Spider Man in "Spider Man 3"
courtesy of Sony Home Entertainment
"And Spidey Makes Three"

The "Spiderman" movies have brought back the age of the comic book hero. From the first time Tobey Macguire suited up and flew through the streets on spiderwebs the world was hooked. And it wasn't just the first film that was popular, the second one was also. But now number three comes to DVD and some would say the spider man is wearing out his welcome.

The third installment opens with Peter Parker/Spider Man (Tobey Macguire) on top of the world. He is a hero to millions and the one girl he loves, loves him back. He plans to ask Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) to marry him and he is sure she is going to say yes!

The one blemish in his happy life is his friend Harry (James Franco). He still holds Spider Man responsible for his father's death. He tells Peter that he will get revenge. Peter tries to dissuade him but Harry is determined to have his own private "payback" time with Spidey.

Peter also gets news about the murderer of his Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson). He and his Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) are told by the police that the man they thought killed Ben didn't. Instead it was another man by the name of Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) who did the dastardly deed. Now Peter/Spidey has a new man to hunt down, and catching him may not be too easy. He has an alter ego known as "the Sandman."

Also a meteorite plunges to earth and a strange goo crawls out of it. This goo attaches itself to Spider Man and makes his bright suit dark. It also changes his personality, bringing out his worst traits. Peter Parker goes from being mild to being hip. He struts down the street looking like an auditioner for "Saturday Night Fever."

Meanwhile Mary Jane has let her demons loose and is jealous of Peter's attention to the Police Commissioner's daughter Gwen (Bryce Dallas Howard). Mary Jane is going through some problems in her professional life and it affects her relationship with Peter.

All of this is crammed into the movie and more, and it is just too much. We are into overkill country quickly. One villain, one personal crisis, and one climactic event would have been plenty. But nooooo, we have to have one big scene after another with each one topping the one that preceded it.

What is right with the movie are the special effects. All that swooping and swinging from tall buildings is still enough to make you want to stand up and cheer. There is also still a sweetness about Peter Parker that the audience enjoys.

On the negative side the addition of Bryce Dallas Howard and Topher Grace to the cast is a bad idea. Both of these actors flop in throwaway roles. We also don't need cameos from James Cromwell, J K Simmons, Elizabeth Banks, Bill Nunn and many more actors who are capable of carrying a full part.

The makers of the movie should have lost the hip Peter bit. It's embarrassing. They also should have lost about forty-five minutes of the movie. It is way too long. And tell Kirsten Dunst to start eating. Her legs look like sticks.

There is just too much crammed into this movie to make it enjoyable. It feels overdone from start to finish. Maybe they just went to the "Spider Man" well one time too many. Yet there is strong talk about making a fourth installment.

Does "Spider-Man 3" entertain? Oh yes. But is it too much of a good thing? Maybe so. At least on DVD you can pause and let the action rest for a few minutes before charging on. 

Another entertaining DVD this week is "The Company." This movie was a TNT mini-series and concerns the history of the CIA. The movie was based on Robert Littell's best selling novel. Chris O'Donnell, Alfred Molina and Michael Keaton head the impressive cast list and each of these three actors is at the top of his game.

O'Donnell stars as Jack McAuliffe, a Yale graduate who is offered a career with the CIA. His friend Leo Kritsky (Alessandro Nivola) is also sought out. These two men have been roommates and are also best friends. A third friend and classmate, Yevgeny Tsipin (Rory Cochrane) returns to Russia, his native country, and becomes a spy for the KGB.

James Angleton (Keaton) is a counter-intelligence specialist for the CIA, while Harvey Torriti (Molina) is a CIA field operative. Jack works for and with both of these men. The first episode concerns the early Cold War years when the Berlin Wall existed and Germany was a hotbed of spies. Jack is caught in the middle of all types of espionage adventures, one of which causes him to meet his true love Lilli (Alexandra Maria Lara). His relationship with her colors his actions for the rest of his career.

The second episode focuses on the Hungarian Revolution and the Bay of Pigs debacle. The third is a look at the end of the Cold War and the outcome of Jack's career. Each episode gets better, with the first one being an introduction to all the characters, the second being the most action driven, and the third being the one that wraps everything up. The actors excel in their roles with Keaton and Molina delivering Emmy worthy performances and O'Donnell dong some of his best work ever. The supporting cast is solid and the fact so many of the actors are unknowns adds to the believability of the characters.

This is a DVD that is definitely worth watching. You can get the full effect of the story by watching it straight through, or you can divide up your viewing tie and take it story by story. However you watch it is great entertainment.

You can also get both of the "Hostel" movies and watch them back to back too, if you have the stomach for that much gore. In "Hostel 1" it is the male species that is abducted and tortured. In "Hostel 2" it is the female. In both movies the shock and gore content is high. Be sure you know what you are getting into when you watch them, and please these are not movies children should see.

Strictly for children, very young children, is "Lullaby Time," the latest DVD from the "Baby Einstein" series. This DVD is hosted by an adorable lamb and features soothing, settling down type music. It comes from Brahms and Mozart to name a few.

The DVD is intended to be a calming down type of entertainment. The visuals include waves lapping on the seashore, bubbles floating through the air and clouds drifting through the heavens. How calm can it be? And children will be soothed and comforted by it.

Older kids will get their kicks from watching "Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get A Clue!" This DVD includes twenty-two episodes from the TV series and will provide hours of entertainment as the kids watch Shaggy and Scooby-Doo take on one adventure after another.

Fred, Daphne and Velma make cameo appearances in the episodes but it is basically Shaggy and Scooby-Doo's show all the way. It is a new treat with new gadgets and a lot of new fun. Get the DVD "Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get A Clue!"

"Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left For the East" is a beautiful study of Zen culture and its mystiques and messages. The basic story is one about a master and his apprentice and the lessons the master imparts and the lessons the apprentice begins to understand. It is all part of the Zen Buddhist philosophy and is made clearer in the film.

Finally we have the DVD titled "The Wendell Baker Story." This is a movie directed, written and starred in by Luke Wilson. He tells the story of a man who has no sure grasp of life. He always has a scheme going but this sometimes gets him into trouble. Eventually he lands up in a retirement home where he is befriended by the patients. He helps them and they teach him.

The cast of this movie is packed full of talent. It includes Eva Mendes, Owen Wilson and Eddie Griffin. It has cameos or such by Will Ferrell, Kris Kristofferson, Harry Dean Stanton and others. It is a comic showcase for a lot of talent - particularly Luke Wilson.
 

 

 

 

 

©2007 Jackie K. Cooper

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