10 Overlooked Positives Of Rewatching The Controversial Spider-Man 3 16 Years After Its Premiere
Summary
Unfortunately, even optimistic rewatches can't change the fact that Spider-Man 3 does fail to live up to its predecessor, but that doesn't mean it's a failure overall. The benefit of hindsight does a lot for the film, enabling viewers to look past flaws and divisive creative decisions to see the movie's strong points and interesting ideas. These are ten undeniable positives of rewatching Spider-Man 3 over a decade and a half since its release.
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Related Why Sam Raimi Thinks Spider-Man 3 Failed (Is He Right?) Sam Raimi admits that Spider-Man 3 failed and he knows exactly what went wrong with it, and it"s all about the characters – but is he right?
10 "Emo Peter" Is Supposed To Be Hard To Watch Audiences Shouldn't Like Peter With The Symbiote Close When you mention Spider-Man 3, the first reaction is likely to be comments about the infamous "emo Peter Parker" sequences. There's little doubt that these scenes - which take place while Peter's personality is being altered by the Venom symbiote - are cringy, but that doesn't make them bad. In fact, Spider-Man's most controversial scenes are still being misunderstood even now.
In most Spider-Man media, symbiote-afflicted Peter simply becomes overly aggressive. However, the problem is that Peter speaking up for himself and becoming a bit of a bully - even when he goes too far - is too easy to sympathize with or even, occasionally, root for when the character is so often walked all over. Raimi making Peter hard to watch does exactly what it's supposed to do - showcase that the symbiote is a mistake and that Peter is blind to how unappealing he's become.
9 Sandman's Creation Has Aged Incredibly Well Most CGI From The Era Doesn't Look This Good![]()
Spider-Man has one of the most iconic rogues galleries in all superhero media, and several - like Sandman - are visually stunning. However, creating a realistic being out of sand is a tall order for CGI artists today, much less in 2007. That being said, Sandman still looks absolutely stunning. His most visually impressive scene comes early in the movie when Flint Marko falls into a strange device and is merged with the sand within. The scene in which he wakes up sees him slowly transition from vague shapes to a full humanoid, and it's mesmerizing.
More impressive yet is that the scene isn't simply a visual treat. Watching Flint come back to consciousness and care about nothing except picking up his daughter's locket - repeatedly failing as he struggles to control his new form - is wonderful, wordless character-building. If Sandman is ever done again in live-action, Spider-Man 3 is still the interpretation to beat.
8 Spider-Man's Fight Scenes Are Wonderfully Brutal Spidey Stops Holding Back![]()
The Venom symbiote alters Peter's personality in Spider-Man 3, and that changes how he fights. Given his incredible strength, Spidey has to pull his punches against all of his foes. However, this time, Peter stops holding back and shows how truly terrifying he would be without his moral compass. It's a side of the character not very well-explored outside this movie, and it makes normal Peter's usual demeanor and sense of ethics in his fights all the more admirable.
7 Topher Grace Plays A Good Villain, Just Not A Classic Eddie Brock Topher Is More Subtly Menacing![]()
Topher Grace is still best known for his role as the down-to-earth good-buy Eric Forman in That 70s Show, but he's also shown a wonderful ability to embody more sinister characters. Between Spider-Man 3 and Predators, Topher Grace excels at unassuming menace behind a friendly face. It works in Spider-Man 3; it's just not what most viewers were expecting for Eddie Brock and Venom.
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Related Why Sam Raimi Didn't Want To Use Venom In Spider-Man 3 Sam Raimi"s Spider-Man 3 is best remembered for having too many villains, among those Venom, who Raimi didn"t even want to include. Here"s why.
However, Topher Grace's Brock works well as a darker mirror of Peter Parker. The two are more similar in stature than most interpretations of the character (both Eddie and Venom), which paints a dissonant picture of what Peter might do if he still had the power but lost the responsibility. There are a lot of problems with Venom - mostly being shoehorned into an already over-stuffed movie - but Topher Grace's casting isn't one of them.
Eddie Brock was set to appear in the first Raimi Spider-Man movie portrayed by R.C. Everbeck., but the scene was cut from the final release.
6 Spider-Man Getting The Key To The City Is A Rare Emotional Win For Peter The Parker Luck Can Be A Real Downer![]()
"The Parker Luck" is a term often used for Peter's seeming inability to find long-term happiness. Despite being a selfless hero and a good person, Peter (particularly in the comics) has to deal with financial trouble, relationship woes, and a city that often considers him a menace. Given that, it was nice to see a public celebration to celebrate Spider-Man and offer him the key to the city. Of course, in classic Spider-Man fashion, the scene isn't a purely happy one, as his display of affection towards Gwen causes MJ emotional pain.
