock and Hogan
• additional scenes of the three Parkers
• new post-credits scene of showing how Peter Parker has been erased from history in a new edition of "Betty's Corner with Betty Brant" begins playing that recaps their high school years with all the footage and pictures missing Peter.
• Connections Edited from Spider-Man 3 (2007)
• Soundtracks I Zimbra Written by David Byrne and Brian Eno Performed by Talking Heads Courtesy of Sire Records By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

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• December 17, 2021 (United States)
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• $200,000,000 (estimated)
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• $260,138,569
• Dec 19, 2021
• $1,928,040,905

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• Dolby Atmos
• Dolby Digital
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Tv/streaming, collections, chaz's journal, great movies, contributors, spider-man: no way home.

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The best of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” reminded me why I used to love comic books, especially the ones about a boy named Peter Parker. There was a playful unpredictability to them that has often been missing from modern superhero movies, which feel so precisely calculated. Yes, of course, “No Way Home” is incredibly calculated, a way to make more headlines after killing off so many of its event characters in Phase 3, but it’s also a film that’s often bursting with creative joy.

Director Jon Watts and his team have delivered a true event movie, a double-sized crossover issue of a comic book that the young me would have waited in line to read first, excitedly turning every page with breathless anticipation of the next twist and turn. And yet they generally avoid getting weighed down by the expectations fans have for this film, somehow sidestepping the cluttered traps of other crowded part threes. “No Way Home” is crowded, but it’s also surprisingly spry, inventive, and just purely entertaining, leading to a final act that not only earns its emotions but pays off some of the ones you may have about this character that you forgot.

Note: I will very carefully avoid spoilers but stay offline until you see it because there are going to be landmines on social media.

“No Way Home” picks up immediately after the end of “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” with the sound of that film’s closing scene playing over the Marvel logo. Mysterio has revealed the identity of the man in the red tights, which means nothing will ever be the same for Peter Parker ( Tom Holland ). With an almost slapstick energy, “No Way Home” opens with a series of scenes about the pitfalls of super-fame, particularly how it impacts Peter’s girlfriend M.J. (Zendaya) and best bud Ned ( Jacob Batalon ). It reaches a peak when M.I.T. denies all three of them admission, citing the controversy about Peter’s identity and the roles his buddies played in his super-adventures.

Peter has a plan. The “wizard” he met when he saved half the population with The Avengers can cast a spell and make it all go away. So he asks Dr. Strange ( Benedict Cumberbatch ) to make the world forget that Spider-Man is Peter Parker, which, of course, immediately backfires. He doesn’t want M.J. or Ned or Aunt May ( Marisa Tomei ) to forget everything they’ve been through together, and so the spell gets derailed in the middle of it. Strange barely gets it under control. And then Doc Ock ( Alfred Molina ) and the Green Goblin ( Willem Dafoe ) show up.

As the previews have revealed, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” weaves characters and mythology from the other cinematic iterations of this character into the universe of the current one, but I’m happy to report that it’s more than a casting gimmick. My concern going in was that this would merely be a case of “ Batman Forever ” or even “ Spider-Man 3 ,” where more was often the enemy of good. It’s not. The villains that return from the Sam Raimi and Marc Webb films don’t overcrowd the narrative as much as they speak to a theme that emerges in the film that ties this entire series back to the other ones. For a generation, the line about Spidey was “With great power comes great responsibility.” “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is about the modern Peter Parker learning what that means. (It also helps a great deal to have actors like Molina and Dafoe in villain roles again given how the lack of memorable villains has been a problem in the MCU.)

So many modern superhero movies have confronted what it means to be a superhero, but this is the first time it’s really been foregrounded in the current run of Peter Parker, which turns “No Way Home” into something of a graduation story. It’s the one in which Parker has to grow up and deal with not just the fame that comes with Spider-Man but how his decisions will have more impact than most kids planning to go to college. It asks some interesting questions about empathy as Peter is put in a position to basically try to save the men who tried to kill other multiverse iterations of him. And it playfully becomes a commentary on correcting mistakes of the past not just in the life of Holland’s Parker but those of characters (and even filmmakers) made long before he stepped into the role. "No way Home" is about the weight of heroic decisions. Even the right ones mean you may not be able to go home again.

Watts hasn’t gotten enough credit in his other two Spider-Man movies for his action and “No Way Home” should correct that. There are two major sequences—a stunner in a mirror dimension in which Spidey fights Strange, and the climactic one—but it’s also filled with expertly rendered minor action beats throughout. There’s a fluidity to the action here that’s underrated as Mauro Fiore ’s camera swoops and dives with Spider-Man. And the big final showdown doesn’t succumb to the common over-done hollowness of MCU climaxes because it has undeniable emotional weight. I also want to note that Michael Giacchino ’s score here is one of the best in the MCU, by far. It’s one of the few themes in the entire cinematic universe that feels heroic.

With so much to love about “No Way Home,” the only shame is that it’s not a bit more tightly presented. There’s no reason for this movie to be 148 minutes, especially given how much the first half has a habit of repeating its themes and plot points. Watts (and the MCU in general) has a habit of over-explaining things and there’s a sharper version of “No Way Home” that trusts its audience a bit more, allowing them to unpack the themes that these characters have a habit of explicitly stating. And, no offense to Batalon, turning Ned into a major character baffles me a bit. He always feels like a distraction from what really works here. On the other hand, this is the first of these three films that has allowed Zendaya and Holland’s chemistry to shine. In particular, she nails the emotional final beats of her character in a way that adds weight to a film that can feel a bit airy in terms of performance.

