Spider-Man 3 (2007) - Movie Review for Parents

MPAA Rating: PG-13, for sequences of intense action violence
Genre: Action/Adventure/Comic Hero
Age range: Ages 13 and up
Runtime: Approx. 138 minutes
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: May 4, 2007

Spider-Man 3 - Guide Review

Things are finally going well for Peter Parker (Tobey Macguire). As Spider-Man, he's got crime under control, and the city worships him. As Peter, he's planning to ask his beautiful girlfriend M.J. (Kirsten Dunst) to marry him. Good times never seem to last long for Peter, though.

Caught up in his own success, Peter fails to be there for M.J., who is discouraged over being replaced and let go from her Broadway show. He becomes angry at Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), who is trying to take Peter's job at the newspaper by bringing in better photos of Spider-Man. Mysteriously, some sort of black goo attaches itself to Peter, creating a deep black Spider-Man suit which enhances Peter's powers and fuels his feelings of pride and vengeful anger.

With his new power and confidence, Peter battles his best friend Harry (James Franco), who comes after him as the New Goblin to avenge his father's death. He also goes after a man who is said to be his uncle's real killer, Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) - a man who had a bad run-in with a science experiment and became a villainous Sandman. Meanwhile, Eddie comes into contact with the black goo and becomes Venom, an arch nemesis to Spider-Man.

Contending with three vengeful villains is a lot for any superhero to contend with, but for Spider-Man, the greater battle is the one within himself.

With three bad guys and a battle of good and evil, Spider-Man 3 is not short on action, or violence. The theme of revenge runs throughout the movie, and it turns people into evil, ugly villains. All of this intensity is great for adults, but what about for kids? With comic hero themes and marketing directed toward children, more kids seem to be attending PG-13 movies than ever.

At the 9:00 p.m. showing of the movie that I attended, the audience was probably 50% comprised of kids under 14, and at least 15 or so of those kids were under eight. While waiting for the movie to start, I heard one child ask his mother if the movie was going to be "scawy" (scary). The answer to that small child's question is YES, the movie is definitely scawy.

Spider-Man 3 - Note to Parents

Of the three villains in the movie, Venom is particularly frightening. With a black suite; an evil, tormented attitude; and hideous, snake-like, teeth-bearing scream, he even scared me.

The violence in the movie includes several superhero battles which involve weapons such as guns, knives, swords, and tiny flying bombs. The incident when Peter's uncle was shot is played as a flashback several times, and one man dies by being run through with a sharp object (the object is shown as it pierces through his back and chest.

Spider-Man 3 (2007) - Content Overview

The following lists some of the most prominent examples of possibly offensive content in the movie. As the movie is PG-13 and contains several instances of this type of content, I will only list two or three of the most egregious scenes. (Contains Spoilers):

Violence (Extreme)
- Peter battles with his best friend, who has become the New Goblin. The two knock each other around, slamming into buildings and falling great distances. The New Goblin almost stabs Peter with blades attached to his arm. He throws tiny bombs at Peter, and Peter throws a bomb back which causes the New Goblin to fall and become unconscious.
- Peter vengefully and viciously attacks the Sandman. The two fight in a train tunnel, where Peter ends up grinding the Sandman's face away against a train (no blood or gore is shown, the man's face turns to sand as it grinds).
- The Sandman and Venom come after Peter together. Venom chokes him with his black web, and the Sandman pounds Peter repeatedly until he becomes limp. Harry joins the battle and is run through by a sharp object which is shown as it pierces him through the back and chest.
- The shooting of Peter's uncle is shown in flashback several times (the actual impact of the bullet is not shown).

Sex/Nudity (Mild)
- Peter kisses M.J. as they lay on his spider web.
- M.J. kisses Harry, says she is sorry, and runs out.
- Venom points to M.J. and says that his spider senses are tingling.

Profanity (Mild)
- The words ass, hell and damn are used.
- The phrase "Oh my God" is used.

Alcohol/Drugs (Moderate)
- Harry is often shown in his mansion drinking martinis.
- Peter has M.J.'s ring put into a glass of champagne.

Bad/Disrespectful Behavior (Heavy)
- Various villains and criminals have bad attitudes and evil intentions.
- The black suite causes Peter to become aggressive, overconfident, and prideful. He orders people around and beats a few people up.
- Eddie fakes a photo in order to get Peter's job.

Scary Scenes (Extreme)
- The scenes listed under "Violence" may be scary or unsettling to children.
- The three villains frequently jump out of dark places and in two scenes villains grab M.J. by the throat.

Sad/Unsettling Scenes (Moderate)
- Flint Marco is shown with his daughter, who is sick. He is trying to get money to help her get the medical attention she needs.
- Aunt May is distressed over pictures of the man that killed her husband.

Spider-Man 3 (2007) - Topics to Discuss

• Revenge
• Do the ends justify the means? Flint was only trying to help his daughter.
• Peter comments that everyone has a choice. What is the connection between choices, consequences and character?