Spider-Man 3 is a couple of drafts from being the best of the franchise. By far the most ambitious of the three it has the biggest action backed up with amazing effects, a character-driven story, all helmed by an experienced cast and crew. But the missing drafts relegate it to second place after Spider-Man 2. Spider-Man 3 keeps with the Hollywood tradition of super-sizing the previous films, but the plot too requires a super-sized skyhook to suspend one’s disbelief on, and the characters’ motivations are muddled. Is Sandman to be pitied or vilified? Is Harry suffering from a mental illness, too much goblin serum, or mental cruelty from an overbearing father? Is Gwen Stacy a model, a university student, the police chief’s daughter, the M.C. for New York City, or just too good to be true? These and a symbiotic host of questions are left unanswered because for 2 hours and 20 minutes you’re bedazzled by web-slinging action.

I’ve read that one of the problems is that 3 is too many villains. The trouble isn’t that there are too many villains, for each has a reason to be in the movie. As written Sandman and the symbiote go hand in hand. Flint Marko’s part in Uncle Ben’s death is the impetus for Peter’s anger. And Peter’s addiction to the power-amplifying symbiote will cause him to step over the line and take Marko’s life. ‘With great power comes great responsibility’ has been a touchstone for the series, and when Peter abandons this creed to avenge his uncle by murder, Peter is also dishonoring his memory. And New Goblin (now there’s a moniker that lacks Shazam!) is the villain the film had to have, having been set up from the 2 previous films. Harry’s revenge can’t be put off until Spider-Man 4.

Rather the problem is that each of these villains isn’t intertwined to best effect. The symbiote arrives early, only to disappear from the movie for quite a long time. Flint Marko’s characterization is all over the place. We are expected to sympathize with his plight of a dying daughter in need of medical care and his regret at killing Uncle Ben, but the finale has him endangering hundreds of innocent lives for what? And Harry, after losing his memory in his first fight with Spider-Man, is left to wander around in a stupor taking no positive action towards his revenge until his memory returns. There’s a lot of tightening up to be done, but I’m going to try to keep the flick recognizable with the cinema version.

Let’s look at the overabundance of plot contrivances. These begin with the arrival of the meteorite carrying the symbiote. After Sandman’s debut fight with Spider-Man, Peter asks, “Where do these guys come from?” Why Peter they just drop out the night sky and plop down next to you. Out of the six-odd billion inhabitants on Earth, the symbiote lands next to Spider-Man’s alter-ego. O… K…Granted the way superheros always seem to meet if the plot requires it is a conceit of the medium, but Spider-Man 3 isn’t content to leave it at only one coincidence. It would have been overlooked if it had been critical for the symbiote to be in the story from the get-go, but it then disappears from the movie for 30 minutes, so there was no need to rush its introduction.

Plot contrivance the second is “When cranes attack!”. Gwen Stacy is way up inside an office building. Unfortunately a huge crane, in a never-quite-explained way, goes completely bonkers. Spidey vs. construction equipment is hardly the conflict that legends are made of. But this lame setup is also burdened with the duty of informing us that Gwen Stacy is not only Peter Parker’s university pal, but also a model (!?!?!) whose father is New York’s Chief of Police (!?!?!?!). And then Eddie Brock turns up because A) we don’t know, B) he’s stalking Gwen, or C) he’s the one who caused the crane to go haywire. The answer is “A”, but I’m thinking “B” or especially “C” make more sense.

And then there is the unforgivable meeting between Venom and New Goblin, who just happen to be in the same alleyway of New York.

New Goblin: Hi, let’s team up.

Venom: Sure, why not.

Audience: Huh?

And the less said about the butler’s explanation to Harry about his father’s death the better. Lazy, lazy, lazy.

Let’s simplify and give people a reason to be where they are. In addressing the above I’m still going to ladle out a big dollop of coincidence. The short scene near the beginning in which Gwen is introduced as a student in the same class as Peter now finishes with Dr. Connors reminding all Science Club members that the next club meeting is taking place on the roof one of the city’s skyscrapers because a meteor shower is expected. And so after Peter and M.J. have their web-date in the park Peter makes his way to the aforementioned skyscraper. As a good little Science Club member Gwen is there too. That’s all the back story she needs. No more modeling or Police Chief daddy for her. Eddie Brock is there because he’s taking pictures for the university paper now that Peter has moved on to mostly freelance work for the Daily Bugle. Eddie will tell anyone who’ll listen about his dream to one day be, as Peter is, a photographer for the Bugle. Peter reminds Eddie that he’s actually not a staff photographer, but let’s set Eddie up early as someone who doesn’t listen to others, while foreshadowing the Bugle staff job spat. Eddie’s also a little preoccupied with stalking Gwen and/or Peter.

The meteor shower’s arrival suspends this foreshadowing. Much to everyone’s surprise one naughty meteorite doesn’t breakup on entry, but rather crashes into the building causing the crane to go haywire. During the rescue Spider-Man gets covered with the symbiote that was inside the meteorite. Initially Peter’s scared, but this fear quickly dissipates when he finds that the symbiote gives him extra strength and agility. He uses this to save Dr. Connors, Gwen and Eddie from street-pizza death. Let’s foreshadow Dr. Connors lizardification in Spider-Man 4 by highlighting his missing arm when he can’t grab something to stop his fall. Eddie also takes his career jump-starting shot of Spider-Man now. And some clues about the power boost from the symbiote only coming when in an heightened emotional state can be planted.