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” could have just been a greatest hits, a way to pull different projects into the same IP just because the producers can. Some will see it that way just on premise alone, but there’s more going on here than the previews would have you believe. It’s about what historic heroes and villains mean to us in the first place—why we care so much and what we consider a victory over evil. More than any movie in the MCU that I can remember, it made me want to dig out my old box of Spider-Man comic books. That’s a heroic accomplishment.

In theaters on December 17 th .

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

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Film credits.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of action/violence, some language and brief suggestive comments.

148 minutes

Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man

Zendaya as Michelle 'MJ' Jones

Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange / Doctor Strange

Jon Favreau as Harold 'Happy' Hogan

Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds

Marisa Tomei as May Parker

Alfred Molina as Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus

Jamie Foxx as Max Dillon / Electro

Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn / Green Goblin

Tony Revolori as Eugene 'Flash' Thompson

Angourie Rice as Betty Brant

Martin Starr as Mr. Harrington

Hannibal Buress as Coach Wilson

J.B. Smoove as Mr. Dell

J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson

Benedict Wong as Wong

Writer (based on the Marvel comic book by)

• Steve Ditko
• Chris McKenna
• Erik Sommers

Cinematographer

• Mauro Fiore
• Michael Giacchino

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Spider-man 3.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 35 Reviews
• Kids Say 185 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Kids will be dazzled, but the story falls short of No. 2.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that, like its two predecessors, Spider-Man 3 is a comic book-based movie that features lots of action and superhero-style violence. In this installment, a mysterious black goo makes Peter/Spider-Man significantly more aggressive, arrogant, and combative -- even toward his friends --…

Why Age 11+?

Long, nail-biting sequences of superhero action/violence, including Harry attack

Tie-in to vast quantities of related merchandise.

Harry drinks on several occasions and at one point chugs hard liquor. Peter is s

Expletives like "damn" and "ass." A few taunts like "chump" and "nerd."

Various characters kiss; one romantic dance between Peter and Gwen.

Any Positive Content?

Several characters realize that it's never too late to stop making self-destruct

A mysterious black goo makes Peter/Spidey significantly more aggressive, arrogan

Violence & Scariness

Long, nail-biting sequences of superhero action/violence, including Harry attacking Spider-Man in an impressive airborne fight. Blood is visible on a wounded character's shirt and face and also on a dagger. A couple of major characters are killed, and someone's face is disfigured in a fight. Peter shockingly strikes someone he loves.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Drinking, drugs & smoking.

Harry drinks on several occasions and at one point chugs hard liquor. Peter is served champagne at a restaurant. Diners drink alcohol at a jazz lounge.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Several characters realize that it's never too late to stop making self-destructive choices. Strong themes of redemption and loyalty. Only one character stays selfish throughout the entire film.

Positive Role Models

A mysterious black goo makes Peter/Spidey significantly more aggressive, arrogant, and combative -- even toward his friends. His negative behavior culminates in him physically harming two people he loves, but he ultimately redeems himself. Two more villains are introduced: Daily Bugle photographer Eddie Brock transforms into Venom, and prison escapee Flint Marko morphs into the Sandman. But Sandman, unlike Venom, has a heart -- he just wants money to save his sick little girl.

Parents need to know that, like its two predecessors, Spider-Man 3 is a comic book-based movie that features lots of action and superhero-style violence. In this installment, a mysterious black goo makes Peter/Spider-Man significantly more aggressive, arrogant, and combative -- even toward his friends -- which could confuse little kids who have clear ideas about their hero. His negative behavior culminates in him physically harming two people he loves (naturally, he redeems himself by the end). Thanks to the enormous amount of Spidey merchandise and marketing, younger children may want to see this movie -- but know that the action might be too intense for the early-elementary set. ( Spoiler Alert : Two characters die during the climactic battle sequence.) To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (35)
• Kids say (185)

Based on 35 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In SPIDER-MAN 3, Peter ( Tobey Maguire ) and Mary Jane ( Kirsten Dunst ) are finally together, and things seem idyllic until Harry ( James Franco ) attacks Spider-Man in an impressive airborne fight. Harry is nearly felled; when he regains consciousness, he can't remember that Peter is his archenemy. But Spidey's problems are far from over. Parasitic black ooze attaches itself to Peter and creates a black Spider-Man suit that exaggerates the webcrawler's aggressiveness, hostility, and even attraction to the opposite sex. His ego swells and he flirts with smitten classmate Gwen ( Bryce Dallas Howard ) to make MJ jealous. Peter's newly discovered dark side drives Mary Jane away and inspires self-absorbed Daily Bugle photographer Eddie Brock ( Topher Grace ) to capture Spidey's bad behavior on camera. When the steroid-like goo lands on Eddie, he transforms into Venom, the film's second super-nemesis. The third villain this time around is prison escapee Flint Marko ( Thomas Haden Church ), who morphs into the Sandman in a technically remarkable scene. Sandman, unlike Venom, has a heart. He just wants money to save his sick little girl -- if only Spidey would get out of his way. An alliance between Sandman and Venom leads to a climactic four-way battle scene set along the Manhattan skyline.

Is It Any Good?

People who see superhero movies just for thrills and chills will find plenty of reasons to love this sequel . But fans seeking Spider-Man 2 's unforgettable combination of action, story, and heart will be disappointed in the franchise's third installment.

