By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Spider-Man remains the most popular Marvel character in the world. Thanks to a deal Sony made back in the ‘90s, this web-head is also one of the only characters who isn’t fully owned by Disney. As a result, you can find earlier Spider-Man films outside of the walled garden that is Disney+. This includes one vintage movie that fans have been hating on for nearly 20 years: 2007’s Spider-Man 3, which is currently streaming on Netflix. After the blockbuster success of Spider-Man 2, many fans felt that Sam Raimi’s final film in the trilogy was a bitter disappointment.
Here’s the thing, though: Spider-Man 3 is worse than Spider-Man 2, but so are most superhero movies. Spider-Man 2 is basically the gold standard for tights-and-flights films, and that unassuming sequel is better than almost anything ever created for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For both fans and critics, however, it’s important to judge movies on their own merits rather than endlessly comparing them to something else. That brings us back to Raimi’s most hated film. On its own, Spider-Man 3 is much better than you remember and infinitely better than its reputation suggests (63 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes). Once you rewatch this maligned Marvel movie on Netflix, you’ll discover that, in several ways, this hated film is a modern masterpiece.
A Real Symbiotic Relationship
The premise of Spider-Man 3 is that our titular hero is getting ready to propose to Mary Jane Watson, but he’s got several problems going on at once. His old buddy, Harry Osborn, is trying to kill him, and he has recently discovered that his uncle’s killer is still at large. Oh, and a creepy alien symbiote has merged with his body, slowly giving him a newer, weirder personality. Soon enough, he’s dealing with relationship problems, and a rival photographer transforms into his archnemesis. Unless poor Peter Parker can get his groove back and patch things up with those closest to him, this will be the Amazing Spider-Man’s last battle.
Now, what did fans hate about Spider-Man 3 when it came out? The main criticism, and a fair one, is that the movie is overstuffed with supervillains. Thanks to studio interference, Spider-Man has to fight no less than three supervillains, more than are found in the first two movies put together. Additionally, fans mostly agreed that Topher Grace (the little dude from That ‘70s Show) was woefully miscast as Venom. Some fans disliked the endless Peter Parker/Mary Jane drama. But perhaps the most enduring critique of the movie is that Peter Parker’s “emo” phase (when the suit has given him newfound confidence) is just embarrassing to watch.
Tickle Me Emo
Now, I’ll grant you that Topher Grace was, for all his talents, an awful choice to play Venom, arguably Spider-Man’s most iconic nemesis. But the rest of the criticisms are overblown or, nearly two decades later, a non-issue. Sure, it’s frustrating watching Peter Parker and Mary Jane fail to get their sh*t together, but that’s part and parcel of a comic book drama. Let’s be honest, this is much less annoying than watching Star-Lord constantly fumble Gamora and then risk the entire universe because she died. Speaking of Avengers: Infinity War, after that movie, it’s hard to say Spider-Man 3 is bad simply for having three villains in it.
Also, you might need to sit down for this. If you’ve ever insulted the Emo Peter Parker scenes, you genuinely missed the point. The character is supposed to be annoying here, showcasing how the alien symbiote has turned him into a complete jerk. Other characters know it, too. When he is swaggering down the street or acting a fool in the jazz club, you can see how much it’s weirding others out. In these Spider-Man 3 scenes, Emo Peter is constantly the butt of the joke. Director Sam Raimi wanted to showcase Peter’s transformation into someone unlikable, and he simply chose to do so in the weirdest and most whimsical way.
Colorful Characters, Killer Chemistry
So, I’ve addressed the parts of Spider-Man 3 that people hate and why those critiques are overblown. What, though, does this movie have going for it? To start with, the performances are amazing. Tobey Maguire is still (sorry, Tom Holland!) the best Spider-Man, and his charisma is oozing out of every frame like a leaky web fluid dispenser. Kirsten Dunst is at her sexy ingenue best, and it’s fun to see her character’s feistier side come out thanks to a romantic rival played to heart-stealing perfection by Bryce Dallas Howard. James Franco is perfect as Peter’s frenemy, while franchise newcomer Thomas Haden Church does some of the best work of his career as the Sandman.
The actors get to shine because Spider-Man 3 is all about characterization. Sam Raimi is one of the few directors who understands that, with tights-and-flights films, the “super” is far less important than the “man.” Scenes in Spider-Man 3 are compelling precisely because we are invested in these characters and their emotional ups and downs. Big battles are few and far between, leaving plenty of time for each character to complete their arc (Sandman’s is particularly great). Sometimes, newer superhero movies feel like we are just moving listlessly from one setpiece to the next. In Spider-Man 3, however, every scene has weight because every character has a purpose.
His Thwips Are Sealed
When we do get fight scenes in this movie, they are uniformly great. After you watch enough modern Marvel movies turn every battle into a generic CGI slopfest, the fight scenes of Spider-Man 3 feel like a breath of fresh air. Everything has a pleasant heft and physicality to it, and every character has the quirky, lo-fi charm that has become Sam Raimi’s cinematic signature. Is this the director’s best work? Of course not. But at the risk of sounding like a fanboy, even an old, mid-tier Raimi superhero movie is better than most of what we are currently getting out of the MCU.
Obviously, Spider-Man 3 isn’t the best superhero film ever made. But it’s far better than its reputation suggests, and it’s perfect for anyone suffering from so-called superhero fatigue. You see, you aren’t actually sick of these movies. You’re just sick of bored directors slavishly following the same Marvel formula to diminishing returns. Why not take a trip (or thwip) to the past and revisit a Marvel movie from back before Disney owned everything? You might be surprised to discover how much you like Spider-Man 3 after watching it on Netflix. Surprised enough to do your own little emo dance? Don’t worry, buddy. I won’t tell anyone!
