Ishy

Why was everyone so stupid in this movie?

I am sitting here, thinking to myself why I love this movie so much. I feel like it’s universally agreed that this is a low point for superhero movies but for some reason, I can’t help but love it despite its flaws. I feel like Spider-Man 3 is a flawed entry but one that still fits into the trilogy.  Having Peter be so cheerful and full of himself was perfect. He is rightfully happy that things are finally going right for him but it’s in a way where he feels untouchable. He is ignorant to people’s situations around him, he tries to show empathy but his actions show that he doesn’t fully understand. Peter is jumping into situations that he isn’t ready for. For example, he wants to ask Mary Jane to marry him but throughout the movie, he is putting himself and Spider-Man first. Throughout the trilogy, Peter is used to being seen as an outcast. In the first movie, he is constantly bullied at school and has to deal the new responsibility of being Spider-Man. New York City was unsure of Spider-Man and a lot of people were against the idea of a vigilante roaming the city. Fast forward to the third movie, Spider-Man is loved by most of the city and Peter feels accepted. However, Peter has so many unresolved problems that he picked up along the way and now, they’re all catching up to him. He is now rivals with his best friend and he is pushing away the woman that he says he loves.  People like to hate on Mary Jane but personally I think she’s justified for most of the movie. She had to deal with an emotionally abusive father so she has been looking for acceptance. It seems like she finally gets it when she’s starring on Broadway and is now dating the man who promises that he is ready to take on a relationship with her and loves her. However, his actions prove otherwise. Peter kisses Gwen Stacy while he is dressed as Spider-Man and he constantly downplays Mary Jane’s feelings. He says that he understands where Mary Jane is coming from but he never actually tries to listen to her situation. Their relationship only worsens when Peter gets the symbiote. His rage and toxicity become unbearable and MJ tries to look for an out by going to Harry. But, she is only left in between a love triangle where she is only used as a pawn so Harry and Peter can one-up each other. So, with all of that in mind, I find the Mary Jane hate to be pretty dumb. She isn’t perfect and makes questionable decisions herself but the same goes for Peter.  Now, I want to discuss the antagonists of the movie. A huge flaw of the movie is having to stuff three antagonists within the same movie. Each of them are fighting for screen time, so the movie decides to write off one antagonist so the other gets screen time. The movie follows this formula so it feels unnatural. Harry was a natural build-up throughout the trilogy and he gets thrown out to make time for the others. I feel like they could’ve did better with Harry and that it was a missed opportunity not having Peter and Harry’s dynamic not be the main focus of the movie. I will say that Sandman was a great addition. Peter struggling with wanting revenge for his Uncle Ben was nicely done in my opinion and the symbiote making Peter lose control was a nice touch. The problem is when they try to throw in Venom at the end, so everything has to be rushed into a final showdown. To conclude everything, I think Spider-Man 3 is a good movie. It is far from one of the worst superhero movies and there is some good stuff to see here. It can be a bloated mess at times but there are some high points in here that I love. There are also some crazy lows for the series that can be a little uneasy to watch at times but I don’t think it hurts the high moments. It is honestly crazy to think that some of the most beautiful moments in the trilogy are in the same movie as Peter doing cheesy dance moves in front of people. But, I would be lying if the other movies didn’t have cheesy moments like that in them as well. This is why I love the Spider-Man trilogy, it hits the emotional beats and takes risks with some campy moments. It may not always hit the mark but they are all so memorable.  It has been insanely fun to watch all of Sam Raimi’s filmography. He is my favorite director who made some of my favorite movies ever. I hope to meet him later this year and tell him how much his movies impacted me.

Link to my past review: [Spider-Man 2 Review](https://boxd.it/8ehzvR) No notes. I loved this movie so much as a kid and nothing has changed now. My love for film came from Sam Raimi and his Spider-Man trilogy.  [Sam Raimi Ranked](https://boxd.it/ScvJs) [Absolute Favorites](https://boxd.it/CNezg)