ROTTEN TOMATOES: Critical Consensus: "Spider-Man" Dangles, "Lucky" A Bad Bet

Critical Consensus: "Spider-Man" Dangles, "Lucky" A Bad Bet

by Alex Vo | May 03, 2007

"Lucky You," a dramedy set in the high-stakes world of professional poker (starring Eric Bana and Drew Barrymore), is one of this week's two new wide releases. But when the other one features Tobey Maguire in red spandex ("Spider-Man 3," also starring Kirsten Dunst), what more do you really need? And how do the critics feel about it?

After a three year wait, a budget approaching $300 million, and about that many Internet rumors and news postings, the wait is over: "Spider-Man 3" is here. The third installment finds Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) wrestling with a bevy of problems: an angry best friend (James Franco), a man made of sand (Thomas Haden Church), a slimy nemesis (Topher Grace), and an unhappy fiancée (Kirsten Dunst). Though critics are still wowed by Sam Raimi's action sequences and clever mix of comedy and melodrama, some say it's overstuffed and lacks the emotional punch of the first two Spidey flicks. At 64 percent on the Tomatometer (and a rotten 45 percent among Cream of the Crop critics), this "Spider-Man" isn't totally amazing.

"Do you have any tape? 'Cuz I am ripped!"

America is currently obsessed with Texas Hold 'Em, so, with that in mind, Curtis Hanson has anted up the poker drama "Lucky You." Eric Bana stars as professional gambler Huck Cheever, a commitment-challenged goof who's good at bluffing but terrible at the game of lurve. The pundits say "Lucky" is dramatically inert, lacking insight into neither the world of cards nor relationships, and they're not sure what to make of Drew Barrymore, who doesn't have much to do with her role. At 41 percent Tomatometer, "Lucky" is cursed.

"UNO!"

Also opening in limited release: "Waitress," the final dramedy from the late Adrienne Shelley, is at 91 percent on the Tomatometer; "Away From Her," a love story about Alzheimer's from actress-cum-director Sarah Polley, is at 89 percent ; "Paris, Je T'aime," an anthology of short films about the City of Lights featuring at least one director you like, is at 73 percent; "Civic Duty," a thriller dealing with timely issues of paranoia and terrorism, is at 77 percent (check out RT's interview with star Peter Krause); "The Treatment," a rom-com starring Chris Eigeman and Famke Janssen, has 71 percent; and "The Flying Scotsman," a biopic about Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree, is at 38 percent.

Paris, living up to its City of Lights moniker.

And before we forget any further, props must be given to ManofStee1 and returning member -eternity- for coming closest to guessing "Kickin' It Old Skool"'s percentage in last week's Guess That Tomatometer game. And for "The Invisible," mizzoucritic came closest to guessing its 23 percent Tomatometer.

Recent Sam Raimi Movies:
---------------------------------
93% -- Spider-Man 2 (2004)
90% -- Spider-Man (2002)
57% -- The Gift (2001)
66% -- For Love of the Game (1999)
93% -- A Simple Plan (1998)

Related Items

Movie:	Lucky You
	Spider-Man 3
	The Flying Scotsman
	Away From Her
	Paris, Je T'aime
	The Treatment

(1-20 of 38 posts) | Reply

SplendidIsolation writes:
on May 03 2007 06:23 PM

oh, how the mighty have fallen!

(Reply to this)

Jen Yamato writes:
on May 03 2007 06:44 PM

Ha, I laughed out loud at two of those captions. But then I'm easily amused. :)

(Reply to this)

I Am Remote writes:
on May 03 2007 06:44 PM

It would be justice, really, to see this Spidey series end in a disappointment. If only a handful of former fans realize how they've been tricked into liking these insultingly bad movies, it'll be worth it.

I'm still seeing it, though.

(Reply to this)

sharpless writes:
on May 03 2007 06:53 PM

In reply to this comment (#863660)
Whatever, dude. They're no Batman Begins, but I haven't been "tricked" into liking anything. I enjoy the Spiderman movies and I think they're excellent adaptations. The end.

(Reply to this)

johnlee4111 writes:
on May 03 2007 06:58 PM

In reply to this comment (#863660)
I was tricked into liking these movies? Wow, thanks for letting me know.

(Reply to this)

skasforfags writes:
on May 03 2007 07:09 PM

In reply to this comment (#863660)
Tricked was probably the wrong word to use. HOWEVER, I do agree. In my opinion, the first two are vastly overrated, the casting is terrible, the dialog is cheesy, the action sequences are too fluffy, the plot is relatively flat, and they just aren't that good. I do not think they are bad movies, and by default they are probably the best "superhero" movies if only because they stayed the closest to the comic, although they have strayed from the original story. And I'll still never understand why the second is regarded as better than the first.

