Spiderman 3

Let’s start with the suit: lush red and deep blue, a textured fabric with at least a 9000 thread count. The thing’s as wrinkle free as Dick Clark and blankets Peter Parker like a second womb. Except when he’s not wearing it at which point it takes on the appearance of a deflated inner tube and you’re left to wonder why Peter is wasting his time peddling pictures of Spiderman to a bellowing J. Jonah Jamison (the amazing J.K. Simmons) at the Daily Bugle rather than surrounding himself with supermodels sporting his fabulous creations on a runway in Milan.

Jeremy and I attended the midnight showing of ‘Spiderman 3’ at the Union Square Cinema last night and let it be known that after the movie while waiting in line for the bathroom (The movie runs two and a half hours with previews. ¾ of the way through I was silently pleading for an intermission) the commentary was less than enthusiastic. Three people I eavesdropped upon “hated” the movie; thought it “sucked.” One person thought the ubiquitous “they” ruined the franchise. Another person, no older than nineteen, accused the director, Sam Raimi, of intentionally “ruining” the franchise. My favorite audience moment came courtesy of a woman in my row, three seats down, who after visibly flinching from a punch thrown by Peter Parker at the love of his life Mary Jane Watson, screamed to her friends, “Why am I watching this thing?” (When the film ended, she announced to no on in particular that she “needed a drink.” Who could blame her?)

I flinched too. I think everyone in the theatre did. We all definitely gasped. If you have seen the first two films or know anything about them, then the thought of Peter punching Mary Jane in whatever context should fill you with horror which is probably something the director intended. Peter announces at the beginning of the first film that his is basically the story about a girl and spends the first two films trying to get her. His love is so pure and the longing so, well, long, that the sight of him punching her shocked me in a way I haven’t been shocked in a long time. The punch throws the film into a different realm and imposes a new perspective of our hero, one more in tune with the realities of his situation.

Is this something you want from a blockbuster film about a superhero? Judging from the audience’s reaction last night, the answer would be a resounding “No,” but I’m interested to see the film’s reception in the next two weeks. Personally, I’m not sure how I feel about ‘Spiderman 3.’ It’s certainly a good time with a few stunning moments but Raimi seems to be juggling so many plotlines and characters that none of them really stick. I get the feeling that if I hadn’t seen the first two, I’d have a hard time caring about this one.

All this is tempered by the fact that I am seriously wondering how seriously I should take any film based on the premise of a crime-fighter created by a spider bite. I hadn’t through about that until seeing this film. I hadn’t thought about it before because the first two films balanced the real and the extraordinary so seamlessly. This one: not so much. The punch and the darkness it creates battles with the villains and the conflicts they inflict on our heroes which results in some quick and unsatisfying conclusions. I left the theatre unsatisfied and wanting more, wishing this blockbuster were a bit smaller.

But then there is this: (Warning: read this next paragraph only if you’ve seen the film or don’t mind knowing how it ends.) After the punch and after Peter Parker has once again saved Mary Jane’s life, Peter walks into a bar where Mary Jane is singing and reaches out to her. Mary Jane reaches back of course but when the ensuing embrace seems to be one of understanding rather than romance and passion. The people at the end of this movie are older, wiser and more aware of the not only the bliss but the damage their love can inflict on each other. As they held each other, I found myself thinking that this is how love sometimes feels. This is as unsentimental a notion I ever expected to find in a ‘Spiderman’ movie.