Tom Holland's MCU Spider-Man trilogy is the only live-action continuity without a Gwen Stacy. She is portrayed by Emma Stone in The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel.
5 Harry's Villain Turn Shows Long-Term Consequences Goblin's Legacy Lasts Longer Than His Life![]()
There's little doubt that Spider-Man 3 has too many villains, and it's true that Harry Osborne's New Goblin has questionable visual design. However, the character still works wonderfully to show the long-term consequences of Spider-Man's actions. While movie-to-movie continuity is largely a given in the modern era of superhero movies, it was previously rare for villains to have long-term effects on their heroes from movie to movie.
Norman Osborn's Green Goblin may have died in Spider-Man, but the emotional fallout of Harry losing his father and, eventually, misplacing his grief and taking his emotions out on Peter works incredibly well. Harry's turn brings the trilogy full circle, ending with a mirror of the villain that started the franchise off. He even dies in combat like his father, sacrificing himself to save Peter instead of dying trying to kill him.
4 Peter Forgiving Uncle Ben's Killer Is Powerful The Messy Retcon Still Works![]()
In the first Spider-Man movie, Peter lets a thief go who's robbing someone who was rude to him. The thief then kills Uncle Ben after leaving the building, instilling the idea that Peter has the responsibility to use his abilities for good. However, Spider-Man 3 partially retcons this, revealing that Flint Marko, aka Sandman, was really the one who (accidentally) committed the crime. The presumed killer was only an accomplice to the theft and carjacking gone wrong.
The Sandman killing Uncle Ben twist doesn't really make sense, as it meant Captain Stacy knew about it ahead of time and just never said anything. However, this awkward element of the retcon can easily be overlooked in the name of giving Peter a powerful moment of character development. Uncle Ben's death created Spider-Man, and seeing Peter forgive the man who accidentally caused him great pain perfectly encapsulates what makes Spider-Man someone to aspire to.
3 Peter Using His Intelligence To Beat A Villain Isn't Seen Enough Venom Loses To Brains, Not Brawn Close In Spider-Man 3, Venom is faster and stronger than Peter, and he's even able to bypass Spider-Man's signature Spider-Sense. This means that, in a straight-up brawl, Venom has a huge advantage. However, Spider-Man backs up his superpowers with incredible intellect - a facet of the character not explored enough in movies. Peter recognizing the symbiote's weakness to strong sounds leads him to utilize vibrating metal rods to create a sonic chamber, causing the villain great pain and leading to his defeat.
2 Spider-Man 3 Is A Character-Driven Story Characterization Is At The Heart Of It All![]()
There's little doubt that superhero movies look better now than ever before. What's debatable is if that spectacle has encroached on character-driven storytelling. There are certainly several examples of superhero movies with mesmerizing action set-pieces and equally affecting emotional beats, but one contributor to superhero movie fatigue is undoubtedly special effects without heart. While Spider-Man 3 has narrative problems, the story and action sequences all exist to support the story of Peter, MJ, Harry, Flint, and other human characters. Spider-Man slamming Sandman into a train is cool, but it's great because it speaks to Peter's mental state and character arc.
1 We Know It Works Out For Peter And MJ After The Movie An Ambiguous But Happy Ending![]()
Peter Parker and MJ have a complicated relationship throughout the Spider-Man movies, and while the trilogy ends on a largely optimistic note, it's left extremely open-ended (which makes sense considering the planned Spider-Man 4). However, re-watching the movie gives it a happier ending with the knowledge of what happens in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The movie, which sees Maguire's Peter briefly join the MCU, confirms that Peter and MJ "made it work" despite their trials and tribulations. As such, the couple's final embrace in Spider-Man 3 means that much more.
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Spider-Man 3 PG-13 Where to Watch *Availability in US
stream rent buy Not available
Not available
Not available
Director Sam Raimi Release Date May 4, 2007 Studio(s) Sony Writers Sam Raimi , Alvin Sargent , Ivan Raimi Cast Tobey Maguire , James Franco , Topher Grace , Bryce Dallas Howard , Kirsten Dunst , Rosemary Harris , J. K. Simmons , Thomas Haden Church , James Cromwell Runtime 139 minutes Expand Key Release Dates ![]()
Kraven the Hunter Release Date: 2024-08-30 ![]()
Venom: The Last Dance Release Date: 2024-11-08
[圖擷取自網路，如有疑問請私訊]
- "Emo Peter" scenes serve to show the negative impact of the symbiote on Peter's personality.