(Reply to this)

South_park300 writes:
on May 03 2007 07:13 PM

well, the comics are freakin cheesy, and the movie captures the cheesy nature very well.
i can't wait for the day where people won't always expect perfection when seeing a movie. you will always be disappointed. and i pity you

(Reply to this)

skasforfags writes:
on May 03 2007 07:30 PM

In reply to this comment (#863664)
And I think you're an idiot. I understand that the end result of a movie, especially one like Spidey 3, is entertainment. But hell, there are plenty of movies much better than Spider-Man 1 or 2 that are also entertaining. I don't understand why it's a crime to expect a better movie, even if it is a popcorn flick.

(Reply to this)

JMA writes:
on May 03 2007 08:18 PM

[b]Re: Overrated[/b]
The word "overrated" is used far too frequently on the Internet by people who can't understand why something they dislike is so popular. It helps them to relieve their cognitive dissonance to "explain away" the popularity of something they don’t enjoy or understand.

Basically, since there's no universal way to rate a movie, how any movie be "overrated"? Who decides what's universally good and what's universally bad? And what qualifies them to decide this while ignoring everyone else? It certainly isn't a poster on a message board, or any critic for that matter. Calling the first two Spider-Man movies (or any movie) overrated is just a way to devalue the opinions of others while glorifying (to an unrealistic degree) one's own opinion. If you think a movie sucks, why not just say that? Why does everyone else have to be wrong?

People are far too concerned with what other people like. Why? Because if people like or dislike something an individual doesn't, it makes them question their own beliefs, and individuals don't like to do that. It's messed up, but that's the way I see it.

That's all I'm going to say about that.

(Reply to this)

skasforfags writes:
on May 03 2007 08:37 PM

I simply use "overrated" because everyone knows what it means, even if it is a largely manufactured (and meaningless) term. Yes, I know that kills my argument. And for the record, I did say "in my opinion".

(Reply to this)

insanemansam5 writes:
on May 03 2007 10:00 PM

I think I speak for most RTers and 90% of critics(yes get over it they liked it to) when I say that the first two Spiderman films are not perfect films by any stretch of the imagination but they are incredibly well made fun films that serve their source material well.

I'm a little dissappointed by the tamatometer on this one but it would take a much lower meter than this to keep me away.

(Reply to this)

ksduded writes:
on May 03 2007 10:45 PM

i never really liked the Spiderman franchise. Finally the rest of the world is coming to their senses too

(Reply to this)

jeremyd4 writes:
on May 03 2007 11:33 PM

i think Spiderman 3 will make 1 & 2 less appealing, because in some ways it highlights exactly what it was many people didn't like about the first two. spiderman 3 is extremely corny and if you watch the other again you might as one poster said here, see why you were "tricked" into liking them. The special FX are wonderful, but other than that, well... there is nothing other than that.

(Reply to this)

IMAmoose24 writes:
on May 04 2007 12:38 AM

Just saw the midnight showing. REALLY disappointing. Please go spend your money on Grindhouse or Hot Fuzz this weekend.

(Reply to this)

cgcbooks writes:
on May 04 2007 04:48 AM

The bottom line on this film is how much money it makes for the studio, not if it is good or bad. And this film will make tons of money. As Stan Lee says, Nuff Said!

(Reply to this)

TheOneStudentFilmDirector writes:
on May 04 2007 05:28 AM

Just got back from a 2 am screening of Spidey... When is Dark Knight coming out?

(Reply to this)

cgcbooks writes:
on May 04 2007 06:10 AM

In reply to this comment (#863673)
So, did you like it?

(Reply to this)

gratefuldawg writes:
on May 04 2007 06:38 AM

If this is the kickstart film of the summer, God help us. Take the hokiness of a poorly made live action low budget kids film, add the homoeroticism of the Schumacher Batman films with a little twist of any Meg Ryan chick flick and presto you've got Spiderman 3. No character development, no good action sequences. And out all the CGI improvements made over the years; even in Spiderman 2 -- Spiderman still looks poorly. This was just plain horrible, if you've not seen it, dont believe the hype; save your money !

(Reply to this)

dracus writes:
on May 04 2007 07:11 AM

[b]WHAT IN THE HELL WAS RAIMI THINKING?[/b]
What a disappointing piece of crap Spiderman 3 turned out to be. A 4 hour wait in the rain for the midnight showing to see something you'd only expect from a Power Rangers movie. A sad day for what was a great franchise. This should kill any chance he had of getting The Hobbit.

(Reply to this)

Merlin235 writes:
on May 04 2007 07:53 AM

Saw it last night, and here is the thing with Spiderman 3:
You know when you watch a DVD, and you're cruising the special features and stop to watch all the deleted scenes? And you know how when you watch them, you generally think, "wow, thank God they deleted THAT scene?" Well, in Spiderman 3 all those scenes got left in. This was a very good movie, punctuated with three or four scenes that ruin the pace, mood and feel of the movie. It baffles my mind to think how they got past editing. But in there somewhere there is a very good flick, but it leaves you disapointed b/c of those few scenes.

(Reply to this)