Spider-Man 3 Reviews

This page contains reviews for the 2007 film, Spider-Man 3, which is the third installment of the Spider-Man franchise. The movie is directed by Sam Raimi and stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace and Bryce Dallas Howard.

In Spider-Man 3, Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) discovers an alien suit which makes him more powerful but also corrupts his personality. Peter sheds the suit, which is then discovered by Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) who assumes the identity of Venom. In addition to Venom, Spider-Man also must square with the Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Harry Osborne (James Franco) in this film.

Spider-Man 3 received mixed reviews, with a 62% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 59% metascore on Metacritic.

1. "In an era of cynical, cash-in sequels, Spider-Man 3, like its two predecessors, has a heartbeat that resonates just as strongly as its box-office ka-ching." — Rolling Stone
2. "Solidly entertaining and possesses dazzling special effects, but it falls short of the near-perfection of the Spidey sequel." — USA Today
3. "After the significant improvement of the second installment over the first, new entry reps a roughly equivalent dip in quality and enjoyment, with Spidey now giving off the faint odor of running on fumes." — Variety
4. "A tangled web of special-effects overkill and self-indulgence that all but destroys the fun and goodwill created by the first two movies." — Washington Post

• Rolling Stone: Spider-Man 3 Review (3/4)
  • "In an era of cynical, cash-in sequels, Spider-Man 3, like its two predecessors, has a heartbeat that resonates just as strongly as its box-office ka-ching."

• Movies.com: Spider-Man 3 Review (A-)
  • "The special effects/action sequences alone are like sugar-filled needles jabbed right into your face."

• USA Today: "'Spidey 3' Oozes With Excitement" (3/4)
  • "Solidly entertaining and possesses dazzling special effects, but it falls short of the near-perfection of the Spidey sequel."

• IGN: Spider-Man 3 Review
  • "While some audiences may register skepticism over the possibility that a third film can suitably tie up all of the loose ends, not to mention tie-in all of writer-director Sam Raimi's ambitious ideas, IGN can confirm that Spider-Man 3 is indeed the trilogy-closer that fans have been waiting for."

• Rotten Tomatoes: Spider-Man 3 Consensus Review (6.2/10)
  • "Action sequences still dazzle though this isn't as refined as the prequels."
• Times Online: Spider-Man 3 Review (3/5)
  • "At one point Tobey Maguire, ... Thomas Haden Church, James Franco and Topher Grace square off in a four-way clash clearly designed to satisfy all tastes in hairstyle, physical build and jaw-line. The imperilled Kirsten Dunst, meanwhile, barely registers."

• Film Threat: Spider-Man 3 Review (2 1/2 Stars)
  • "The good news, to fans of the franchise that is, is that "Spider-Man 3" is more of what they've come to love ... The bad news is that the third installment is overlong, crammed full with a repetitive romantic plot, and just plain excessive."

• Washington Post: "Spidey Runs Out of Webbing"
  • "A tangled web of special-effects overkill and self-indulgence that all but destroys the fun and goodwill created by the first two movies."

• Variety: Spider-Man 3
  • "After the significant improvement of the second installment over the first, new entry reps a roughly equivalent dip in quality and enjoyment, with Spidey now giving off the faint odor of running on fumes."

• The Village Voice: "Spider Bites"
  • "The best that can be said of Spider-Man 3 is that it sheds some light on the whole skinny black jeans phenomenon."