Let’s face it: there’s no reason for Spider-Man 3 to exist. There’s really no reason for the third installment of a trilogy to exist; oh so often, a Superman III or Matrix: Revolutions will not only be a waste of celluloid but will devalue the original film. Fortunately, the Spidey franchise is in the hands of Sam Raimi, who choreographed two quality films in 2002’s Spider-Man and its 2004 sequel and who promised to deliver a Spider-Man fan’s favorite villain when the third installment was announced. And while Spider-Man 3 doesn’t quite live up to its epic ambitions, Raimi has come through with a film worthy of its predecessors.

Spider-Man 3 sees our hero Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) finally embraced by the people of New York after years of skepticism. Success follows Peter on a personal level, where he plans to propose to Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst). Still, things aren’t perfect; Harry Osborn (James Franco) is still convinced that Peter/Spidey killed his father (Willem Dafoe) and has taken the reigns of the Oz chemical that turns him into the vengeful New Goblin. The police found the man who killed Peter’s uncle, but he has escaped from prison and after falling into a physics experiment has turned into the shape-shifting Sandman (Thomas Haden Church). Meanwhile, Peter’s job is in jeopardy after hotshot photographer Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) joins the freelance staff of The Daily Bugle. And on top of everything, a strange substance has fallen from space that attaches itself to Peter, bringing out his more selfish qualities.

If that sounds like a lot of ground to cover in a film, that’s because it is. The alien goo is the aforementioned favorite antihero, the symbiote Venom, who eventually attaches to Brock and feeds of his hatred for Spidey to become a major force. Peter, then, must face four bad guys: Brock, Sandman, Harry, and himself. The film’s biggest problem is that it tries to keep all these balls in the air at once; its greatest accomplishment is that it rarely drops them.

It wasn’t until the second time that I watch Spider-Man 2 that I realized how well it balanced action, sentiment, and humor (the “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” still cracks me up); I recognized the same balance immediately in Spidey 3. The film has everything you want from a summer blockbuster: at differing points in the movie, you’re on the edge of your seat because of the action and falling out of it from laughter. The arrogant Peter Parker that comes out when he’s possessed by the symbiote is poignant to the story but still manages to deliver the funniest moment in the movie, when Peter is strutting down the block like it’s Saturday Night Fever and all the women he flirts with are appalled. Raimi has achieved such an equilibrium that the film moves along quickly without feeling forced.

The returning cast does a fine job, but the film is highlighted by its new players. Grace is quick witted as Brock and Bryce Dallas Howard adds a good deal of sexual tension as Gwen Stacy, a model whom Brock pines after and who harbors a crush on Spider-Man. The two are so good that it sometimes brings out the deficiencies in Maguire and Dunst; in fact, should Maguire leave the series, Grace would make a perfect replacement. Church is fine as Sandman but very good as Flint Marko, the small-time crook with a sickly daughter to tend to. Supporting roles from J.K. Simmons and Bruce Campbell are, as always, excellent.

That’s not to say there aren’t problems with Spider-Man 3. It shows that Raimi had a good time directing the film as a whole, but putting Venom into the action seemed like a chore, as if Raimi was placating the geek army that has pushed for Venom’s placement in the series. The character, as a result, is shallow and underused. The special effects are largely stellar, but there are a few scenes that the inclusion or switch to CGI takes you out of the action. And, as already mentioned, Dunst seems particularly unable to emote next to the bubbly Howard.

Spider-Man 3 is neither as villain-focused or charming as its immediate predecessor, but it’s impossible to deny its value as entertainment.

Rating: * * * 1/2 of 5

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