'MERRY WIDOW' OFFERS TOO LITTLE TO SING ABOUT.Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Critic You've probably seen Spider-Man's new black suit, a costume guaranteed to arrive on your doorstep this Halloween on many an 8-year-old. The color change, brought about in "Spider-Man 3" by an alien parasite that (briefly) darkens Peter Parker's heart and mind, might have you thinking that the latest Spidey installment heads into more brooding territory than its predecessors, but that's not really the case. And it can't be the case, because writer-director Sam Raimi believes too much in Parker's goodness and essential nerdiness to build Spider-Man his own version of the Bat Cave. "Spider-Man 3" may not be as good as the second entry in the series and it may introduce a few too many new characters without giving them enough depth, but it does move and it does entertain and it does make you smile. Let Raimi make another trilogy if he wants to. I'd watch them in a heartbeat immediately. See also: heartbeat . The movie begins with Peter (Tobey Maguire) reveling in the love he's receiving from Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst Kirsten[1] Caroline Dunst (born April 30, 1982) is an American actress, known for her roles in (for which she received a Golden Globe nomination), The Virgin Suicides, Marie Antoinette, and Bring It On ) and Spidey's loyal public. Now that he doesn't have to keep his identity a secret, Peter can relax with Mary Jane on a web hammock hammock, suspended bed, usually of netting, canvas, or leather. The hammock and its name were introduced to Europeans by Christopher Columbus, who learned of them from Native Americans. , counting shooting stars on a beautiful summer night. Problem is, one of those shooting stars happens to be a meteor that (huge coincidence) lands right near them. This meteor contains the alien parasite that will lead to Black Spider-Man. Peter's peace is about to be pickled. It's not just the alien parasite and it's not just the revenge-minded Harry Osborn (James Franco) looking to squash Spidey. There's also the shape-shifting supervillain Sandman Sandman induces sleep by sprinkling sand in children’s eyes. [Folklore: Brewer Dictionary, 966] See : Sleep Sandman - The DoD requirements that led to APSE. (Thomas Haden Church) and an amoral a·mor·al adj. 1. Not admitting of moral distinctions or judgments; neither moral nor immoral. 2. Lacking moral sensibility; not caring about right and wrong. tabloid photographer (is there any other kind?) named Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) looking to take Peter's job at the Bugle bugle, brass wind musical instrument consisting of a conical tube coiled once upon itself, capable of producing five or six harmonics. It is usually in G or B flat. . One more wrinkle: Mary Jane's mojo isn't working on Broadway, and a new girl, Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard), is catching Peter's eye. With all the villains, is there room for a green-eyed monster? Why not? To the credit of Raimi and co-writers Alvin Sargent and Ivan Raimi (Sam's brother), the overstuffed o·ver·stuff tr.v. o·ver·stuffed, o·ver·stuff·ing, over·stuffs 1. To stuff too much into: overstuff a suitcase. 2. To upholster (an armchair, for example) deeply and thickly. plot of "Spider-Man" remains clear and hurtles forward. Some characters don't pay off until the movie's thrilling finale; others (notably the thinly sketched Gwen) will have to wait for another movie. Sometimes the movie feels a bit episodic, and sometimes that doesn't matter because the episodes (especially the one involving Bruce Campbell's fussy French maitre d') are so wonderfully realized. If it takes another movie -- a "Spider-Man 4" is inevitable -- to get Gwen Stacy going, you could point to "3's" finally nailing the Peter-Harry rivalry as an example of good things sometimes taking time. Thanks to a bout of amnesia, Franco's Harry goes all Jekyll and Hyde Jekyll and Hyde 1. A slang term referring to the strengths and weaknesses of a company's financial statements. 2. An asset that suddenly increases or decreases in value. 3. , allowing Franco the chance to flash his charm and million-dollar smile. Watching Harry play Peter for a fool is almost as much fun as seeing Peter, infected by that creepy-crawly alien virus, turn into an egotistic emo rocker, strutting through Manhattan like a geeky Tony Manero to the James Brown funk classic "People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul." Peter's "dark" night is a lot more fun than a certain Dark Knight, and indicative of a comic-book franchise that never loses its mission to engage and enthrall. Glenn Whipp, (818) 713-3672 glenn.whipp@dailynews.com MERRY WIDOW - Two stars What: L.A. Opera presents a San Francisco Opera San Francisco Opera (SFO) is the second largest opera company in North America. It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola (1881-1953). The Opening Night Gala of the San Francisco Opera is widely considered to be one of the most memorable events of the year for opera patrons. production of Franz Lehar's beloved operetta operetta (ŏpərĕt`ə), type of light opera with a frivolous, sentimental story, often employing parody and satire and containing both spoken dialogue and much light, pleasant music. , with Susan Graham and Rod Gilfry in the leads. Where: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is one of the halls in the Los Angeles Music Center (which is one of the three largest performing arts centers in the United States). The Music Center's other halls include the Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and Walt Disney Concert Hall. , 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. When: 7:30 tonight, Wednesday, May 12, 23 and 26; 8 p.m. May 20; 2 p.m. May 6; and 1 p.m. May 19. In a nutshell: Not enough merriment to make this chestnut worthwhile. |
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