There's now no doubt that Spider-Man 2 's emotional depth must have been prolific author/comic-book lover Michael Chabon 's contribution to the screenplay. The latest script -- co-written by director Sam Raimi , his brother Ivan Raimi, and Alvin Sargent -- just doesn't match its predecessor's level of excitement and romance. But while the action is striking, with all the sand blowing, web flinging, and characters flying, all the CGI wonders can't save Spider-Man 3 's overlong, underdeveloped story from falling a bit short of super.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the Spider-Man movie series. Which of these larger-than-life films do you consider the best? What's more important in superhero movies -- the action or the story?

Families can also discuss the movie's major themes: character transformation, revenge, and redemption. Which characters experience the biggest changes? Do they change for better or for worse? How can you tell?

How does seeking revenge prove futile for both Harry and Peter?

Movie Details

• In theaters : May 3, 2007
• On DVD or streaming : October 30, 2007
• Cast : James Franco , Kirsten Dunst , Tobey Maguire
• Director : Sam Raimi
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Columbia Tristar
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Superheroes , Adventures , Book Characters , Great Boy Role Models , Science and Nature
• Run time : 140 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : sequences of intense action violence.
• Last updated : July 25, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

Spider-Man 2

Superman Returns

Batman Begins

Best action movies for kids, best superhero movies for kids, related topics.

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• Book Characters
• Great Boy Role Models
• Science and Nature

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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

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Spider-Man: No Way Home Reviews

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” is a reward for sticking with the webbed hero through multiple franchises for almost two decades.

Full Review | Jun 10, 2024

This multiverse mash-up featuring some iconic villains and an MCU Spider-Man in the making, ensures that Tom Holland cements his place at Marvel. With an emotional sucker-punch and pathos to spare Spider-Man: No Way Home really delivers.

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | May 31, 2024

Marvel Studios has ensured that its latest and best release of the year, Spiderman No Way Home, is the feature film with the most surprises for fans. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Dec 5, 2023

Director Jon Watts has spun a near-perfect cinematic web with this third effort in the Spider-Man franchise.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Aug 10, 2023

A once-in-a-lifetime movie event that still manages to cap off Tom Holland's Spider-Man trilogy in an exciting way.

Full Review | Aug 9, 2023

Spider-Man: No Way Home is not just the most epic and surprising of Jon Watts’ Spider-Man movies, but it’s also one of the most complex and enjoyable superhero films we’ve seen this decade.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Aug 3, 2023

A celebration of Spider-Man that I wanted… I cried, I laughed, & GOD I wanted to jump/scream to the high heavens. Nothing can prepare you for the BRUTAL action sequences that are at the top of Spider-Man films. But the ending? PERFECTION I LOVED IT

Full Review | Jul 26, 2023

A heartfelt, nostalgic homage to the Spider-Man legacy that fans will rewatch countless times, laughing and crying along for many more years to come. A memorable, passionate, once-in-a-lifetime cinematic experience.

Full Review | Original Score: A | Jul 25, 2023

Spider-Man: No Way Home is about chosen families, and it’s about crystalizing the fact that though it’s dark today, these people are the reason why no one in the universe will ever be lacking love.

Full Review | Jul 23, 2023

Spider-Man: No Way Home completely moved me by the amount of heart that was put into the final installment of the trilogy by its entire cast, and the desire to please fans who cared not only about the MCU, but the character Spider-Man, in particular.

Full Review | Jul 19, 2023

Spider-Man: No Way Home is truly an open love letter to the Spider-Man franchise crafted with such thoughtful care.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Feb 23, 2023

It does have some shoehorned elements in for the sake of fan service, but overall I think that its positives far outweigh any faults it may have.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Jan 6, 2023

Unfortunately, Marvel and director Jon Watts, with the third official entry from Spider-Man in the MCU, fail to learn a key lesson from the issues of previous Spider-Man franchises — sometimes less is more.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 6, 2023

It hits hard, gets emotional, it's darker than the others, for good reason. It makes you think deeply about the meaning of Spider-Man. It doesn't need to be light & fun...

Full Review | Original Score: 9.5/10 | Dec 30, 2022

The most ambitious, action-packed and emotionally satisfying live action Spider-Man movie ever made.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Nov 12, 2022

Much of the charm from the prior MCU web-slinging efforts remains intact.

Full Review | Sep 8, 2022

By the end, the direction of both the story and the MCU was murkier than before. But at some point all you can do is let the brains at the MCU hive-mind figure it out and then hope they’re able to bring it all together. It’s the best approach.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 16, 2022

The spontaneous cheers in the cinema for Spider-Man: No Way Home were well worth it.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 15, 2022

"The one of the main things that I did like about this film is that some of the questions and the issues people had with the previous iterations were address and/or fixed in this film." - Naturally Na

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Jul 28, 2022

Spider-Man: No Way Home is almost a psycho-study of the two-decade-long Spider-Man phenomenon.

Full Review | Jul 25, 2022

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Spider‑Man 3 is a movie stuffed to bursting — with action, plotlines, characters, humor, energy, moods, spectacle and certainly inspiration.

Artistic/Entertainment Value

Moral/spiritual value, age appropriateness, mpaa rating, caveat spectator.

Like its web-headed hero careening crazily through the canyons of Manhattan at the end of a web-line, the film swings breathlessly and without warning from one thing to another, from breakneck excitement to outrageous silliness to comic-book morals about responsibility, sacrifice and now even vengeance and forgiveness. Heedlessly leaping headlong into the most daunting complications, Spider‑Man 3 is flush with the exhilaration of its own agility and the joy of playing to the crowd.

