First, a note: I see on average somewhere between 5 and 10 movies a year, in theater. I think theaters are so excessively expensive and hassle-filled (as a rule, I hate movie audiences) that I would almost always rather wait for something to come out on DVD. Whenever I go, I go with Shar, which means that we're spending between 16 and 22 dollars to see a movie we could own forever for the same price. So because of this rarity, I generally have a great time at the movie theater when I do go, because it's still the kind of treat to me it was when I was 7 years old and I had to beg my mom to take me. I do my best to approach every movie on its own terms, and judge it based on how it presented itself within the world it creates.

So: I loved Spider-Man 3. I think it may have been the first actual comic book movie, as opposed to action movies starring superheroes. Was it over the top? Yes. Was it well acted? Immeasurably more than the first two in my opinion. Was it cheeseball? I really didn't think so. I thought there was genuine emotion in it, yes, but a lot of what I've heard deemed "cheeseball" just felt like well-paid off emotion that had been building for two movies. I loved Spider-Man 2, but I did so in the face of glaring dialogue inadequacies, and a relationship between Peter and MJ that never felt real to me. This movie had a better script (anyone who wants to sit down and read them side by side would be hard pressed to deny that, I really do think), and Peter, MJ, and Harry's relationships felt really, really real. This is coming from someone who was the "emp" kind of athetic to the problems Peter and MJ were having, as well as the experience of having a violent episode end a "best friend" kind of relationship.

The action: there was no elevated train sequence. If you watch 1, 2, and 3 back to back you won't see the best action sequence in the third movie. But you will see numbers 2 through 6, in my opinion. The pitch of the action was breakneck, and it was all infused with the kind of emotional brutality that Spider-Man fans have known and loved since Norman Osborn stole Gwen Stacy thirty years ago.

Honestly, I spent a combined four hours talking about this movie yesterday, either arguing with people who didn't get it (and were either criticizing an epic movie on minutia, or comparing it to the sinful Batman Forever) or having great, intelligent conversations with people who did. For the most part, those people were comic book fans. This was not an action movie; it was a comic book movie, one more made for the true fans than any other I've seen. Reaction seems to be divided between people who hate this movie, and people who think it's the best movie ever. I really liked it, even loved it, but it's not the best ever. Yes, there's no Spidey sense and that makes no...sense. Yes, they tried to put too much in, although the movie left me wanting more, not less. And YES, Bryce Dallas Howard or someone else should have played MJ from the start, even though Kirsten Dunst finally seems like a really human, realistic MJ in this movie. But really...none of that is nearly enough to soil my enjoyment of the wildest cinematic ride I've ever been on in a theater.

I could think of a milllion other things to say, but frankly, I'm tuckered out. I'm sure as I see it, and love it, a dozen more times, I'll post more. For now: go see it. And put your mind in a place to allow you to love it. Don't saddle the movie with your own expectations or desires. Allow it to be what it is, and enjoy that Sam Raimi had the balls to take a third movie in a new direction, something that rarely happens in the bloated and near-pointless world of Hollywood movies.

The purpose of art is for enjoyment and betterment; any philosophy or mindset that will allow you enjoy a movie the most, is the best mindset to be in, for any given movie. We're lucky to be alive with these kinds of spectacles being made purely for our enjoyment. Go see Spidey 3. Enjoy it. It really is a great movie.

Labels: Generalness, Spidey 3

I really really liked and loved it a lot, for tons of reasons, a few of which were really subtle but most of which are really obvious. I'll post a full review sometime tomorrow after I've battled with a hater or two, since my reviews are always best when injected with a little venom. Har.

Labels: Generalness, Spidey 3

So...today is Spider-Man 3 day! In honor, I've spent the day writing on the couch next to Pat as we watch Spidey 2.1 and sip tea from our sophisticated Spider-Man 3 7-11 cups. To quote the late great Vonnegut, if this isn't nice, I don't know what is. Today will also mark the start of story posting! Word!

Labels: Generalness, Spidey 3