So we draw to a close the saga that kicked the comic revolution into life. There may be a 4th �Spider-Man�, but with Tobey Maguire leaving, Kirsten Dunst wobbling and Raimi as good as gone, this is the last of Spidey as we know him.
New York loves Spider-Man, and Peter Parker (Maguire) has the girl of his dreams in Mary Jane (Dunst). This bliss, however, is not long-lived. An asteroid falls to earth that secretes a Symbiote (a kind of parasitic goo), which attaches itself to Parker�s suit, turning it black and giving him enhanced powers. These powers, however, bring out the dark, vengeful side in Peter that tears him away from Mary Jane, allowing the vengeful Harry Osborn (James Franco) to attack, as well as new villains Sandman and the diabolical Venom.
There were worries that the number of villains in the piece and the numerous storylines would mean a half-baked film. Happily, this hasn�t happened and the third �Spider-Man� achieves what the second �Pirates�� film didn�t- to be amazing throughout a 2 and a half hour running time. Action? Loads- the opening mid air duel between Peter and Harry is simply amazing. It feels like they�ve taken the set pieces from the first two and turned it up to 11. Storylines? Tonnes of �em. Sandman�s origin story is somewhat similar to Dr. Octopus�, so thankfully that�s kept brief, but the resolution of the main three storylines (Harry�s revenge, Uncle Ben�s murder, Peter and MJ) is brought to a satisfying end without leaving you short changed.
Topher Grace is brilliant as the slimy, success obsessed Eddie Brock, and in his transformation into Venom you get the first film where it really is a grudge match, a la Nicholson and Keaton in �Batman�. Fans of Venom will bemoan Raimi�s decision to use him sparingly, but it actually works. If he/it were growling at the camera the whole time the terror of the character would be lost, but the quick flashes of his face and hearing it�s awful scream off camera creates fantastic tension. Also, his transformation scene is just jaw-dropping.
He manages to headline what is maybe the best climax to any Superhero film so far. It is not a perfect film, there are moments that leave you cold- the sequence where Parker becomes a �bad guy� is cringe worthy, but mercifully brief. Also, Dallas Bryce Howard is redundant as Gwen Stacy, a great actress reduced to a �bit on the side� role.
However, this doesn�t take away from a film with so many strong points we can�t list them all. Purists will not be happy, but they perhaps never will. Anyone who loved the first two will leave feeling they�ve seen the ultimate climax to an amazing series. If anyone steps in for the 4th, they�ll have a tough job following this.
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