Review: Exciting, Emotional 'Spider-Man 3' Soars

'Spider-Man 3' (PG-13)(out of four)

The number 3 is a lucky one for the highly anticipated third movie in the "Spider-Man" trilogy.

Three years in the making, director Sam Raimi's enormously entertaining and emotionally complex superhero opus is packed with three villains and boasts 30 percent more special effects than the first film. And while it may not be three times as good its predecessors -- come on, the first two were spectacular -- "Spider-Man 3" is definitely the best in the trilogy. And if you're lucky enough to screen it in IMAX (as I did the second time around), it's even better.

The thing that sets "Spider-Man 3" apart is that it's decidedly different in tone than the first two films. With Raimi and his brother, Ivan, as the writers of the screen story and co-scribes of the screenplay -- along with "Spidey 2" screenwriter Alvin Sargent -- the film has more of a quirkier feel akin the filmmaker's earlier work.

If feels giddier, if not outright goofier at times, bringing a fair amount of humor to Peter Parker's triumphs, tribulations and even his internal struggles. Plus, the tone lends for more a kid-friendly film than the other two, sans the menace of Venom in the film's final act.

Unlike "Spider-Man" and its first sequel, Peter (Tobey Maguire) starts out the film on a confident high as Spider-Man is finally accepted by New York City as a superhero and not the menace J. Jonah Jameson (the always hilarious J.K. Simmons) has painted him to be.

But unbeknownst to Peter, dark times are looming just around the corner. On the verge of proposing to Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), Peter plunges headlong into the dark side of Spider-Man's personality when a symbiote -- a gooey, alien life form that falls to earth via a meteorite -- attaches itself to his spider costume.

Turning the suit black, the symbiote give Peter more power but also makes him a vengeful, menacing person both in his professional and personal lives. And that's a big problem when his relationship with MJ hangs in the balance due to her personal insecurities and jealousy of his new college lab partner, the vivacious Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard). To top things off, Peter's also in danger of losing his photographer gig to the brown-nosing Eddie Brock Jr. (Topher Grace) at the Daily Bugle.

And that's only the half of it, as his sudden superhero celebrity is put to test as well. First, his strained relationship with Harry Osborn (James Franco) becomes more dangerous as Harry follows his late father's footsteps and alters his physical makeup to become the New Goblin.

But the biggest blow comes when Peter and Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) learn that Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) may have actually been killed by escaped convict Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), instead of the gunman Peter watched fall to his death years earlier. A conflicted criminal who turns to crime because of a family crisis, Marko suddenly is able to drastically alter his size, shape and appearance when he stumbles into an experiment that fuses sand with his DNA -- becoming Sandman -- a seemingly unstoppable force that not even Spider-Man can handle.

As you might have guessed, there's a lot going on throughout "Spider-Man 3," and with the villain Venom not taking hold of Brock until the last half-hour, there's even more.

And while the story is complex, it makes perfect sense in the context of the whole trilogy, as loose ends are tied up from the first two films while new plotlines develop and play out. A gifted storyteller and film craftsman, Raimi manages to find proper balance and flawless weave multiple storylines together, and as a result, the film never once becomes confusing. One potential downfall for restless movie fans is the film's two-hour-20-minute runtime -- but then again, taking into consideration that it could be the last film in the series, Raimi clearly wanted to make sure all the i's in Spidey were dotted. It certainly doesn't feel long.

Much like the previous two "Spider-Man" films, Raimi leaves ample room for character development, especially for Peter. Maguire clearly is having a lot of fun here, not only as a man who feels like he's being accepted for his good deeds, but as a narcissist who revels in his new badness when the symbiote overtakes his personality (Maguire has -- yes you are reading this right -- two dance scenes that are an absolute hoot). Peter's dark personality accounts for some of Maguire's funniest scenes, and some of his scariest, and the actor pulls off the scenes magically.

The great thing is, Raimi doesn't save all the personality in the film for Maguire. Every actor is given emotional range to work with, from Mary Jane and Harry (Dunst and Franco are both wonderful -- in fact, Franco turns in his best performance in the trilogy), to the caring Aunt May (Harris once again is majestic in her wisdom), the pained and confused Marko (Church gives a subtle, pained performance) and the jealous and humilated Brock (Grace, showing a perfect amount of restraint in what could have been an over-the-top role).

Even what other directors may consider inconsequential characters are given the star treatment by Raimi, like Peter's Latvian landlord (Elya Baskin) and his oddly attractive daughter, Ursula (Mageina Tovah). And, of course, Raimi doesn't forget to include his longtime friend and "Evil Dead" colleague Bruce Campbell, who has a gut-busting cameo as "French" maitre d.

Without question, "Spider-Man 3" has the best special effects in the trilogy, and it should, given the escalation in technology over the past seven years since the film series began.

Spider-Man's jumping, swinging and web-casting is far more impressive than the effects of the first film, which at times felt like a video game. But this feels real , as does the symbiote's possession of Venom, the New Goblin taking flight with his glider, and jaw-dropping transformation of Marko into Sandman. The birth of Sandman scene may very well be the best effects sequence that put on film to date, as you can't help but believe that Church, initially reduced to a mound of dust, clumsily struggles to adapt to his new physical makeup.

Because Sandman is introduced early on in the film, it shouldn't come as a big surprise that he has more screen time than Spidey fan-favorite Venom. But diehards shouldn't feel short-changed of Venom's time on the big screen, because in an underlying sense, he's there all along. You know the character is bubbling under the surface prior to Brock's transformation into Venom, as Brock's seething hatred for Peter slowly intensifies throughout the film until the big moment arrives.

Thankfully, not lost in the film's amazing special effects is another story oozing with emotional character substance, as "Spider-Man 3" keys in heavy on the themes of acceptance and forgiveness. The film wouldn't be complete, though, if not for Stan Lee appearing in his third-consecutive "Spider-Man" film cameo. He only gets one line, but it's a line has profound meaning because he's the one delivering it: "You know, I guess one person can make a difference," Lee said, punctuating his bit of dialogue with his trademark phrase, "'Nuff said."

It's a fitting line, considering the difference he's made in so many people's lives with his geeky science nerd-turned web-slinging superhero. Peter Parker/Spider-Man is a brilliantly conceived character that we can still relate to, which is the reason why "Spider-Man 3" is brilliant film.