Sam Raimi (Sort of) Accepts Blame for Spider-Man 3

[StewShearerOld]

Sam Raimi (Sort of) Accepts Blame for Spider-Man 3

Director <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/sam+raimi>Sam Raimi "didn't really believe in all the characters" in Spider-Man 3.

I can still remember sitting in the theater watching widely (and rightly) regarded as a muddled mess that killed its previously beloved franchise.

It's a reputation that director Sam Raimi, speaking in a recent podcast, owned up to and accepted some responsibility for. "It's a movie that just didn't work very well. I tried to make it work, but I didn't really believe in all the characters, so that couldn't be hidden from people who loved Spider-Man," he said, speaking to The Nerdist. "If the director doesn't love something, it's wrong of them to make it when so many other people love it. I think [raising the stakes after Spider-Man 2] was the thinking going into it, and I think that's what doomed us. I should've just stuck with the characters and the relationships and progressed them to the next step and not tried to top the bar."

Raimi would go on to affirm however, that the drive to "top the bar" wasn't necessarily his idea. "I wasn't trying to top. That isn't a good approach," he explained. "That went into the thinking of a lot of people who worked on Spider-Man 3, and it was not good for us." This meshes well with <a href=http://io9.com/5193338/sam-raimi-spider-man-3-wasnt-my-fault>other statements Raimi has given, indicating that higher-ups at the movie studio took away a lot of his creative control during the film's production and even forced him to shoehorn in extra baddies, such as Venom. None of this explains the Peter Parker dance sequence, but I'm willing to bet Spidey fans might have forgiven that monstrosity if the film had been better overall.

Source: <a href=http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/sam-raimi-says-he-messed-up-plenty-with-spider-man-3-713>JoBlo


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[Reed Spacer]

Yeah, it was kind of sad that the movie version of 'Evil Peter' essentially boiled down to Leisure Suit Larry...

 

[Sanunes]

I do give him credit for saying he "didn't believe in all the characters", but at the same time if those characters are forced upon him by Sony such as Venom why should he believe in them in the first place. I also walked out of the two ASM movies feeling the same way that I did with Spider-Man 3 where it really felt like someone was constantly changing the premise and direction of the movie during filming.

 

[TristanBelmont]

Venom was forced on him, he originally wanted to use Vulture. So I wouldn't say SM3's problems are really his fault.

 

[Zontar]

Still a better movie then either Amazing Spider Man movies have been, so it's not like we can really complain in retrospect. I'd have much rather see a Spider Man 4 with him at the helm with Toby in the suit then what we got.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

I have a feeling since the dance sequence was so horribad, that Raimi had nothing to do with it except being forced into directing it. Its not his style...

 

[WindKnight]

I have a feeling since the dance sequence was so horribad, that Raimi had nothing to do with it except being forced into directing it. Its not his style...

I dunnno, I kinda get what MovieBob says when he goes (this version of) peter is a Dork, and that's what a Dork like him thinks is cool and badass. Still horrible, but meant to be horrible.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I'd have much rather see a Spider Man 4 with him at the helm with Toby in the suit then what we got.

Really? Because by that point you could tell everyone involved was just done with this franchise. Tobey Maguire looked bored (more so than usual), only showing some spark of interest during the "emo" section of the movie. And Kirsten Dunst just looked hammered and old.

OT: You know, for all the hate the dance sequence gets it was Harry's stupid fucking amnesia subplot that really killed this movie for me right out of the gate. I mean, talk about lazy writing, holy shit.

 

[StewShearerOld]

I'd have much rather see a Spider Man 4 with him at the helm with Toby in the suit then what we got.

Really? Because by that point you could tell everyone involved was just done with this franchise. Tobey Maguire looked bored (more so than usual), only showing some spark of interest during the "emo" section of the movie. And Kirsten Dunst just looked hammered and old.

OT: You know, for all the hate the dance sequence gets it was Harry's stupid fucking amnesia subplot that really killed this movie for me right out of the gate. I mean, talk about lazy writing, holy shit.

Yeah, that was pretty stupid.

"My best friend who wants to kill me has amnesia! Me and my girlfriend should totally hang out with him! What could possibly go wrong?!"

 

[RJ Dalton]

Yeah, it was kind of sad that the movie version of 'Evil Peter' essentially boiled down to Leisure Suit Larry...

