dude... I'm the kind of person that actually likes clone saga.

so it goes without saying that I FRAKKIN' LOVE BLACK SUIT -> VENOM stuff.

I get it that everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but calling a story arc with that many fans "retarded" is basically an insult.

unless, of course, you ment that way that black suit staff was handled in SM3 was retarded. In that case I absolutely agree.

of course you're entitled to your point of view, but im with Quint and virtually all of the other AICN staffers, it could have and should have been so much more. quite frankly venom wasn't in it alot

Studio interference is one thing, but someone has to carry the can, ultimately a ship can only have 1 captain, if decison aren't yours and you're responsible for the outcome, you man up, tell everyone to get with the program or go elsewhere

there are specific problems with this movie, well documented on the site with comments, not your usual fanboy rheroric " this sucks", "DAMM YOU MICHEAL BAY" but real tangiable issues which completely through a lot of people out of the movie,

i agree with you on one thing though, sony wont learn any lessons from it

due to being in diapers at the time secret wars saga happened, I'm not sure was it hyped in the media with the emphases on "OMG SPIDER-MAN GETS A NEW COSTUME BUY BUY BUY!!!!11one". If it was, so what? DC did the same thing with the Death of Superman, and I don't see anyone calling that arc "retarded".

And as for "venom being a character for 11 year olds", wtf? ok, so he's anti-peter, he may be designed to look appealing to kids, but when handled right he's a damn interesting villain (or anti-hero). When handled wrong, he's a joke.

But, then again, same goes for every other spidey villain...

If Raimi doesn’t like Venom, that’s his problem, did he make the movie for himself?

If yes, quit directing it with the reason of “creative-differences”.

or maybe they hired james cromwell and bryce for 3 minutes of screen time, and they had cca. 10 seconds left.

on all other points as someone else already pointed out, you frakkin rule.

All that aside, here's where Harry is showing he hasn't got a clue about real or onscreen relationships. He says (quote): "She’s just like that cunt Lois Lane, remember when Superman gave up his powers for that twit. What does Lois do, basically you can see her interest instantly wane. She’s a Superman groupie. She likes a flying fuck, and Mary Jane loves the upside down kiss. That’s all these women want."

Gee, that's interesting except that that WASN'T what happened. Let's run down it, shall we? When Superman gave up his powers, Lois was actually touched by the gesture. You SEE it on screen. At which point she doesn't say she's disappointed, she doesn't leave him -- no, instead she fucks the hell out of him. Then they leave the Fortress of Solitude and are all happy and making plans, at which point they run into the arrogant Trucker who beats up on Clark at the diner. So what does that "cunt" Lois do? She tries to stand up for her man and literally gets into the fight AND she tries comfort Clark when he's hurt. She says HE'S the person she loves and wants to be with. She's THERE for him. She says point blank that she justs wants to be with the man she fell in love with.

At which point its CLARK who says "I know you do, Lois. I just wish he was here." So it's CLARK who realizes that without his powers he's nothing. It's CLARK -- not the "cunt" -- who realizes that Superman is his real persona, that Superman is "who" he really is. In fact, another psychological way of looking at it would be to say that CLARK is so ego-centered and such an ego bastard (sort of the anti-cunt) that HE realizes that minus any powers...minus anything that puts the spotlight on him or makes him better or more powerful than anyone around him...he's nothing. At which point in the movie it's CLARK -- not the "cunt" -- who chooses to trudge back to the Fortess to get his powers back. It's all about HIM needing to be powerful, it's all about HIM deciding he needs to be "more." But its not like Lois was kicking his butt and saying "If you don't get back there and get back in costume, I'm not fucking you tonight." it's not about her being a cunt. Hell, it's not even about her having a "waning interest" as Harry puts it since there wasn't even any time passing in the movie for her to demonstrate a proven waning interest. So nice going, Harry - you clearly don't have a CLUE about the Supes/Lois relationship. Either that or you clearly didn't watch the second SUPERMAN film.

