'Spider 3' effects are worth a watch at home
By Bruce R. Miller Journal staff writer | Posted: Sunday, October 28, 2007
You know summer's over when the first big blockbuster is out on DVD. This week "Spider-Man 3" swings in and tries to capture the home audience that others couldn't.
In the high-flying, breathtaking end to the superhero trilogy, director Sam Raimi ties up loose webs, puts a few villains to rest and lets Tobey Maguire take a few spins on the dance floor while enjoying Peter Parker's dark side.
Yup, there's a lot caught in this edition, but it isn't as overwhelming as you might think and, thanks to some great special effects, it clips along almost as briskly as Spidey himself.
When the film opens, Peter Parker is about to propose to Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), his true love. She's the star of a Broadway musical and the object of his former best friend's attention. The friend (James Franco) is still mad about his dad's death and blames Peter.
Meanwhile, a bad guy named Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) has escaped from prison and has his own reason to want Spider-Man dead. While racing from authorities, he's caught in a scientific experiment that turns his body into sand. Enter: Sandman.
Some mutant goo lands near New York, too, and attaches itself to Peter, giving Spider-Man a darker alter ego (and a really cool black costume).
Toss in a rival photographer (Topher Grace) and the stage is set for more mayhem than a WWE Smackdown.
Because the film's effects are so great (in digital projection they pop), even the dull parts bear watching. When Marko morphs into Sandman you'll swear it's really happening. When alien goo takes over Maguire, you'll want to see it happen again and again.
Unfortunately, when he becomes a bad guy, "Spider-Man 3" loses a little ground. It's not because the idea isn't good (a bad Spider-Man is an interesting thing to behold) but Maguire doesn't give the transformation much life. Indeed, he looks like k.d. lang trying to do a stage version of "Saturday Night Fever." The dark eyeliner doesn't work, either. We care only when he gets tough on crime (as the black-suited Spider-Man) and manages to hide in the shadows of some of New York's darker alleys.
Franco gets his own transformation (nope, we won't spoil it) and everyone gets to cry enough to fill at least two Lifetime specials.
Dunst is pretty lifeless in a role that could be more; Bryce Dallas Howard checks in as a rival of sorts who truly appreciates what a man with web-making powers can do.
There's lots of rivalry going on and an ending that could get Maguire out of tights once and for all. If there's a fourth installment, "Spider-Man" will have to start from scratch -- a new villain, a new life (marriage, perhaps?), a new sense of purpose.
This one, though, gives fans of the first two reason to cheer. It clears up a couple of mysteries and it explains some of the plotholes that were left gaping.
Like New York (which looks great), "Spider-Man 3" crushes the competition before the competition even shows up.
Also: 'Talk to Me'
Don Cheadle pulled a Charlize Theron and produced his own Oscar bait. It's "Talk to Me" and it's loosely based on the life of Washington, D.C., deejay Petey Greene. While the '70s era drama has plenty of beats, it doesn't add up to a tune you care to hum.
Cheadle is fine as the profane ex-con. But there's never a moment when you don't believe you're seeing an actor play a part.
Pressed into service after Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated, Greene manages to calm the fears and get the public to move on. He lands a TV gig, too, and becomes a trailblazer of sorts for blacks in the media.
Director Kasi Lemmons, however, spends so much time getting the costumes and sets right she doesn't bother with truth. The story, apparently, is very loosely based in truth, which undercuts its power. Greene, though, is an interesting character. He may not be ready for the whole big-screen bio treatment.
Also this week:
Film: "Captivity"; "El Cantante"; "Help"; "License to Wed"; "The Tripper"
TV: "American Gangster," first season; "Angel"; "Everybody Loves Raymond," the complete series; "Family Guy: Party Pack"; "I Love Lucy," complete series; "Magnum P.I.," season seven; "Miami Ink," season one; "My So-Called Life," complete series; "October Road," season one; "Twin Peaks"
In the high-flying, breathtaking end to the superhero trilogy, director Sam Raimi ties up loose webs, puts a few villains to rest and lets Tobey Maguire take a few spins on the dance floor while enjoying Peter Parker's dark side.
Yup, there's a lot caught in this edition, but it isn't as overwhelming as you might think and, thanks to some great special effects, it clips along almost as briskly as Spidey himself.
When the film opens, Peter Parker is about to propose to Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), his true love. She's the star of a Broadway musical and the object of his former best friend's attention. The friend (James Franco) is still mad about his dad's death and blames Peter.
Meanwhile, a bad guy named Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) has escaped from prison and has his own reason to want Spider-Man dead. While racing from authorities, he's caught in a scientific experiment that turns his body into sand. Enter: Sandman.
Some mutant goo lands near New York, too, and attaches itself to Peter, giving Spider-Man a darker alter ego (and a really cool black costume).
Toss in a rival photographer (Topher Grace) and the stage is set for more mayhem than a WWE Smackdown.
Because the film's effects are so great (in digital projection they pop), even the dull parts bear watching. When Marko morphs into Sandman you'll swear it's really happening. When alien goo takes over Maguire, you'll want to see it happen again and again.
Unfortunately, when he becomes a bad guy, "Spider-Man 3" loses a little ground. It's not because the idea isn't good (a bad Spider-Man is an interesting thing to behold) but Maguire doesn't give the transformation much life. Indeed, he looks like k.d. lang trying to do a stage version of "Saturday Night Fever." The dark eyeliner doesn't work, either. We care only when he gets tough on crime (as the black-suited Spider-Man) and manages to hide in the shadows of some of New York's darker alleys.
Franco gets his own transformation (nope, we won't spoil it) and everyone gets to cry enough to fill at least two Lifetime specials.
Dunst is pretty lifeless in a role that could be more; Bryce Dallas Howard checks in as a rival of sorts who truly appreciates what a man with web-making powers can do.
There's lots of rivalry going on and an ending that could get Maguire out of tights once and for all. If there's a fourth installment, "Spider-Man" will have to start from scratch -- a new villain, a new life (marriage, perhaps?), a new sense of purpose.
This one, though, gives fans of the first two reason to cheer. It clears up a couple of mysteries and it explains some of the plotholes that were left gaping.
Like New York (which looks great), "Spider-Man 3" crushes the competition before the competition even shows up.
Also: 'Talk to Me'
Don Cheadle pulled a Charlize Theron and produced his own Oscar bait. It's "Talk to Me" and it's loosely based on the life of Washington, D.C., deejay Petey Greene. While the '70s era drama has plenty of beats, it doesn't add up to a tune you care to hum.
Cheadle is fine as the profane ex-con. But there's never a moment when you don't believe you're seeing an actor play a part.
Pressed into service after Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated, Greene manages to calm the fears and get the public to move on. He lands a TV gig, too, and becomes a trailblazer of sorts for blacks in the media.
Director Kasi Lemmons, however, spends so much time getting the costumes and sets right she doesn't bother with truth. The story, apparently, is very loosely based in truth, which undercuts its power. Greene, though, is an interesting character. He may not be ready for the whole big-screen bio treatment.
Also this week:
Film: "Captivity"; "El Cantante"; "Help"; "License to Wed"; "The Tripper"
TV: "American Gangster," first season; "Angel"; "Everybody Loves Raymond," the complete series; "Family Guy: Party Pack"; "I Love Lucy," complete series; "Magnum P.I.," season seven; "Miami Ink," season one; "My So-Called Life," complete series; "October Road," season one; "Twin Peaks"
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