Spider-Man 3

Maybe it was just me, but I think that a lot of people were anticipating the third installment of the Spider-Man franchise. The series had an identity, and entertainment quality unique to itself. The first movie wasn't perfect, but laid a foundation. The second movie, which was quite possibly the best superhero film ever made, (before Batman Begins) was a powerhouse. The film's action scenes were phenomenal, and had a visceral quality all it's own.
With all of that said, we were given the third installment in the franchise. Spider-Man 3. If you've ever seen a Brett Ratner directed film, you would swear he had his hands all over it. With decent enough action scenes (The crane rescue is undeniably entertaining) the film seemed shaky, but still on the tracks. But we were given 45 minutes more of movie, then we'd bargained for. Three villains crowded the story, tack on's were packed in so tightly, you'd swear the movie would collapse due to the sheer pressure it was putting on itself.
The finale, which was way too much, left a mark on all people who paid full price for a movie that didn't deliver, and ate your sympathy to the point of no return.
Of course, the movies problems go deeper then the ending itself, and that's true. The casting was half hearted, the direction sloppy, and the effects were schlocked together, in an effort to amaze you. The casting of Sandman was spot on, Thomas Haden Church was about as good villain casting as you'll come by. Go ahead and gripe all you want about him not being a good enough nemesis, but his acting and realism stretch far. He is one of the only honest efforts the film puts forth with a consicence. Here's where the casting went awry. Topher Grace. I am a pure Batman fan, so I never read too many of the Spider-Man comic books, but I knew enough to figure out that a scrawny, and not at all menacing Topher Grace, is the wrong choice to play a huge, scary, evil force like Venom. As long as I'm ranting, let's allow ourselves to explore the real reasons for the movie's failure, and that's the tack-ons. Gwen Stacy, Harry's Goblin, Venom, Peter Parkers "wild side", and so on.
Bryce Dallas Howard, was actually great as Gwen Stacy. She was solid casting, but a terrible add on. We did not need Peter Parker to have another, "Love Interest" did we? Hell, it took him two movies to get his only girlfriend anway.
Finally, my major gripe about the movie, Venom. Ok, so here's what the producers must of been thinking.
"Let's take Spider-Man's biggest, most iconic villain, Venom, and put him in for the last 20 minutes!"
"Yeah, and then let's kill him off!"
This is why Spider-Man will always stand in the shadow of films like, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight. Those movies didn't have to kill off all of it's iconic villains, just for a lousy finale. This series needs a miracle, something fierce.