After this the web-slinger is web-slinging his way home when New Goblin attacks. New Goblin comments on Spider-Man’s change of appearance, but says nothing has changed between them. Let’s fight!!! Spider-Man once again has access to more power than before (more clues as to when) and beats New Goblin who bops his noggin. Peter takes the unconscious Harry to the hospital, and M.J. arrives shortly after. They wait for Harry to regain consciousness. Harry does so and everyone is happy he’s in such good spirits. He doesn’t seem to remember much of the last few months.

Spider-Man is off to get the key to the city. Spider-Man turns up to the event wearing the symbiote. Seems he likes to keep it on now. Gwen Stacey, who is giving the key because she’s the latest person to be saved by Spider-Man, comments on the costume change. Spider-Man answers that it’s a new direction for him. The recently fired Mary Jane is watching this with Harry, and she comments that she also didn’t know Spider-Man had a costume change. She’s none too happy about the kiss, either. Harry says nothing. Enter Sandman.

Flint Marko is particularly problematic. He begins as a sympathetic character who carries the burden of guilt from his crimes, but cannot forgo crime as he desperately needs money to cure his daughter. Yet at the conclusion he endangers hundreds for no financial gain. Possibly Sandman is allied with the symbiote so as to get revenge against Spider-Man for killing him, or maybe it’s because with Spider-Man out of the picture (another death on his hands) Sandman will finally be able to make off with that money Spider-Man has twice foiled him stealing. But rather than increase the blood on his hands by killing Spider-Man, Marko could just go to the next town that has no superheros and rob a bank there, and then return with the green to save his daughter. Doesn’t make much sense why he persists in New York. Sandman needs a reason to stay, and he’s got to be cast more of a victim of circumstance.

And that reason is Harry Osborne. As the movie stands I really liked the torment done to Peter when M.J. is driven away. But I want to make Harry more active – he’s going to be a manipulative little bastard. Harry’s memory never disappeared, and this remains a secret from the characters and audience until it’s all laid out late in the movie. Harry decides that if he can’t beat Spider-Man in a head-on confrontation, he’ll destroy Peter Parker’s life. Harry plays the amnesiac and Peter is glad to have his friend back. Pretty much Harry’s scenes remain unchanged until the final confrontation when we find out in a Marcel Wave moment of “Yes, it was me all the time.” Harry is there when Peter gets Brock fired for tampering with the photo, and he enlists the disgruntled Brock to tail Peter. After hearing from M.J. about Marko’s involvement in Uncle Ben’s death, Harry realizes that this can be used against Peter.

Harry also approaches Marko (possibly when Marko is sneaking away from again visiting his daughter) and offers him big bucks with no whammies if Sandman will stage an attack on an OsCorp facility (changed from a bank in the movie. but it could be the bank if Harry owns any banks). Harry explains that it’s all part of an insurance scam. Marko can keep any money he can get, and Harry will throw in some additional dough to sweeten the deal. But Harry reneges on the deal and instead alerts the police that Sandman is robbing OsCorp (or the bank. whatever). Harry knows that Peter is obsessively listening to the police band for news of Sandman, and he hopes to attract Spider-Man there. Thus as in the current movie, when Spider-Man confronts Sandman who is escaping in the sewers, Sandman is alone. As a clue Sandman says, “No, you shouldn’t be able to get to me,” or something equally vague which can take on a new meaning in the finale’s flashbacks. When Spider-Man kills Sandman, Harry’s triumph is half complete. He’s caused Peter to abandon his code, next he works on breaking up Peter and M.J.

But Harry doesn’t have to work too hard on that account. Peter is further and further under the sway of the symbiote. Let’s ditch those embarrassing struttin’ and ‘more cookies’ moments, but keep the humiliation of M.J. by dating Gwen Stacy scene. That was so low Peter, you dog you. Meanwhile Brock is mighty pissed that Parker cost him his ill-gotten Bugle job, and also that Peter is making moves on Gwen Stacy (his fantasy girlfriend). Because Brock is tailing Peter this is why he’s at the church when Spider-Man is finally freed from the symbiote. Harry has also played on his previous relationship with M.J. and levers her uncertainness by acting confused because of his memory loss about their current relationship. With a manipulative Harry the kitchen scene can take on a whole new meaning.

By and by Peter rejects the symbiote, Eddie Brock picks it up, and Sandman comes back from his watery grave. Sandman is looking for payback and money owed, Peter is looking for answers to what’s been happening, M.J. is looking to talk things out with Harry and Venom is looking to meet Spider-Man. And so they all make their way to Harry’s mansion. Sandman wants to pound Harry into the ground, but Spider-Man protects him. This fight continues until Sandman lets it spill that it was Harry who masterminded the OsCorp (or was it a bank?) attack. Marko and Parker talk things out and Peter forgives him for Uncle Ben’s death. Meanwhile Harry has donned his New Goblin gear, and Venom arrives. The special effects extravaganza can follow as Harry’s mansion, and not some meaningless construction site (what is it with all the construction sites??) is torn down. But now it’s Spider-Man and Sandman who team up against New Goblin and Venom. M.J. is returned to her obligatory role of girl-hostage. Sandman sacrifices himself (or does he?) to defeat Venom, leaving New Goblin and Spider-Man to settle unfinished business. This results in the death of Harry. Cue the rekindling of the Peter / M.J. relationship.

So that’s it for the Spider-Man 3 FF. As always I’d love another draft, as FFs are essentially a first draft. But as yet no one is giving me $250,000,00 to play with, so I’ll leave it at that.

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 7th, 2007 at 12:47 am and is filed under Action, Comic Book, Forensic Analysis, General, S, winston. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.