Truth be told, Gunslinger7000 said it best in his post above when he spot on said: "She handed me the phone cuz I’m better at relationship advice than she is, at least she thinks so" -- yeah, referring to women as "cunt" is the basis of any solid relationship."

I salute you, Gunslinger. You're totally right there!

I just want to emphasize, the Jared Leto-haircut-Emo boy shit was fucking stupid. Completely unnecessary. I wanted to stab myself when he started dancing. I did like parts of it. Harry was great, Eddie Brock stole every scene. Seeing Venom, as short as it was, was great. The action scenes were fantastic. Though if I were Peter I would have dumped MJ's fug ass and had a threesome with Gwen Stacy and the cookie-baking girl.

As I said, mediocre, but not horrible.

Horrible would be that abominable piece of garbage known as X-Men: The Last Stand.

The thing about good criticism is the argument, the persuasion... yeah, I like to read other people's take on things, but it's not enough to say it's cool or it sucked. Please tell me WHY! (And simply saying because it rawks out loud doesn't work.)

I think this whole marriage thing seems to be having a good effect on you, Harry. But I have to ask you to consider dropping a couple of things from your repertoire: "cunt" doesn't belong in a film review, unless it's the name of the film; and be a pal and retire "retarded" as an adjective. People who are truly mentally retarded cannot help it. To use that word as a pejorative is cowardly, in my humble opinion.

Your take on the film is fresh and welcome, and I could not agree with you more about Venom. I quit reading Spider-Man because of that idiotic character, and I adore Spider-Man. Venom's inclusion in this film sank it.

Harry's just a dumbass.

Sandman killing the uncle destroys the whole reason why SM exists. You could not have said it better. And why haven't we seen the smart SM?. The one that after getting beaten the crap out of him figures out a smart and clever approach to fighting his enemy.

Some people complain that there was too much in this movie, the characters were underdeveloped, the dialog was flat, and some other crap trying to sound all artsy-fartsy, professional critics and crap. As a movie goer, I go to a movie like SM 3 to be entertained and to have fun. I agree that some movies are better written than others but I want to enjoy a movie. Haters complain about x3, but you know what? I had fun with that movie. Crappy? Maybe but it entertained me. Mutants using their powers, wolverine fighting like wolverine and not getting beat up by a girl like in the first two. The phoenix doing phoenix stuff, showing her kick-ass, akira-like powers. E-N-T-E-R-T-A-I-N-M-E-N-T.

Oh, and some of the effects were horrible in SP3. SM looked like gumby in some scenes, both in the animation and the looks. Sandman looked not too different than the mummy effects some times. There.

It didnt. That was the worst review ever. Moriarty had it dead on.

Sam Raimi, I want answers. What happened?!

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) has finally found a balance in his life, between his relationship with Mary-Jane (Kisten Dunst) and his responsibility as Spider-Man. However, more challenges arise for Peter. His best friend Harry Obsorn (James Franco) is seeking revenge against him; taking up the mantle of his dead father's persona as The New Goblin. Peter is also on the hunt for his beloved Uncle Ben's real killer in Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), who through an accident involving a particle accelerator is transformed into the Sandman. Adding to Peter's troubles is an alien symbiote which has taken control of him and affects his personality, drawing out his dark side, and driving a wedge between him and the ones he loves. However, when the alien symbiote attaches itself to Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), a deceitful rival of Peter's at the Daily Bugle, a new foe is born in Venom. To overcome all obstacles Peter has to reach deep within himself and find the hero he once was and face not only his greatest enemies, but also himself.

So, what's there to say? Well, the action is incredible, intense and beautifully rendered and blows away anything that's come before it in the franchise. Unfortunately, the script propping up these action beats is clunky and uneven. Scenes are rushed and awkwardly delivered and the plot relies on enough coincidences to have the writers of Lost seeking a writers credit. Overall the story is hankered by too much going on and in the process to service such a dense plot the characters and pacing suffer.

