Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is loving life. He finally has the woman of his dreams--Mary Jane Parker (Kirsten Dunst)--he’s a beloved superhero, and he’s fitting in beautifully at college. All things seem to be going Peter’s way until his past comes back to haunt him. Spider-Man 3 ties together the events of each of the previous two Spider-Man films and Spider-Man will see his narrative shift and the struggles that he believed to be behind him materialize into something far more fierce than he had seen in the past. Peter Parker will struggle with his identity, because being a superhero comes with its difficulties, and they are about to show their ugly heads.
In order to understand one of the most tremendous aspects of Spider-Man 3, the cast, it’s important to first understand how wonderful the casting has been in each of the previous two installments in this franchise. Led by Maguire, Dunst, James Franco (Harry Osborn), J.K. Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson), and Rosemary Harris (Aunt May Parker), the first two films were incredibly well-acted--and immensely successful as a result. Thanks to director Sam Raimi, as well as Kathy Driscol, Francine Maisler, and Mike Styles (the three in charge of casting), Spider-Man 3 adds some more incredible talent to the franchise. Individuals such as Thomas Haden Church (Flint Marko), Topher Grace (Eddie Brock), James Cromwell (Captain Stacy), and Bryce Dallas Howard (Gwen Stacy) take the stage in this threequel--bolstering the cast even further, helping to create a film that far exceeds each of its predecessors. Fans of the franchise certainly miss characters like Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe) and Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), but three new villains create an unprecedented dynamic that is sure to entertain.
It’s well known that Spider-Man 3 is typically regarded as the least entertaining of the three Maguire Spider-Man films. However, I’m here to tell you that it’s actually the best. Why, you ask? Well, Spider-Man 3 presents superheroes in an entirely new light as viewers see Spider-Man struggle, not only with his foes, but with himself. Morality comes into play more than we’ve yet seen in this franchise--and viewers begin to understand, maybe more than before, that Parker is human. The emotional connection that viewers are able to develop between themselves and the titular hero in Spider-Man 3 is unparalleled prior to this point in the series. As I watched this film, for what seems like the dozenth time, I was still able to appreciate the sentiment present in the film. Maguire captures the emotion of the struggling Parker perfectly, and even throughout some of the cheesiest scenes in superhero film history, Maguire creates something genuine and still unmatched to this day.
Raimi is a visionary--and that’s a fact. He made superhero films bigger and better than they had ever been. Films focusing on Superman, Batman, and Blade had been immensely successful in the past, but Raimi saw the potential of what superheroes had to offer the world. Spider-Man 3 most accurately represents what he believed the genre could be, and he refuses to pull punches in his third Spider-Man film. He continues to rely heavily on emotion, and that’s the shining star of the film, but Spider-Man 3 is far more fun than superhero films had been to this point. The action is seemingly nonstop, and viewers can never get enough of heart-thumping, high-octane action sequences that fill the screen throughout the film.
The fun is never-ending, the acting is as incredible as ever, and the story that Raimi, Ivan Raimi, and Alvin Sargent develop is the best of the series. Spider-Man 3 requires deeper thought and for viewers to look between the lines and appreciate the nuances of Sam Raimi’s masterpiece. Spider-Man 3 is deeper and more emotionally involved than most other superhero films, and I appreciate the cast and crew’s ability to connect with viewers on said emotional level. Cinematically Spider-Man 3 is superior to the other two Maguire films, adding to all that the film already has to offer and making it the best Spider-Man film to date. Raimi’s Spider-Man franchise not only solidified the web-slinging superhero among the best in comic lore, but allowed the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to be born, and a new generation of superhero fans along with it. The MCU has produced some truly wonderful spectacles, and even with every amazing thing that the MCU has to offer, Spider-Man 3 still remains one of the best superhero films to date.
Directed by Sam Raimi.
Written by Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi, Alvin Sargent, Stan Lee, & Steve Ditko.
Starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, James Cromwell, Theresa Russell, Dylan Baker, Bill Nunn, Bruce Campbell, Elizabeth Banks, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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