Spiderman 3

Despite the various reviews I've heard that simply rated it as a good comic book character movie or similar, I'm going to ignore the separation between such superhero movies and others and say flat out that I really, really liked this movie. Much more that Spiderman 1 and 2 (which I did like, but would not have been nearly as willing to immediately sit through again). I'd happy go see this again any time while it's still in theaters. Tomorrow, over the weekend, when I'm home and it's.. well.. it probably won't be in the cheapsies by then. Hmm. And no, I didn't watch it twice today, but I would have.

In no particular order, various comments I have (with no regard whatsoever for possible spoilers; be warned.. also no regard for the fact that this was a comic first, since, sadly, I never read them and had only a vague idea what was supposed to happen anyway). Highlight to read, since, y'know.. spoilers:

The graphics were really a bit disorienting at times. I thought I was going to get dizzy. Especially the first fight, which left me rather confused as to who had been hit and who hadn't been hit and who tried to hit and which of the people was where and when and moving which direction anyway. I have to say, aside from my confusion, they were certainly nice though. Not just any movie can make me dizzy and disoriented.

While I acknowledge the general idea that once Peter is no longer the struggling boy he was so that we can identify with his human troubles, and instead at the beginning of the movie seems to have everything, and this makes it harder to identify with him, I have no such problem. I can completely identify with having struggled and struggled and struggled and suddenly, for a while, experiencing the happiness as everything seems to go right. Minus the ability to form my own webs. And I don't think I've ever messed things up again by kissing the wrong girl. Actually, scratch that.. I know I haven't.

It's interesting to note that every time that Peter and MJ have problems, it involves them not talking to each other. Peter won't shut up and listen to what she wants to tell him. She won't answer his phone calls when he wants to make up. He feels awful because she won't answer. She finds someone else to talk to because he won't pay attention to her. They're entirely lacking that communication which is necessary for a good relationship. In fact, if they'd bothered communicating, she wouldn't have wound up kissing that other guy. And what's with that, anyway? Does every single romance described in a movie, book, or other medium, anywhere, have to have a scene where one of the characters goes "oops, I'm having a good time with my not-boyfriend, and now we're sitting down together somewhere.. might as well kiss him." Is there some law I missed? On the other hand, Peter doesn't even have that law to excuse his non-girlfriend kiss. Maybe he thought it was like theather; someone should have told him it wasn't in the script.

The church thing.. yeah, that was interesting. I think the guy needs a few catechism lessons.

Peter coming out of that store in a black suit and dancing was, I think, one of the most amusing parts of the movie. It had nothing to do with the movie itself. It had to do with the fact that he reminded me, at that particular moment, of someone I know... The guilty party shall remain nameless, but if anyone who knows him also saw a resemblance, then perhaps my amusement is sufficiently explained.

The redemption/forgiveness theme in the movie was nice, especially the different aspects and situations. I'm disappointed that it took Peter physically harming MJ before he realized something was wrong and rejected his.. companion.. but at least, at that point, he realized something was wrong. And after he did that for himself, he went back (I'm thinking Plato's cave.. yes, I was educated at Ave..) and did what he could to help everyone else, saving them more than just Spiderman's usual physical saving of lives. There was a full range of everything from his aunt knowing immediately that vengance was not a good idea up through Eddie (that was his name, right?) who consciously rejected salvation and chose to destroy himself by returning to the symbiotic alien thing and embracing his aggression and hate.

Harry never impressed me one way or the other in the previous movies. But I like him in this one. I always thought, and still think, that it's a bit drastic for him to go from caring deeply for his friends to wanting only revenge on Peter and being willing to hurt MJ in the process, but it makes the redeption aspect a lot clearer. It was nice to see him as himself in the beginning, and again in the final fight, after he was given (and made) his choice. I didn't want that particular ending for him, but now that I think about it, it represents the fullest turn around possible - not only did he relent enough to grant Peter's request and help, but he returned fully to himself, as he was lying in the hospital in the beginning, telling the nurse exactly how much Peter and MJ meant to him. That was his moment, and he passed with flying colors.

Speaking of Harry, I liked his words at the end too. Easily dismissing the wrongs that had been done to him because, once it came down to the end, "none of that matters." They were best friends. And even everything that had happened in the meantime, which is a lot more than most people will ever have to deal with, could not completely break that relationship once they overcame their obstacles and were together again. That's.. just.. really cool.

I agree with those who have said they would have liked more screentime for Venom, but at the same time, I have nothing particular against Sandman. As I mentioned, I never did read the comics, so I have nothing particular to compare them to except themselves in the movie, and within the movies Sandman had more history (that or I'm forgetting something, which I can't rule out, since me-time it's about 4-5am). Plus, he adds to my running redeption/forgiveness comentary, which thrills the theology/psychology nut within me. And his motives for villiany seemed so much more realistic than Harry's. Not that I have no interest in an alien life form, but to develop that one to my satisfaction they would have needed the whole movie devoted to it, while Sandman and Harry worked well enough for me as they were.

The ending was a bit bothersome, as I was surprised when it ended a few minutes later than I thought it was going to while watching, It just seemed so much like a brilliant ending. And then they go on and do a not brilliant ending, and then a fairly decent real ending, but if I have any complaints, it's the multiple endings. That even bothered me in LotR, something there wouldn't have been nearly as much problem with if they'd done it right and included the bit with the Shire.. hmm, 'scuse me, wrong rant. Or wrong movie.

That, I think, ends my comments... Did I mention that I really like this movie?