Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Every Hero Has A Choice

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) finally has the girl of his dreams, Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), and New York City is in the throes of Spider-mania! But when a strange alien symbiote turns Spider-Man's suit black, his darkest demons come to light - changing Spider-Man inside as well as out. Spider-Man is in for the fight of his life against a lethal mix of villains - the deadly Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), Venom (Topher Grace), and the New Goblin (James Franco) - as well as the enemy within himself.

Third entry in the hugely popular series has Peter Parker and alter ego Spider-Man fighting what could possibly be the greatest battle of his life. As the story begins the intrepid Parker is on top of the world as the citizens of New York City have finally come to appreciate all of his heroic deeds, but more importantly having found a stable relationship with lifelong love interest Mary Jane Watson. His seemingly perfect existence comes to an abrupt halt when he learns that his uncle's real killer is still at large, and best friend turned bitter adversary Harry Osborn comes seeking revenge. Peter also bonds with an unusual black symbiote that unleashes a darker side of him and threatens to destroy everything he holds dear. Some effective moments of intense, exciting action and superior special effects are undermined by overlength, and juxtaposed by moments of corny, unintentionally funny human drama. The ingredients for a success are there, including a good cast and some interesting subplots, but they can't overcome a leaden script which chooses to revel in its mawkish material rather than flesh out its colorful characters or tell a coherent story. Watchable, but never quite as engaging or spectacular as it could be considering the standard set by the first two films. Some good things but it never quite comes together.

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