Popcorn cinema, especially super-hero cinema, frequently runs out of steam by the second or third act, and always by the second or third installment. Bucking the trend, Spider‑Man 3 may be the freshest and most unique of the three films, completing the trilogy without a hint of franchise fatigue. If it doesn’t quite deliver on all its promise, at least the filmmakers have erred in the direction of trying for too much rather than settling for too little.

The original Spider‑Man related how Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) became Spider‑Man. Spider‑Man 2 explored Peter’s difficulties juggling his dual identities and his growing resentment over the hardships of being Spider‑Man. By Spider‑Man 3 , Peter has his double act together — so much so that he’s swinging toward the opposite extreme, becoming complacent and full of himself.

These days, Peter no longer has trouble making an eight o’clock curtain call to see Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) on stage, or keeping up with classes at NYU. (Apparently Dr. Curt Connors [Dylan Baker], the future Lizard, teaches every science course worth taking; at least Peter always seems to be in his lecture hall.)

What’s more, it’s gotten so everybody loves Spider‑Man. The media loves him. New York loves him — so much so that he gets his own parade and even the key to the city. Of course Mary Jane loves him… though he may be taking that one too much for granted (this is the first film in the series in which MJ isn’t seen onscreen before Peter). Still, he wants to marry her, an intention prompting Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) to offer one of her trademark moral speeches.

In a nice touch, Aunt May relates how she turned down her first marriage proposal from Peter’s Uncle Ben, as much in love as they were. “We weren’t ready,” she says. “I didn’t want to rush into something with nothing but love to sustain us.” Admonishing Peter, she adds, “A man has to be understanding and put his wife before himself. Can you do that?”

Peter thinks he can — but there’s a certain lack of conviction and maturity in his tone. Peter’s love for MJ has always been a schoolboy crush, and even in his third outing as Spider‑Man, Peter hasn’t really grown up. He’s still living an adolescent fantasy, not yet fully grasping the great responsibility that comes with the great power of love.

Meanwhile, Harry Osbourne (James Franco) is out to kill Peter. Also, an alien symbiote is stalking him, photographer Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) is horning in on his work at the Daily Bugle , a fugitive named Flint Marko (Thomas Hayden Church) has been transformed into a walking sandstorm, Uncle Ben’s real killer may still be at large, MJ’s Broadway career hits the skids, Peter’s lab partner Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard) is really cute, and if all these transitions seem a bit abrupt, well, the movie is like that too.

And that’s not all. When the alien symbiote catches up with Peter, it not only transforms Spider‑Man into Dark Spider‑Man, it transforms Peter into Dark Peter too. Dark Peter is the polar opposite of Spider‑Man 2 ’s Sunny Peter, briefly seen in a whimsical sequence scored to “Raindrops Are Fallin’ on My Head,” and if you thought that bit was loopy, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Oh, and I haven’t even gotten to the origin of Venom yet.

Are these too many characters, too many storylines? Well, yes. Like Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest or Peter Jackson’s King Kong , Spider‑Man 3 represents creativity run amok, where most popcorn entertainment represents creativity struggling to put one foot in front of the other. The results may be somewhat uneven compared to the outstanding Spider‑Man 2 , but this film’s heights are series high points — and it’s consistently head and shoulders above the original film, which remains the weak link in the series.

The first two films had essentially one truly spectacular action scene between them, the sequel’s Dr. Octopus fight ranging from the clock tower to the train top. Spider‑Man 3 has several: an early out-of-the-blue assault that makes far better use of a Goblin glider in just a few minutes than the entire first film, and during which, in a nice touch, Peter isn’t even wearing his spider-suit; Spider‑Man’s down-and-dirty second confrontation with Sandman in a subway tunnel, which makes the second best use of trains in the series; and above all the staggering climactic conflict involving all four major players, though not in the way you might expect.

There are also other memorable conceits worth calling out, including a startlingly bold set piece involving Gwen and an out-of-control crane, and a number of free-falling shots throughout the film that involve more action than you would think possible as characters hurtle earthward from enormous heights.

The level of energy and ambition isn’t without tradeoffs. One of Spider‑Man 2 ’s highlights was Alfred Molina’s Dr. Octopus, a flawed but decent human being who fell prey both to ambition and to the subversive influence of his own technology. Octopus’s arms became a character in their own right; the scenes of Octavius trying to resist their whispering suggestions while they wove about his head like the serpent in the garden were among the film’s most effective moments.

Spider‑Man 3 had a gold-plated opportunity to revisit this theme with the introduction of Venom, a composite character created when the alien symbiote finds another host. The opportunity was squandered. There’s no sense of a relationship between the symbiote and its host, as there was between Octavius and his arms; the symbiote never becomes a character on its own. (The ordinary term is “symbiont,” incidentally; for some reason the Marvel universe has its own slightly different word.) We learn nothing of its motives or feelings at being cast off by Peter, though these are well established in the comic books. (By contrast, the second film went beyond the comic books in how it treated Octopus’s arms.) If the filmmakers should have cut anyone from the film, and they should, Venom is the obvious choice. He ought to have been saved for another film (possibly a whole new trilogy, as the studio has mentioned).

