What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that, like its two predecessors, this
comic book-based movie features lots of action and
superhero-style violence. In this installment, a mysterious
black goo makes Peter/Spidey significantly more aggressive,
arrogant, and combative -- even toward his friends -- which
could confuse little kids who have clear ideas about their
hero. His negative behavior culminates in him physically
harming two people he loves (naturally, he redeems himself by
the end). Thanks to the enormous amount of Spidey merchandise
and marketing, expect any child old enough to watch commercial
television to want to see this movie -- but know that the
action might be too intense for the early-elementary set. (
Spoiler Alert: Two characters die during the climactic
battle sequence.)
Families can talk about the movie's major themes: character transformation, revenge, and redemption. Which characters experience the biggest changes? Do they change for better or for worse? How can you tell? How does seeking revenge prove futile for both Harry and Peter? Families can also discuss the entire Spider-Man movie series. Which of these larger-than-life films do you consider the best? Does this one live up to the massive hype? What's more important in superhero movies -- the action or the story?
Common Sense Media Review
People who see superhero movies just for thrills and chills
will find plenty of reasons to love SPIDER-MAN 3, but fans
seeking
Spider-Man
2's unforgettable combination of action, story, and heart
will be disappointed in the franchise's third (and possibly
last) installment.
There's now no doubt that Spider-Man 2's emotional depth must have been prolific author/comic-book lover Michael Chabon's contribution to the screenplay. The latest script -- co-written by director Sam Raimi, his brother Ivan Raimi, and Alvin Sargent -- just doesn't match its predecessor's level of excitement and romance.
In this film, Peter ( Tobey Maguire) and Mary Jane ( Kirsten Dunst) are finally together, and things seem idyllic until Harry ( James Franco) uses his father's secret arsenal of green bombs and a flying glider to attack Spider-Man in an impressive airborne fight. Harry is nearly felled; when he regains consciousness, he can't remember that Peter is his archenemy.
But despite reconciling with Harry, Spidey's problems are far from over (this is, after all, a 140-minute adventure). Parasitic black ooze attaches itself to Peter and creates a black Spider-Man suit that exaggerates the webcrawler's aggressiveness, hostility, and even attraction to the opposite sex. In one amusing scene, Peter, overcome with his own ego, attempts to strut around like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. Then there's the unintentionally hilarious musical number in which Peter sings, plays piano, and dances with his smitten classmate Gwen ( Bryce Dallas Howard) to make MJ jealous.
Peter's newly discovered dark side drives Mary Jane away and enrages Eddie Brock ( Topher Grace), a self-absorbed Daily Bugle photographer who's bent on capturing Spidey's bad behavior on camera. When the steroid-like goo lands on Eddie, he transforms into Venom, the film's second super-nemesis.
The third villain this time around is prison escapee Flint Marko ( Thomas Haden Church), who morphs into the Sandman in a technically remarkable scene (Church's body is ripped apart and dematerializes into, yes, sand). Sandman, unlike Venom, has a heart. He just wants money to save his sick little girl -- if only Spidey would get out of his way.
An alliance between Sandman and Venom leads to a climactic four-way battle scene set along the Manhattan skyline. The action is striking, with all the sand blowing, web flinging, and characters flying. But all the CGI wonders can't save Spider-Man 3's overlong, underdeveloped story from falling a bit short of super.
Families who can't get enough of the webslinger will also enjoy the original Spider-Man , Spider-Man 2, and other superhero flicks like X-Men , Superman Returns , and Batman Begins .
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
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