- Sandman's CGI creation has aged well, with stunning visuals and character-building scenes.
- Spider-Man's fight scenes in the movie showcase a darker, more brutal side of the character.
Unfortunately, even optimistic rewatches can't change the fact that Spider-Man 3 does fail to live up to its predecessor, but that doesn't mean it's a failure overall. The benefit of hindsight does a lot for the film, enabling viewers to look past flaws and divisive creative decisions to see the movie's strong points and interesting ideas. These are ten undeniable positives of rewatching Spider-Man 3 over a decade and a half since its release.
Related Why Sam Raimi Thinks Spider-Man 3 Failed (Is He Right?) Sam Raimi admits that Spider-Man 3 failed and he knows exactly what went wrong with it, and it"s all about the characters – but is he right? 10 "Emo Peter" Is Supposed To Be Hard To Watch Audiences Shouldn't Like Peter With The Symbiote Close When you mention Spider-Man 3, the first reaction is likely to be comments about the infamous "emo Peter Parker" sequences. There's little doubt that these scenes - which take place while Peter's personality is being altered by the Venom symbiote - are cringy, but that doesn't make them bad. In fact, Spider-Man's most controversial scenes are still being misunderstood even now.
In most Spider-Man media, symbiote-afflicted Peter simply becomes overly aggressive. However, the problem is that Peter speaking up for himself and becoming a bit of a bully - even when he goes too far - is too easy to sympathize with or even, occasionally, root for when the character is so often walked all over. Raimi making Peter hard to watch does exactly what it's supposed to do - showcase that the symbiote is a mistake and that Peter is blind to how unappealing he's become.
9 Sandman's Creation Has Aged Incredibly Well Most CGI From The Era Doesn't Look This Good
Spider-Man has one of the most iconic rogues galleries in all superhero media, and several - like Sandman - are visually stunning. However, creating a realistic being out of sand is a tall order for CGI artists today, much less in 2007. That being said, Sandman still looks absolutely stunning. His most visually impressive scene comes early in the movie when Flint Marko falls into a strange device and is merged with the sand within. The scene in which he wakes up sees him slowly transition from vague shapes to a full humanoid, and it's mesmerizing. More impressive yet is that the scene isn't simply a visual treat. Watching Flint come back to consciousness and care about nothing except picking up his daughter's locket - repeatedly failing as he struggles to control his new form - is wonderful, wordless character-building. If Sandman is ever done again in live-action, Spider-Man 3 is still the interpretation to beat.
8 Spider-Man's Fight Scenes Are Wonderfully Brutal Spidey Stops Holding Back
The Venom symbiote alters Peter's personality in Spider-Man 3, and that changes how he fights. Given his incredible strength, Spidey has to pull his punches against all of his foes. However, this time, Peter stops holding back and shows how truly terrifying he would be without his moral compass. It's a side of the character not very well-explored outside this movie, and it makes normal Peter's usual demeanor and sense of ethics in his fights all the more admirable. 7 Topher Grace Plays A Good Villain, Just Not A Classic Eddie Brock Topher Is More Subtly Menacing
Topher Grace is still best known for his role as the down-to-earth good-buy Eric Forman in That 70s Show, but he's also shown a wonderful ability to embody more sinister characters. Between Spider-Man 3 and Predators, Topher Grace excels at unassuming menace behind a friendly face. It works in Spider-Man 3; it's just not what most viewers were expecting for Eddie Brock and Venom. 
Related Why Sam Raimi Didn't Want To Use Venom In Spider-Man 3 Sam Raimi"s Spider-Man 3 is best remembered for having too many villains, among those Venom, who Raimi didn"t even want to include. Here"s why.However, Topher Grace's Brock works well as a darker mirror of Peter Parker. The two are more similar in stature than most interpretations of the character (both Eddie and Venom), which paints a dissonant picture of what Peter might do if he still had the power but lost the responsibility. There are a lot of problems with Venom - mostly being shoehorned into an already over-stuffed movie - but Topher Grace's casting isn't one of them.
Eddie Brock was set to appear in the first Raimi Spider-Man movie portrayed by R.C. Everbeck., but the scene was cut from the final release.