Another major letdown is the dreadfully cheesy score from (newcomer) Christopher Young. His hackneyed fanfares heralding iconic characters like Sandman and Venom compromise the whole picture and are wholly risible. Let's face it, Spider-man never had a great theme but boy what he had you miss in Part 3. The film is scored like a campy Saturday serial on the sci-fi channel and at times you wonder whether that was (director) Sam Raimi's intention.

For instance, the idea to put mascara on Peter Parker to highlight his evil alter-ego and have him wear his hair like an '80s pop star looking like the spitting image for the base player of Fall Out Boy turns the whole film into a campy farce. Other ideas, like the one to have a British reporter narrate the final fight scene like a bad sportscaster are cringe-worthy. The constant crying scenes too have you wondering if the creatives in charge spent too much time watching the final season of The OC during production. Every character breaks down and cries in this film at least once and it wears thin after awhile, especially when we don't even get to see the mascara run on Peter's cheeks. Only in the movies, huh?

So, go see it. You'll laugh intentionally and unintentionally. There is plenty of wonderful moments peppered throughout and a few inspired choices raise the film above its ultimate worth but it still isn't a patch on the second film. It may have some amazing action, brilliant photography and great performances, from Kirsten Dunst especially, but its lumbered with a big "but" which has to be seen, to be scoffed at. The film may be a bit shit but it still smells of roses.

I think MacGuire had something written into his contract that demands his face be shown in 95 percent of the scenes he's in. I despise him as Spiderman to begin with, but at least I could escape a bit when watching a fully costumed SPiderman kick spider ass.

Not so in this O'Donnell dropping of a movie. First fight, he's fully Parker-ized, most of the others he doesn't have his mask on, and in the end, of course, the mask is ripped away almost completely within seconds.

Loved so much of Raimi's past work, but now...F him. Another superhero mythology spoiled by artistic gluttony. Take a mule kick to the taint in hell, hack.

I agree with Harry that dorky evil Peter was funny, but even the geek in me who loves the "nerd" elements Raimi has injected into the series protested at the amount of dancing and corniness. They shoulda just had the thrust and strut-walk; the piano playing and Dancing With the Stars routine at the jazz club was TOO much. It was TOO much. Peter shoulda just slow danced with Gwen for a minute, dipped her and kissed her, and that woulda done the "get MJ jealous" thing just fine, without taking us completely out of reality.

More small-scale Sandman fights shoulda occurred. Gigantor Sandman at the end was a nonthreat and not visually stimulating. As for Harry's thoughts on Venom, I completely agree. The best fights in the Spidey series are STILL the two big fights with Doc Ock, which is too bad, because I was hoping one of the Sandman fights would give them some competition. Nope. It's sad when a Harry vs. Peter (unmasked) fight lasts longer and is cooler than a Spider-Man vs. Sandman fight. Come ON!! Also, it was annoying that all the big fights in Spidey 3 were in the dark of night or in a dark subway. It made the fights, which are already FAST, very hard to follow. I know there's a tactical reason to do this, because I guess CGI is easier to render, but hey, one of the reasons why the Doc Ock train fight kicks ass is because you can freakin' SEE it.

One thing I missed about Peter's dorkiness in this film was, go figure, his GLASSES. Unlike the previous two films, he has his Spidey powers the whole time and thus has no need for glasses at all, but I liked that look for dorky Peter, and I missed it.

Yes I'm a geek for knowing this.

But we haven't seen the real Mary Jane from the comics in the movies. She's a little more like Gwen. Of course, the problem with the classic portrayal of Spidey's true love is that...she's Stan Lee in drag! Her speech pattern was Stan's bullpen bulletin bullshit from the '60s, which no one has ever talked like. They couldn't do that. It would have been as dumb as the Spider Strut Down the Street scene.

I think they've sort of reversed the characters of the girls. MJ is Gwen from the comics. Bryce Dallas Howard was playing a character closer to a modern MJ.

This was almost an X3 experience, almost...

"Say cheeese!"

"You know who I am...your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!"

"I have a knack for that."

"Shut up and let mom and dad talk."

"Jig's up, pal!"

"Heheheh. Didn't anyone tell you? I'm the sheriff around these parts!"

"I hate those things!"