In all honesty, I never was bothered by the Peter under the control of the suit. If you assume that the suit works by enhancing properties through chemical means, it's essentially pumping him full of testosterone and metabolic steroids. Considering Peter's basic personality, having him become a "trying way to hard to be cool" type under such an influence makes sense to me. Peter doesn't know how to be cool, so when he isn't pumped up to anger (like beating up Harry), the awkwardness fits.
The dance scenes in the night club didn't work for a number of reasons unrelated to that, though. Bad pacing, over the top, the tone and mood of the scene shifts abruptly and awkwardly . . . that scene was a bit of a mess. Didn't so much mind the rest of it on a conceptual level, though.
Of course, the film had other problems as well, such as overall pacing and structural problems, a good many of which stem from the fact that venom was forced to be put into the plot when the film was something like halfway through pre-production, which cut down the amount of time Raimi had to smooth out the rough spots. The mess of this film really can't be laid on one person here. Things always get fucked up when the studios start making demands after people start working on it. A good director can work with studio demands up to a point, but you need time to do it.

 

[Fox12]

I guess I'm alone in not thinking the movie was all that bad (except for that atrocious opening and the American flag bit). It felt a little uninspired, but if the corporate tinkering is to be believed, then that's only natural.

 

[RealRT]

Imagine how great the Spider-Man movies would still be if they didn't try to take creative control from a guy who helped resurrect the superhero movie genre and gave them two blockbusters, the second of which is still hailed as one of the best superhero movies. Spider-Man 3 is like reverse Batman Returns. If Batman returns suffered because they gave Burton too much creative control, Spider-Man 3 suffered because they took creative control from Raimi. The results are two messy love-them-or-hate-them movies. Sure, I love them, but a lot of people don't.

The moral of the story is: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[anthony87]

But.......but.......Bob said we're wrong about it!!!!!!

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Hasn't he said for a few years now that he wanted Sandman to be the main villain of Spider-Man 3? And, that it was an editorial mandate or some other higher-up who forced Venom onto the plot because popularity? I liked more parts of Spider-Man 3 than I disliked but there was stuff in it that just didn't work. I just feel like this is somewhat old news.

 

[FPLOON]

If only Venom was saved up for Spider-Man 4... even have a little teaser at the end of Spider-Man 3 with the symbiote crashing down to earth or something like that... Then, maybe SM3 would have had a better reception from its peers...

Jarringly, this movie also had arguably the most beautiful scene in any superhero movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpaecszRRG0

I would be surprised to find anyone arguing with that outside of just their "personal preference" or something...

 

[LordFeast59]

If only Venom was saved up for Spider-Man 4... even have a little teaser at the end of Spider-Man 3 with the symbiote crashing down to earth or something like that... Then, maybe SM3 would have had a better reception from its peers...

Jarringly, this movie also had arguably the most beautiful scene in any superhero movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpaecszRRG0

I would be surprised to find anyone arguing with that outside of just their "personal preference" or something...

Of course, Venom should act like the Venom people know and love. Not an emo kid who wants to destroy the world just because Peter Parker stole his love and broke his camera.

 

[Hyperstorm]

Actually Venom being forced on Raimi totally explains the dance sequence.

No Venom = no black suit = no evil Petey = no dance sequence.

That said I totally support the dance sequence since it proved that even at his coolest Peter Parker is not cool.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

The dance sequence is hilarious, i think people take it to seriously when we are meant to cringe at it. After all the whole black costume changed him. Would have been funnier if they had him doing that dance in his spiderman costume.

I think Sony should have giving him full freedom, after all the first 2 movies were a major success. Telling him to add Venom and make it work is stupid as he clashes with the other villians.

Remember the law of 3. Spiderman 3, Batman 3, Iron man 3 and Superman 3 all sucked. That makes me worried for what Thor 3, Cap 3 and Avengers 3.....i wonder if thats why they stopped adding numbers to their movies? lol. Also kinda makes me wonder how big a train wreck The Amazing Spiderman 3 would be if they filmed it. lol

For a character like Venom, he works in a darker movie as he is a monster. So i do wonder why they didnt keep the grittier tone of ASM1 and add Venom to that. I think he would have been a great fit.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Eh, never saw why this movie is hated so much. Sure, it's a pointless and forgettable superhero movie...like the first two, or more or less any other superhero film of the time.

It wasn't until Batman Begins that superhero movies had to be pretentious, rather than pointless and forgettable.

Might as well watch an 80s action film, it's not there for the plot or the characters or the writing.