Marko, the Sandman, fares only a little better; he has more poignancy, but his character development consists mostly of looking sorrowfully at a locket picture of his daughter. Actually, the most moving scene with the Sandman — as well as the film’s most beautiful scenes, and one of the most technically impressive — is a pure effects sequence involving an undulating heap of sand as Marko tries to pull himself together for the first time after the transformation. Even before there is anything in any way recognizable as a human form, the shifting sands are somehow remarkably evocative, and the locket is here used to nearly poetic effect.

Although Harry Osbourne falls short of the complex character he should be after three films, he ultimately elicits surprising sympathy, particularly during a sweet, lighthearted sequence with Mary Jane that works far better than you would expect for a scene with the ostensible villain moving in on the hero’s ostensible girl. But then whether or not Harry is a villain at the moment depends on how well his memory is working after a knock to the head in the first of the movie’s wildly ambitious fight scenes. (Incidentally, Franco’s smile in this film looks eerily like that of Willem Dafoe, who played his father in the first film.)

Gwen Stacy, the remaining corner in the Peter–MJ quadrangle, fares less well, alas. In the comics, Gwen is Peter Parker’s tragic lost love, the girl he was going to marry before Mary Jane, until she was killed by the original Green Goblin at the Brooklyn Bridge. (The first film borrowed this incident for its Queensboro Bridge sequence, with MJ standing in for Gwen, and of course Spider‑Man saving the girl this time.)

In the films, of course, there’s no question that MJ is the girl for Peter, which leaves Gwen relegated to a strictly incidental role as an accidental wedge between Peter and MJ. One of the film’s most outrageous sequences involves Peter deliberately trying to make MJ jealous with Gwen, but then in that scene he’s Dark Peter, under the influence of the symbiote. On the other hand, when Spider‑Man gets a little too frisky with Gwen at the key to the city ceremony, I was hoping it would turn out that he was already under the symbiote’s influence, but no, that was just Peter being a Grade‑A jerk.

The film takes a huge risk revisiting the question of Uncle Ben’s death, given the foundational role Peter’s inaction and Uncle Ben’s death have in Spider‑Man’s character and motivation, but manages to resolve the essential difficulties by the end. This conceit also offers yet another opportunity for one of Aunt May’s speeches, this time about revenge. “Revenge is like a poison,” she cautions. “Before you know it, it takes you over. It turns us into something ugly.” Something like Venom.

Not that Spider‑Man 3 is profound or anything when it comes to issues of vengeance, justice and forgiveness. It’s not clear whether we’re meant to feel that Peter ought to have let Brock off the hook for a flagrant ethics violation, but clearly Brock had to be nailed, though Dark Peter was a little meaner about it than he needed to be. “You want forgiveness?” Peter sneers. “Get religion.” As regards his attitude, Peter might be in need of Brock’s forgiveness, but not as regards his essential actions.

Likewise, a climactic sequence involves forgiveness offered where the demands of justice haven’t been met. It’s true that the one offering forgiveness is in no position to enforce justice, but then the film doesn’t even gesture in this direction. It’s as if the personal issues between these two characters are the only relevant consideration.

On the other hand, the redemption of another character comes off better, and helps bring the film and the trilogy to a satisfying conclusion. Although the film’s success certainly paves the way for further Spider‑Man films — and confirms that the second film was no fluke — Spider‑Man 3 wraps up a number of story-arcs spanning all three films, wrapping up the trilogy in grand style.

What remains to be seen, if there are more films to come, is whether the filmmakers can finally take Peter past his extended adolescence, and let him finally become Spider‑ Man in fact as well as in name.

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

This is what a Spider-Man movie should be — freewheeling, rip-roaring, hilarious, heartfelt, over the top. Spider-Man 2 just might be the single greatest super-hero movie ever; it is unquestionably the wildest, most joyous, flat-out comic-bookiest comic-book movie of all time.

Spider-Man (2002)

From its breathless, cartoony title sequence, with the letters of cast members’ names stuck like flies in a vast spiderweb, Spider-Man makes its intentions crystal clear: This is one wide-eyed comic-book movie that revels in its pulp origins.

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‘spider-man: no way home’: film review.

Tom Holland’s webslinger fights a bunch of familiar faces in Jon Watts’ third outing as Spider-director.

By John DeFore

John DeFore

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The heroes who went clobberin’ through the pages of Marvel Comics in the 1980s were still relative kids when the mythology over at rival publisher DC started creaking under its own weight. Superman and Batman had started fighting crime in the late ’30s, for Pete’s sake, and the many iterations of their stories, not to mention those of less revered characters, had piled up in confusing or contradictory ways. The solution was a series called Crisis on Infinite Earths , envisioning a collision of alternate realities in which some characters died, others had their stories straightened out, and many (though far from all) overly literal fanboys were allowed to stop fretting if next month’s adventure contradicted one they read 15 years ago.

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That influential series solved some obvious problems. By contrast, one might wonder what issues are being fixed in Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: No Way Home , where Spidey and Doctor Strange open a rift between parallel dimensions, forcing Tom Holland ’s Spider-Man to face villains who starred in movies opposite Tobey Maguire’s and Andrew Garfield’s versions of the character.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Release date: December 17 Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Marisa Tomei Director: Jon Watts Screenwriters: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers

Was the problem “there’s not enough fan service in Marvel movies”? Certainly, this outing is a textbook example of that phenomenon, in which little moments of pandering (be the moments loving or cynical) make inside jokes, throw in gratuitous cameos, or bring intergalactic bounty hunters back to life because there just aren’t enough Star Wars products out there yet for Disney to sell.

