Review of Spider-man 3
(Actually, I have quite a lot of stuff to do, but I decided to go ahead and write this review and get it off my chest. Now that I've finally completed the Spider-man trilogy, it's time to find out what was great about the movies.)
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In terms of special effects and stunts, I have to say that each movie was more or less equally matched in quantity, though for Spider-man 3, the effects could have been more dramatic. The one which I was most impressed with is definitely part 2, with the train fight sequence, and the old dock sequence. Even part 1's fight sequence on the bridge was more refreshing. Hence, it's no wonder that by the time you get to part 3, you'll want to see more interesting fight sequences. (How interesting can fighting on top of an incomplete skyscraper get?)
To a considerable extent, we should give Tobey McGuire some credit for his portrayal of Peter Parker and Spider-man. However, there was one scene in part 1, where Peter was in the car with Uncle Ben and he told the latter to mind his own business. Somehow, Peter Parker didn't look like he was remotely angry with his uncle, maybe a teensy-weeny annoyed (but really not very detectable on-screen) when he flared up at his uncle. And then, for many times, Peter never seemed to emote beyond a smirk or a grin or smile, unless the situation called for it. Perhaps, if the character of Peter Parker was interpreted as a nerdy geek who still didn't quite know how to make of his feelings (quite typical of guys who don't emote easily), then Tobey McGuire did do a decent job.
What is more impressive is his portrayal of Peter Parker after his gradual transition into his darker side. Prior to getting in contact with the alien form, he was already changing. He couldn't really empathise with Mary Jane anymore, and the whole Spider-man fame just got into his head. Of course, considering his unfortunate past, and the fact that he's still a young man who isn't all that mature, his actions and attitudes are perfectly within expectations.
The truth is, Peter Parker is probably not such a good person to begin with. He could have gone the wrong way, if he didn't have Aunt May for moral directions. The fact that he hurt Mary Jane with so much spite and contempt at the jazz bar, shows that there is capcity for him to hurt her in future (and he already did, after kissing the mayor's daughter). That is probably the reason why the ending of part 3 ended up with the two lovers hugging each other, but there is no conclusive evidence of a happy ending. After all, it's extremely difficult to retract words or un-do the harm that these words had caused.
Which brings me to another point. As there were too many characters inserted into this movie, I felt that the characters were not fully developed. For example, Harry Osborn could have been developed further in the movie, especially his awkward relationship with Peter Parker/Spider-man. Mary Jane Watson's clash with Peter could have been magnified a bit more. Also, the part where Eddie Brock becomes Venom and how he confronts Peter Parker/Spider-man can also be developed. To sum up, the tensions within these relationships were all strung up, and there was no indication of how it could be resolved, although you'd wish Peter Parker would be more forthcoming and explain (or attempt to explain) his past actions to clear up the misunderstanding. For part 2, you can sense the dilemma and you did see Peter trying to explain, but didn't know how to do so without revealing his secret identity. But now, the people around him already know he is Spider-man! Surely he could find a better way to explain himself?
So, now you must be asking, is Spider-man 3 worth watching?
Well, I'm assuming that you've already watched the first two movies. If so, then just watch Spider-man 3. It's not all that bad, but just that there were certain bits which I felt could have been improved, such as the development of characters within the story.
Oh, there is one redeeming trait of Spider-man 3. It is very funny. Probably as good as the first and second movies, if not better.