Superhero fights dark side in ‘Spider-man 3’
Talk about a superhero assuming biblical proportions. In the emotionally uplifting “Spider-Man 2,” Peter Parker’s web-slinger is a Christ figure willing to sacrifice himself for the sins of others.
In the dramatically compelling “Spider-Man 3,” the Marvel comic character transforms into a satanic figure fighting his dark side.
Spidey (Tobey Maguire) is also simultaneously battling three supervillains – Sandman (Thomas Haden Church of “Sideways”), Venom (Topher Grace of “In Good Company”) and New Goblin (James Franco of “Annapolis”) – and dealing with seemingly ill-fated matters of the heart with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst of “Marie Antoinette”). He’s also confused by the arrival of a sweet woman, Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard of “The Village”), in his spiraling-out-of-control life.
In addition, he is still feeling guilty over the murder of his beloved Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson), being strengthened by the unconditional love of his Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) and facing humiliation from fiery newspaper editor J. Jonah Jamison (J.K. Simmons).
During portions of the stunningly mounted $270 million epic, Sam Raimi, who also directed the first two installments, seems to be throwing too much at the screen to maintain interest. That, however, is only a minor complaint about this ultimately touching cinematic work. Raimi is more interested in a clash of ideas than a battle of titans in “Spider-Man 3.”
He and his co-creators introduce themes about guilt, vanity, compassion, sacrifice, vengeance, corruption, redemption and – most importantly – forgiveness. There’s also a veiled parallel to current global conflicts as Aunt May warns that revenge can be like a poison capable of destroying those seeking it.
Certainly, Raimi doesn’t forget the popcorn-picture elements as Spidey swings across the screen and gets into more fights than Rocky Balboa in his prime, but the gifted filmmaker also provides an important subtext. It’s designed for those willing to look beyond the colorful action and ponder the questions raised during the lengthy narrative.
As the PG-13 picture opens, Parker is preparing to ask Watson, who’s suffering creative setbacks in her stage career, to marry him. His alter-ego, Spider-Man, who has become far too smugly self-satisfied, is cheered by New Yorkers whenever he swings through the city streets.
But things darken quickly as Parker learns that he may be responsible for the death of an innocent man, and a criminal named Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), who seeks money to support his family, is accidentally exposed to an experimental technology that fuses his DNA with sand particles, allowing him to change his shape at will.
There’s also a “symbiote” organism from space that briefly infects Parker and brings out his darkest impulses, something reflected when Spidey’s suit turns from radiant red to deathly black. That organism eventually finds its way to Eddie Brock (Grace), who blames Parker for ruining his newspaper career, and turns him into Venom, a killing machine with metal teeth and a taste for blood.
Also on the sidelines is Parker’s old friend, Harry Osborn (Franco), who loses part of his memory due to a wound and forgets – however briefly – that he blames Spider-Man for the death of his father, the Green Goblin (played by Willem Dafoe in the original film and appearing briefly in this third installment). Osborn also finds himself romantically drawn toward Mary Jane, and when his memory returns, he vows to avenge his father’s death by killing the web-slinging superhero.
Got all of that? It’s doesn’t matter, since Raimi blends the characters to create an ultimately haunting saga about the dark side all of us exhibit when we seek revenge rather than justice.
Some “Spider-Man” purists may be upset, because Raimi took the Sandman character, who was introduced in “The Amazing Spider-Man” No. 4 in 1963 and put him together with Venom, who made his first comic-book appearance in “The Amazing Spider-Man” No. 298 during the 1980s. Raimi also decided that Venom should be the same physical size as Peter Parker (symbolically suggesting the darkness inside the young man) rather than his muscular Arnold Schwarzenegger-type size in the comics.
Such criticism has merit, but Raimi never promised to be a slave to the original Marvel material. To his credit, he has elevated the comic-book genre to a level that touches the mind and the heart in equal measure. “Spider-Man 3” may lack the incredible final impact of the second installment, but it still ranks as a towering achievement that transports the title character from darkness into light.
Postscript: Will there be a “Spider-Man 4?” It’s being developed, but no one seems sure who will direct or star in it.
Raimi signed a separate contract for each of the first three titles, and Maguire and Dunst agreed to three-picture deals. Sony is reportedly ready to negotiate with them to create a fourth installment, and Dunst has said she won’t appear in another one without Raimi and Maguire.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Raimi, a huge fan of the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, has been approached to bring “The Hobbit,” a prequel to the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, to the screen. He’s intrigued by the idea, even though it would prevent him from helming “Spider-Man 4” due to the years it would take to develop and film. (Peter Jackson, who directed the “Rings” franchise, has refused to return for “The Hobbit” due to a financial battle with New Line Cinema.)
At this time, the cinematic future of “Spider-Man” seems a tangled web, indeed.
FILM SCRIPT
“Spider-Man 3”
Grade: B+
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rosemary Harris and J.K. Simmons. Screenplay by Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent, based on the Marvel comic by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko; produced by Laura Ziskin and Grant Curtis; directed by Sam Raimi.
Running Time: 156 minutes.
Parental Guide: PG-13 rating (sequences of intense action violence).