Some of the fan service plays fairly well here; some is unsubtle enough you expect an actor to look into the camera and wink at you after delivering his line. But in the end, No Way Home does use its multiversal mayhem to address the only real problem with the Holland-era web-slinger: the Iron Man-ification of the character, in which his already amazing powers keep getting overshadowed by the gadgets given to him by billionaire jerk-hero Tony Stark. This is the least fun of the Watts/Holland pictures by a wide margin (intentionally so, to some extent), but it’s a hell of a lot better than the last Spidey threequel, Sam Raimi’s overstuffed and ill-conceived Spider-Man 3 .

The story begins with the scene that closed the last film: Spidey is perched outside Penn Station when J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) exposes his secret identity. Soon, the whole world knows it’s Peter Parker under that mask, and hordes believe Jameson’s bizarre claim that Spider-Man is a war criminal. (This iteration of Daily Bugle editor Jameson is obviously modeled on real-life idiocy-promoter Alex Jones; but as is often the case these days, intended satire pales in comparison to the stupidity of the real thing.)

Life gets hard for our hero and his pals Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ ( Zendaya ), who have to deal with constant media attention and uncomfortable scenes at school. Somehow (just don’t question it), this notoriety even prevents the three brainiacs from getting into any of the colleges they apply to. So Peter Parker heads to Greenwich Village, hoping Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) can cast a spell and make his identity a secret again.

Several moments of poor judgment later, Strange has had to quash his own out-of-control magic, which threatens to summon to our planet every person, on every alternate Earth out there, who knows the name Peter Parker. But the cat’s partly out of the bag, and any viewer who has seen a trailer knows at least some of the characters who are coming to play — first, and most enjoyably, Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus.

As the old villains reappear, we’re reminded that practically every one of them is a good soul gone wrong — some made monstrous by the same kind of dumb luck that made Peter a hero. So when Strange prepares to send them back to their own timelines (where, we may recall, most of them perish spectacularly), Peter balks. Urged on by his fiercely moral Aunt May (Marisa Tomei, the only woman in the multiverse who can get away with the godawful outfits these movies give her), he insists on trying to heal the villains before sending them home. Arguments between Avengers being what they are, Spidey and Strange duke it out in a magical realm where the scenery goes all Inception- y on them, then Spidey steals a magic doodad and sets off to cure the bad guys.

Rather than spoil any of the surprises the plot may have in store, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Who thought it was a great idea to tackle this material so soon after practically the same thing happened in 2018’s animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse ? That rollicking, eye-popping adventure was so fresh, funny and exciting that No Way Home can really only look stodgy in comparison, relying on the novelty of faces we haven’t seen in a while and building up to the kind of operatic emotional moments the previous Watts films tended to avoid.

Yes, Peter suffers here, losing so much he’s at risk of also losing the spirit that has made Holland’s Peter Parker so winning onscreen since swinging into Captain America: Civil War . At moments, the anguish feels like the paint-by-numbers routine of superhero franchise-building: more of the same, despite the unusual circumstances.

But there’s a lightness to the movie’s final scene that makes one hopeful. What if all this colliding-multiverse stuff freed Peter from attachments, not only to his former incarnations, but to some of his more grandiose present-tense buddies as well? Would it be so bad if he were allowed to be a “friendly neighborhood Spider-Man” for a while, with no obligation to fight aliens and giant monsters every other year? Let Doctor Strange explore the mystic depths for a while, and let Spidey swing.

Full credits

Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing Production companIes: Columbia Pictures, Marvel Studios, Pascal Pictures Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Marisa Tomei Director: Jon Watts Screenwriters: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers Producers: Kevin Feige, Amy Pascal Executive Producers: Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, JoAnn Perritano, Rachel O’Connor, Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach Director of photography: Mauro Fiore Production designer: Darren Gilford Costume designer: Sanja Milkovic Hays Editors: Jeffrey Ford, Leigh Folsom Boyd Composer: Michael Giacchino Casting directors: Sarah Finn, Chris Zaragoza

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Spider-Man 3

Spider-Man 3 director Sam Raimi has had a difficult task set before him: He has to follow himself. Spider-Man 2 is easily the best superhero movie ever made, and topping it is nearly impossible. For the third film, Raimi has waved the white flag and tried to make a bigger movie instead of a better one. He succeeded. Spider-Man 3 has more of everything. More villains, more love story, more fight scenes. It’s bigger, but it’s not better.

For a change everything is going right for Peter Parker ( Tobey Maguire ). The lovable loser from Spider-Man 2 has blossomed into a beloved hero. Peter has the adoration of the city and he has the girl of his dreams too. He and Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) are dating, and Peter has plans for marriage. Sure, he still lives in that crummy little apartment but he’s found a way to make time in his life for everything he cares about. Things are going pretty well for Peter Parker, so of course it’s time to pull the rug out from under him.

Things may be going well for Peter, but that doesn’t mean he’s solved any of the problems created in the previous two films. They’re still there lingering and they come to a head in this film. For instance Peter has never really come to grips with the murder of his uncle, and then there’s his friend Harry ( James Franco ) who still blames Peter for the death of his wacked out, Green Goblin father. There’s a lot going on in Spidey 3 , but at its heart Alvin Sargent’s script is about Spider-Man getting right all the things he’s been getting wrong. Unfortunately that sometimes gets lost in the noise of the film, which falls prey to the same trap almost every third superhero movie seems to, by trying to do too much at once.

