Last night may have been the sweetest cinema moment I’ve experienced in a few years. We somehow got tickets to Staten Island’s premier of Spiderman 3. Free movie, free popcorn, free soda, and the opportunity to brag to all of our friends that we saw Spiderman 3 before them. It was amazing.And best of all, Sam Raimi’s third installment did not disappoint. Of course, there were minor flaws, but overall, the film exceeded the first two in scope, special effects, character development and story telling.

The film starts off with Spiderman finally getting respect and praise from the New York City media and public. The overwhelming support trickles down into Peter’s personal life, and finally, it looks as though things are working in Parker’s favor. The story is very different from the first two pictures in that it incorporates both a very positive side of Parker, and then dives into a darker, smart-ass side of the character.

Tobey Maguire continues to play this part perfectly, although the character flaws that have been evident since the first film continue. The biggest grudge most comic fans have had against the Spiderman films is the lack of wit and quick jokes when Parker becomes Spiderman. Again, this is lacking from the picture. Parker is supposed to be a nerdy, unpopular wimp, but when he becomes Spiderman, in the comics, his personality takes on a much more confident, clever and witty persona. The films don’t highlight these characteristics enough.

This shows how Sony’s Spiderman is still not an exact replica of the Marvel Spiderman. Hopefully this can be rectified in the future films.

Now with that negative outburst out of the way, let’s stray back towards the positives of the film. James Franco, playing Harry Osbourne, steals the show. His character goes on a much more dramatic, emotional roller coaster then Peter, and Franco manages to make it believable. First the viewers sympathize with his lovable side, then grow to hate his tenacious side. It really was a marvelous performance by Franco, and the script is closely tied with this character, so the movie was very dependent on his performance.

The film never felt too overcrowded with the plot lines, although their was a total of 3 strong villains in the film, and Parker’s descent into his own evil. Many super hero films have been in the past have failed to develop an intriguing picture involving more then one villain.

The character of Flint Marko (which was barely like the character in the comic) was played very well by Thomas Hayden Church. The special effects during the scene when the Sandman is first introduced was unbelievable. The character did bring the fight scenes to a higher level the first two films.

Topher Grace, surprisingly, was an excellent Eddie Brock. Venom was superb in the film. The character deserves his own film in itself, and it’s a shame that he did not come into the spotlight until the second half. The depth of the Venom character trumps both the Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus combined. Raimi should have taken better advantage of this. Still, sequels can possibly bring the villain back into center stage.

The romantic side of the film continues to be the foundation of the entire story. The dialogue can be the one thing criticized, as past films had their most powerful moments when Peter Parker and Mary Jane were talking to each other, one on one. Kirsten Dunst does not really stumble, although she wasn’t the strongest of all the actors in the film. Still, the romance is the core of the story and continues to make the Spiderman franchise so much stronger then other super hero films. The level of depth and personal connection between the characters is something the other comic movies try (but fail to) imitate.

The supporting cast provided some of the movies best moments. Bruce Campbell plays a waiter at a fancy French restaurant, and he alone nearly steals the comedic side of the film. J.K. Simmons has nailed the part of J. Jonah Jameson. He is the truest interpretation of the Marvel character, and the scenes in which he is apart of will make viewers chuckle more then any previous films. The character of Gwen Stacy played a small role that simply added conflict between Eddie Brock, Mary Jane and Peter Parker. Bryce Dallas Howard does the part well, and looks very similar to the Marvel comics character. She wasn’t a key ingredient to this picture, but in the comic books she becomes the hero known as Black Cat, so look for her to play a major role in the next movie.

Hit, after hit, after hit of memorable moments may have left some viewers overwhelmed. It was the ultimate popcorn flick at some points, and the dramatic scenes continue to be A+ material. A longer roll time could have added a lot more depth though

The parade of plot lines and villains and barrage of quick climaxes prevent the film from building any suspense. Although, this is not necessarily a bad thing, as the viewer will constantly be focused on the screen, and every few minutes their is another “WHOA” moment. Their isn’t any slow build ups like former films though. Not necessarily a complaint, but something that shows how quickly paced the film is.

Overall, I enjoyed the film tremendously and would recommend it to anyone. Comic fans may cringe at some of the early moments, but once they see the black suit and the overall look of Venom, all doubts will fade. Sam Raimi continues to dig deeper into the characters of Peter Parker, Spiderman and Mary Jane, and for this, he should be applauded. The minor flaws in the picture do not hinder it from being an over the top, fun to watch summer film.

Gotta give it a 9/10