A definite change of pace - Spider-Man 3 Reviews

As this summer's most anticipated movie opens, moviegoers will undoubtedly ask themselves if this movie as is good as they imagine it to be. However, most people will be asking themselves that same question well after they've watched the movie. Let's begin with the visuals: absolutely amazing (pun intended). The Sandman, one of the reasons this movie was so awaited, looks stunningly real, down to the grains of sand that make him up. Harry Osborn looks better than his father in costume, as he wears a darker, more utalitarian version of the Goblin's flight suit and glider. And finally, the symbiote-- and what becomes of it-- is absolutely awesome to behold. The fight scenes: again, amazingly done. In a nutshell (without giving away too much), Spidey's fights with the movie's villains are excellently executed, reflecting how Spider-man has managed to survive this long in the comics, all the while battling villains stronger and more powerful than he is. Think about it: how do you defeat someone that's made of sand, anyway? And how do you defeat someone that can do everything you do, yet is faster and stronger than you are? His battles with the villains, however, pale in comparison with his battles with himself. And this brings us to the very core of the movie. The movie feels like a graphic novel on screen with its treatment of each character and what makes him tick. So much attention is given to characterization, in fact, that you understand the key concept of the movie: that everyone is given a choice, and what each person decides for himself affects that person and the world around him. Viewed from this perspective, there is no right or wrong choice; everything is up to the one that makes the decision. However, every decision has its repercussions-- and those repercussions ultimately show if the decision was right or wrong. And yes, making the wrong decision isnt necessarily the end. There will always be a chance to make things right, as evidenced by Peter and Harry, Peter and Mary Jane, and even the Sandman hinself. All this depth, however, comes at the expense of something, something a moviegoer will not be immediately able to express into words. Was it an entertaining movie? Big yes. Was it worth your money? Again, another yes. Were you satisfied? Umm... Maybe it was the fact that this movie could have done with better editing to make it feel like a movie. Maybe it was the fact that it starts to feel like a Spider-man movie only somewhere in the middle. Maybe there just wasn't enough time to tell the story properly in this medium. But there is definitely something missing, something that doesn't make Spider-man 3 into the exhilirating thrill ride that Spider-man 1 or 2 was. But whatever it is, it isn't enough to keep Spider-man 3 from being a good movie. Go and watch it. Have fun. And if you figure out what's missing, drop me a line. I'll be watching this movie again to find out for myself too.