Luckily unlike those other failed third superhero movies, Spider-Man 3 is the first of its kind to keep the same cast and crew together through three films. That’s enough to keep it swinging. Still there’s no denying that trying to squeeze so many different villains into a single movie hurts it. This time Spidey is fighting three bad guys instead of one and since Raimi is too good a storyteller not to, each has been given a complex back story to explain their evil motivations. But there’s just never enough time to explore each of them fully. All three villains are so good that each could easily fill his own movie full of Spidey vs. bad guy grit. Cramming them all into a single feature leaves you with a film that feels like it’s trying to do too much all at once, probably because it is. There’s just no way to make the multiple superhero thing work properly and Spider-Man 3 would have been better off avoiding it, or at least settling on two bad guys instead of three. Sadly that was not to be and all three: New Goblin, Sandman, and Venom end up splitting their bad guy screen time pretty equally until the film’s end when everyone and everything collides together for a big, spectacle packed finale.

With three super-powered bad guys though, they really take the action up a notch in this one and because Sony was willing to give them all the money they wanted, Raimi isn’t afraid to pull his camera back for plenty of spectacular, stunning, wide shots of what’s going on. Spider-Man 3 is easily the most satisfying of the three movies on a purely action oriented level. From his thrilling mid-air battle with New Goblin to the film’s massive cage match between Spidey and all three bad guys Spider-Man 3 really delivers on non-stop punches. The effects haven’t necessarily gotten better since Spider-Man 2 , but there’s a lot more of them.

This is also the Spider-Man movie that has the most Raimi in it. Sure Spider-Man 2 had a few of those signature Raimi moments, but Spider-Man 3 is dripping with Raimi’s wry sense of humor and distinct behind the camera horror style. When Peter Parker goes bad under the influence of the Venom symbiote they’ve been pumping so much in the trailers, it’s then that Sam seems to be having the most fun with the movie. Peter goes emo and dances down the streets of New York shooting people with cool guy style in a sequence that’s a complete departure from anything we’ve seen in these movies till now. Bruce Campbell has his biggest cameo of the series in this one, and it’s every bit as genius as we’ve come to expect from any Raimi/Campbell collaboration. Spider-Man 3 is by far the most playful of Raimi’s three Spider-Man movies, and even though it may not be as dramatically satisfying it compensates by simply being a lot of fun.

The problem with the film dramatically isn’t simply that there are too many bad guys. Though that’s certainly a large part of it, there’s also too much of everything else too. Too many side characters, too many angsty romance flourishes. There are times when I think even Raimi gets lost in his own movie. In more than one place plot threads are started and then randomly abandoned without satisfactory explanation or resolution. The rift that develops between Mary Jane and Peter Parker for instance is never fully explored. Worse, Mary Jane’s behavior later in the movie becomes completely bizarre and inexplicable. Most of her actions seem to be dictated by what they need to happen in order for the plot to move forward, not by what makes any kind of sense for her character. Some are probably going to blame Kirsten Dunst for this; after all she’s always been the weak spot in Spidey’s pictures. But I think it’s simply an editing problem. It feels like there are big pieces of the movie missing, and most of them involve her. With so much to cram into the film, something had to be cut in order to keep the running time down at a manageable level, and it’s Mary Jane that suffers.

The biggest go-nowhere in the movie is their new female addition Gwen Stacey, played by Bryce Dallas Howard . She serves no real purpose in the story, since they don’t have enough time to take her sub-plot anywhere. Worse, Howard’s simply not believable as Stacey. She’s supposed to be the super-model daughter of the city’s police commissioner, but let’s face it: Bryce Dallas Howard has cankles. She’s pretty in a girl-next-door sort of way and a decent actress, but to ask her to convince us she’s a model is beyond Howard’s ability to portray. As with Mary Jane, Raimi seems to have a problem with casting proper female leads. Actually, flip the two and you might have something. Bryce Dallas Howard would have made a perfect Mary Jane and Kirsten Dunst almost certainly would have been a better Gwen Stacey.

Despite it’s bigger isn’t always better problems, I don’t think anyone is going to be disappointed in this third Spider-Man . It’s easily the best third superhero franchise movie ever made (of course it’s up against Superman III , Batman Forever , and Blade Trinity so it’s not like the competition is very fierce). Tobey Maguire is still brilliant as Peter Parker and most of the supporting cast, both old and new is so good that they leave you wanting more of them. There are three amazing movies wrapped up in Spider-Man 3 . Instead of doling them out one a time, they’ve been webbed together and delivered as one pretty good one. The world would be a better place if Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire went right on making Spider-Man movies together forever.

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Spider-Man 3 (United States, 2007)

The Spider-Man series, which debuted in 2002 and continued in 2004 and 2007, represents the first superhero cycle to complete a trilogy with the same primary cast and production team it had at the beginning. If nothing else, that assures viewers of a certain degree of continuity. However, while it could be argued that Spider-Man 2 had too little plot for its substantial running length, the opposite could be said of Spider-Man 3 . It's really two movies crammed into one, the first of which is a lot better than the second. Spider-Man 3 starts out strong but before it finishes, many viewers will desperately wish it had called it quits an hour earlier.

One has to consider that the film's problems - and they are numerous - may be the product of the franchise's runaway popularity. In each of the first two films, director Sam Raimi was careful to limit the villain count to one (unless one counts Daily Bugle editor J. Jonah Jameson, brilliantly played by J.K. Simmons). Here, it triples, and the focus on the bad guys limits the amount of time we have for the soap opera that is Peter Parker's life. Expectations for this movie were sky-high and one wonders whether the pressure to fulfill them caused the director to overreach his grasp and miss the point that bigger and louder do not always equate to better.

