Spider-Man 3Movie Reviews

Poster art for "Spider-Man 3."

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Avg. Critic Score: 59 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
11 OK for kids 11+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 80
    The Hollywood Reporter | Michael Rechtshaffen

    The wow factor works overtime with state-of-the-art effects sequences that often are as beautiful as they are astonishing. Read full review

  • 75
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    There are delicious bits aplenty in Spider-Man 3 for those who care to notice. Read full review

  • 75
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    Solidly entertaining and possesses dazzling special effects, but it falls short of the near-perfection of the Spidey sequel. Read full review

  • 67
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    Spider-Man 3 has terrific moments, but after the danger and majesty and romantic brio of "Spider-Man 2," those adrenalized rooftop ballets feel, more than ever, like sequences. Read full review

  • 50
    Variety | Todd McCarthy

    A sense of strain envelops the proceedings this time around. One can feel the effort required to suit up one more time, come up with fresh variations on a winning formula and inject urgency into a format that basically needs to be repeated and, due to audience expectations, can't be toyed with or deepened very much. Read full review

  • 50
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    Spider-Man 3 is, in short, a mess. Too many villains, too many pale plot strands, too many romantic misunderstandings, too many conversations, too many street crowds looking high into the air and shouting "oooh!" this way, then swiveling and shouting "aaah!" that way. Read full review

  • 50
    The New York Times | Manohla Dargis

    The bittersweet paradox of this franchise is that while the stories have grown progressively less interesting the special effects have improved tremendously, becoming at once more plausible -- when Spider-Man swings through the urban canyons he finally looks almost real -- and more spectacular. Read full review

  • 50
    Los Angeles Times | Kenneth Turan

    Though aspects of it are entertaining, the presence of all these mismatched pieces give Spider-Man 3 an ungainly, cumbersome feeling, as if its plot elements were the product of competing contractors who never saw the need to cooperate on a coherent final product. Read full review

  • 30
    Washington Post | Ann Hornaday

    An overlong, visually incoherent, mean-spirited and often just plain awful Spider-Man 3. Read full review

  • 25
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

    "Spider-Man 2" was a textbook example of how to make a sequel: Deepen it, make it funnier, give it more heart and come up with a strong villain and a good story. Spider Man 3, by contrast, shows how not to make a sequel. Read full review

View more reviews for Spider-Man 3 on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 11+ Kids'll be dazzled, but story falls short of #2.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that, like its two predecessors, this comic book-based movie features lots of action and superhero-style violence. In this installment, a mysterious black goo makes Peter/Spidey significantly more aggressive, arrogant, and combative -- even toward his friends -- which could confuse little kids who have clear ideas about their hero. His negative behavior culminates in him physically harming two people he loves (naturally, he redeems himself by the end). Thanks to the enormous amount of Spidey merchandise and marketing, expect any child old enough to watch commercial television to want to see this movie -- but know that the action might be too intense for the early-elementary set. (Spoiler Alert: Two characters die during the climactic battle sequence.)
  • Families can talk about the movie's major themes: character transformation, revenge, and redemption. Which characters experience the biggest changes? Do they change for better or for worse? How can you tell? How does seeking revenge prove futile for both Harry and Peter? Families can also discuss the entire Spider-Man movie series. Which of these larger-than-life films do you consider the best? Does this one live up to the massive hype? What's more important in superhero movies -- the action or the story?
The good stuff
  • message true0 Positive messages: Several characters realize that it's never too late to stop making self-destructive choices. Strong themes of redemption and loyalty. Only one character stays selfish throughout the entire film.
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence: Long, nail-biting sequences of superhero action/violence. Blood is visible on a wounded character's shirt and face and also on a dagger. A couple of major characters are killed, and someone's face is disfigured in a fight. Peter shockingly strikes someone he loves.
  • sex false0 Sex: Various characters kiss, and there's one romantic dance between Peter and Gwen.
  • language false0 Language: Mild expletives like "damn" and "ass." A few taunts like "chump" and "nerd."
  • consumerism false3 Consumerism: The requisite tie-in to the vast quantities of Spider-Man merchandise.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Harry drinks on several occasions and at one point chugs hard liquor. Peter is served champagne at a restaurant. Diners drink alcohol at a jazz lounge.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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Dave White

4.5

Dave White Profile See Dave White's Profile

… like sugar-filled needles jabbed right into your face. Read full review See Dave White's on MOVIENAME on Movies.com

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