"See ya, chump!"

"Heheheh, look at little Goblin Junior. Gonna cry?"

Chishu, yes Eddie saw Peter in the belltower and learned his identity, but unless he has some other "in" on Peter's life, or unless Peter had brought MJ to a Bugle Christmas party or something, Eddie would still have no reason to know MJ is his girl. It's gotta be Peter's memories in the black suit / symbiote.

But in Hollywood they count the dollars and think, wow, Fantastic Four made a crapload of money. People must WANT this, and WANT more of it. Well, yes and no. They want stuff like that, because clearly people knew they were walking into a silly superhero movie when they bought their ticket, but people would also prefer that the movie be pulled off well, ie tight story, characters you can identify with, be it like or hate, nice visuals, etc blah blah.

When I saw Spidey 3, I had an expectation of what I would see, and I was willing to pay for it as a means of entertaining myself that night. The movie did NOT meet my expectations. Hollywood doesn't know or care what I thought, they're just counting my money. But the thing is, through word of mouth or TBs like this or reviews, a movie like Spidey that is a little disappointing will die quicker and go down in history as an unloved stepchild, and maybe push fewer DVDs. Blade Runner is a great example of a movie that didn't crush the box office, but we all know it's a friggin classic now

But Spider-Man / Peter is very much a human being, like Bruce Wayne, albeit with altered genetics from the spider bite. I think that's why Spidey appeals to a mass audience on a very human level, in a way that a mutant or refugee from Krypton cannot. Peter is a young man with young man's problems, and those problems aren't solved when he gains superpowers--they're only compounded. He still has girl problems, still has to hustle to work and school, and is behind on his rent. Who can't sympathize with those problems? I'll tell ya who--Bruce Wayne. While it's very noble for Bruce do make a CHOICE to do what he does (and I love it) it's his obscene wealth that allows him to do it, and very few of us ever get to live in that world. Almost all of us, I'm guessing, have been or are living in Peter Parker's world. In a way, it's almost MORE noble that Peter too CHOOSES to use his power exclusively for pro bono acts of goodwill and crimefighting, when he could easily make a buck and improve his life by wrestling some more, getting a TV show, whatever. Bruce's choice is a good one, and admirable, but involves little risk because once he returns from training, he already HAS all the resources at his disposal and he doesn't have to concern himself with getting through school or paying the rent or fixing dinner. I mean, how awesome is it to see Spider-Man delivering pizza? I frickin LOVED that shit, especially when the girl says, "You're late. I'm not paying for those."

Bay didn't want to do Transformers, cause it was about toys, he didn't want to do a toy movie. He's admitted that. Just as Raimi has admitted he doesn't ike the venom character and why Venom wasn't half as cool as the other incarnations i've seen of him. I'm no spider-man fan, I like the movies but i've always thought Venom was the coolest thing about Spider-Man. Raimi may not agree but he couldn't deny the fans and had to put him in somehow. Even if he wasn't going to commit to it. Just as Bay has went and made a Transformers movie even though he never bothered to try seeing just what it was that the fans love about these characters.

My call out to directors would be for them to start hiring more consultants. Pull your heads out of your asses and if you're doing a movie where you don't quite feel the excitement that a fan does. MAKE YOURSELF FEEL IT. Figure it out. Talk to the fans. MAKE IT PART OF YOUR JOB. To bring to the screen the expectations of what anyone who is seeing a Transformers movie or a movie with Venom in it are expecting.

I think we could get some good userfeedback here. That studios would use. Game Studios and movie studios use Metacritic as a guideline. Why can't AICN set up some sort of Meta system. Where USERS can rate the approval level of what we see? Of the leaks. OK, I know all POLLs online can be cheated somehow. What if each user gets a ranking, by HOW MUCH QUALITY THEY POST. That is the only way to tell that a person is real. Everyone starts out with a ZERO ranking and as they post, and get points. Their ratings become more valid.

Something like this could help our voices get heard more. I see it in your posts you want us to get what we want and you will stick your foot out sometimes to say a few words in our defense but it's not quite enough....