When the film opens, things couldn't be rosier for Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire). His alter-ego, Spider-Man, is a beloved icon. His girlfriend, Mary-Jane (Kirsten Dunst), is making her Broadway debut. And he's getting straight A's in college. The only downside is that his former best friend, Harry Osborn (James Franco), continues to harbor a grudge. Harry has discovered his dad's secret storage space full of bombs and body-changing chemicals and he uses those to pursue his goal of offing Spider-Man. Meanwhile, Harry isn't the only bad guy Peter will have to face. Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), the con who killed Uncle Ben, has escaped from prison and fled into a forbidden testing zone where radiation turns him into a creature made from living sand. And a parasitic creature from outer space called Venom has infected Spidey's suit, enhancing his powers and aggression any time Peter wears it. Venom eventually makes its way into the body of Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), a photographer with a grudge against Peter.

The film's setup is effective and feels like a continuation of the previous Spider-Man stories. The most kinetic action scene is the first one, as Harry and Peter tussle through the streets of New York. Although Sandman's introduction is lame, Thomas Haden Church plays the character so movingly that might have been possible to ignore this plot device if it was the only weak one in the movie (which it isn't). The most glaring stumbling block is Venom. He's one bad guy too many. Not only is the creature poorly realized but its introduction into the story causes everything to be crowded, rushed, and overlong. Spider-Man 3 feels like it should end around the 1:40 mark, but like the Energizer Bunny on a rampage, it keeps going.

The climactic battle is a disaster. It's not exciting and it requires two contrivances too excruciating to ignore (one involves a butler that would make Alfred look dumb; the other involves Sandman's eventual fate). It's unforgivable that the film's last action scene should be so vastly inferior to the first one. The special effects aren't even all that impressive. There are several instances in which it's all-too-obvious that Spider-Man and his nemeses are computer generated. This is sloppier than anything in either Spider-Man or Spider-Man 2 .

To a large extent, the movie seems like a regurgitation of motifs and ideas from its predecessors. The Mary Jane/Peter/Harry love triangle is back and it spends much of the movie spinning its wheels (although I will admit that the scene on the bridge is heartbreaking). Peter once again must battle his inner demons and bemoan how he handled Uncle Ben's death. Mary Jane gets to bait the hook for a third time and ends up re-playing the damsel in distress role. The fight scenes feel like they take a little from the first movie, a little from the second, and mix them together. They're more formulaic than exhilarating, and there's nothing in Spider-Man 3 that comes close to the train sequence from Spider-Man 2 .

There are also unnecessary characters. I guess Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard) has been added as a nod to comic book fans, but she serves no purpose other than to make us wonder whether Mary Jane is still an interesting character. Her father (James Cromwell) is equally underused. Bruce Campbell gets a nice extended cameo, but why do his scenes seem like Monty Python outtakes? And, as I have already mentioned, everything about Venom is a mistake. At the very least this villain deserved its own movie rather than being awkwardly shoehorned into a film that starts out being about Peter, Harry, and Sandman.

Audience reaction to the film at the midnight opening screening was negative, bordering on hostile, meaning that the core group of fans did not like what they were seeing. It's easy to understand their displeasure. Compared to the other two movies in the series, this one is a misfire. It's for completists only, and even they are likely to feel let down. Spider-Man and the first sequel were breezy adventures - easy and fun to sit through. Spider-Man 3 is a chore. The effective moments require a lot patience to uncover and some of what has to be shifted to get to them is not worth the effort. People love trilogies because it's said that good things come in threes, but this series would have looked better and felt more satisfying had the filmmakers stopped at two.

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Screen Rant

Spider-man: homecoming.

133 minutes

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Reviews (4).

My appreciation for Homecoming has only grown since its release, and that's not to say the other movies are bad, I just feel that this movie is the best way to execute a typical Spidey tale in the MCU without the Avengers/Multiverse baggage. The little corner of Queens it crafts is probably the movie's biggest strength. Peter's friends and family are expertly handled, blending his ordinary life with the surrounding MCU, while Holland immediately leaves a mark as Peter. Keaton's Vulture is also fantastic, there's the sympathetic element, but he is also very menacing for one of the more mortal MCU villains. All this comes together for a really strong Spider-Man movie

This is my favorite of the new Tom Holland Spider-Man movies by far! Nothing can beat the twist midway through the movie, I still remember the look of shock on all my friends' faces in the theater next to me when the movie got to that part (you'll know what scene I'm referring to if you've seen it).

Tom Holland is a pretty good Spider-Man! I'm a Tobey loyalist, but this was genuine fun. It's not fan service, and introduces the new set of characters well. His whole Spidey arc is definitely worth following in the modern MCU!

Not my favorite Spider-Man movie in the bunch but it is still pretty solid. Like the teenage coming of age stuff more than the superhero stuff. Doesn't feel as epic as Raimi's trilogy with a worse supporting cast. Tom Holland has grown on me as Peter.

Michael Keaton

Martin starr, angourie rice, robert downey jr., marisa tomei, bokeem woodbine, logan marshall-green, garcelle beauvais, seasons (4).

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Season 2 (2018), season 3 (2022), season 4 (2026), spider-man: homecoming pitch meeting - revisited, images (32), screenrant reviews, spider-man: homecoming review.

Spider-Man: Homecoming works as both a (very) funny high school comedy/drama and strong standalone superhero movie set in the MCU.

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