6 Spider-Man Getting The Key To The City Is A Rare Emotional Win For Peter The Parker Luck Can Be A Real Downer
"The Parker Luck" is a term often used for Peter's seeming inability to find long-term happiness. Despite being a selfless hero and a good person, Peter (particularly in the comics) has to deal with financial trouble, relationship woes, and a city that often considers him a menace. Given that, it was nice to see a public celebration to celebrate Spider-Man and offer him the key to the city. Of course, in classic Spider-Man fashion, the scene isn't a purely happy one, as his display of affection towards Gwen causes MJ emotional pain. Tom Holland's MCU Spider-Man trilogy is the only live-action continuity without a Gwen Stacy. She is portrayed by Emma Stone in The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel.
5 Harry's Villain Turn Shows Long-Term Consequences Goblin's Legacy Lasts Longer Than His Life
There's little doubt that Spider-Man 3 has too many villains, and it's true that Harry Osborne's New Goblin has questionable visual design. However, the character still works wonderfully to show the long-term consequences of Spider-Man's actions. While movie-to-movie continuity is largely a given in the modern era of superhero movies, it was previously rare for villains to have long-term effects on their heroes from movie to movie. Norman Osborn's Green Goblin may have died in Spider-Man, but the emotional fallout of Harry losing his father and, eventually, misplacing his grief and taking his emotions out on Peter works incredibly well. Harry's turn brings the trilogy full circle, ending with a mirror of the villain that started the franchise off. He even dies in combat like his father, sacrificing himself to save Peter instead of dying trying to kill him.
4 Peter Forgiving Uncle Ben's Killer Is Powerful The Messy Retcon Still Works
In the first Spider-Man movie, Peter lets a thief go who's robbing someone who was rude to him. The thief then kills Uncle Ben after leaving the building, instilling the idea that Peter has the responsibility to use his abilities for good. However, Spider-Man 3 partially retcons this, revealing that Flint Marko, aka Sandman, was really the one who (accidentally) committed the crime. The presumed killer was only an accomplice to the theft and carjacking gone wrong. The Sandman killing Uncle Ben twist doesn't really make sense, as it meant Captain Stacy knew about it ahead of time and just never said anything. However, this awkward element of the retcon can easily be overlooked in the name of giving Peter a powerful moment of character development. Uncle Ben's death created Spider-Man, and seeing Peter forgive the man who accidentally caused him great pain perfectly encapsulates what makes Spider-Man someone to aspire to.
3 Peter Using His Intelligence To Beat A Villain Isn't Seen Enough Venom Loses To Brains, Not Brawn Close In Spider-Man 3, Venom is faster and stronger than Peter, and he's even able to bypass Spider-Man's signature Spider-Sense. This means that, in a straight-up brawl, Venom has a huge advantage. However, Spider-Man backs up his superpowers with incredible intellect - a facet of the character not explored enough in movies. Peter recognizing the symbiote's weakness to strong sounds leads him to utilize vibrating metal rods to create a sonic chamber, causing the villain great pain and leading to his defeat.
2 Spider-Man 3 Is A Character-Driven Story Characterization Is At The Heart Of It All
There's little doubt that superhero movies look better now than ever before. What's debatable is if that spectacle has encroached on character-driven storytelling. There are certainly several examples of superhero movies with mesmerizing action set-pieces and equally affecting emotional beats, but one contributor to superhero movie fatigue is undoubtedly special effects without heart. While Spider-Man 3 has narrative problems, the story and action sequences all exist to support the story of Peter, MJ, Harry, Flint, and other human characters. Spider-Man slamming Sandman into a train is cool, but it's great because it speaks to Peter's mental state and character arc. 1 We Know It Works Out For Peter And MJ After The Movie An Ambiguous But Happy Ending
Peter Parker and MJ have a complicated relationship throughout the Spider-Man movies, and while the trilogy ends on a largely optimistic note, it's left extremely open-ended (which makes sense considering the planned Spider-Man 4). However, re-watching the movie gives it a happier ending with the knowledge of what happens in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The movie, which sees Maguire's Peter briefly join the MCU, confirms that Peter and MJ "made it work" despite their trials and tribulations. As such, the couple's final embrace in Spider-Man 3 means that much more. 
Spider-Man 3 PG-13 Where to Watch *Availability in USstream rent buy Not available
Not available
Not available
Director Sam Raimi Release Date May 4, 2007 Studio(s) Sony Writers Sam Raimi , Alvin Sargent , Ivan Raimi Cast Tobey Maguire , James Franco , Topher Grace , Bryce Dallas Howard , Kirsten Dunst , Rosemary Harris , J. K. Simmons , Thomas Haden Church , James Cromwell Runtime 139 minutes Expand Key Release Dates
Kraven the Hunter Release Date: 2024-08-30 
Venom: The Last Dance Release Date: 2024-11-08[圖擷取自網路，如有疑問請私訊]
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