Film: "Spiderman 3"

I went to watch Spiderman 3 at the South Common theatres last night. It was quite a festive atmosphere for the younger set, with an inflatable jump house set up just outside the theatre, comic books and Spiderman-balloon animals offered inside, and even a costumed Spiderman available for photographs in the lobby.

We bypassed the peripheral fun in favor of lining up early to secure good seats. Though I tend to build up unwarranted expectations when waiting is involved, the movie didn't disappoint. I failed in my attempt to avoid all reviews before the screening, but I do agree with Mack's opinion that the critics were unnecessarily harsh on the third installment. I didn't have a problem with what they deemed to be an abundance of villiains, and if anything, my favorite scene in the movie was the eleventh hour partnership between Spiderman and New Goblin (admittedly, I have a soft spot for redemption storylines).

As expected from the Spiderman franchise, there were stunning visual effects, and the requisite Sam Raimi everyman hero humor (but who else thought Parker's bang-tastic street dance went on a tad long?). As for the new cast additions, Topher Grace did surprisingly well in his turn to the dark side, and James Cromwell's bit appearance was a waste for someone of his acting caliber. And oh, the crying - the movie might as well have been subtitled S3: Waterworks Edition.

All in all, it was a good night at the cinema. Spiderman 3 definitely deserves its place as the first blockbuster of a sequel-filled summer movie season.