This movie wasn't bad. I say that as a comic book loyalist (but not purist). Any one of the villain plots could have been excellent. Venom, Sandman, and Hobgoblin (Harry) all have gripping stories. I think Venom should have been kept in the comics. He's sci-fi, and every comic book geek knows Sam Raimi doesn't like or understand the character. Bad choice. I know these days everyone expects multiple baddies, and Sandman & Hob could have been combined in S3 while still having a tight plot that moved at a good pace.
Ok, so I didn't *hate* it... but, I'm going to gripe about several things now.
1. Costumes are to be worn at all times in public. This rule should rarely be broken. Showing Peter and Harry's faces all the time was ridiculous. Was I watching Peter Parker 3 or Spider-Man 3?
2. Sandman's backstory was wasted. Could have been a powerhouse drama with the sick kid. Have Harry offer to help by using his near-endless resources in exchange for squashing the spider.
3. The Uncle Ben retcon. For the love of all that is holy! Spider-Man 1 was excellent. Spider-Man 2 was one of the best comic book movies of all time. Now they've been cheapened by this retarded move to force Spidey to hate a new villain!
4. The abuse of Harry Osborne. Frickin huge potential with Harry Osborne -- he should live through every single sequel. He's Peter's Lex Luthor. Bah! Amnesia? Then he turns bad again? Then he turns good? Lame.