Thank god Raimi has the balls to say no, even if it's a movie too late.

Spidey 1 and 2 were brilliant. Sony interfered and the result was a turd. Why can't they just relax, kick up their feet and let Raimi deliver a blockbuster with staying power?

I've read this story all over the net today, and this by far the finest article. Congrats, sir

The vulture is fucking retarded. They've been setting up the Lizard go with him. They haven't done a "genetics tampering gone wrong" storyline yet. If they need a multi-villain, Kraven would be a good human foil. Just no vulture, please.

I don't know that Raimi didn't "get" Venom, more that he didn't want to use him. He did at least make lemonade with the glorious "Bad Peter" sequences.

Wasn't Devin saying last week that X-Men 3 wasn't so bad and actually better than the first movie? So why the Ratner jibe?

Well, Anonymous Coward, you raise an interesting point. Yes, I think X3 is better than most people give it credit for being. That said, it would have been GREAT if Fox hadn't run Singer off the production. It's a rushed movie and a mess of a movie, and most frustrating of all it's a movie where you can see the good parts swimming amongst the parts that don't work. I think the good parts are good enough that it's better than X-MEN, but the bad parts maybe wouldn't have been there if Singer had been allowed to make it. Even though X3 is better than conventional wisdom says, it's still a movie that was hurt by bringing on a new director at the last minute.

Hey, Devin. Where's your White Ribbon review damnit?! Best film of 2009

Ratner keeps copping flak, but the dude was under enormous pressure & deserves some respect for X3. He delivered a fast paced & entertaining flick that non x-men geeks (ie 90% of moviegoers) such as me enjoyed watching. At least give him kudos for jettisoning the homo metaphors from the franchise.

Oh Christ!

"Anyone else. Probably fucking Carnage or some other retardbait character like that"…hell hath no fury like a fat sixty year old man scorned…seriously, the problem with spidey 3 WAS NOT venom! He at least had an interesting character arc. it was fucking sandman. Whenever he would come in on a scene, i would be geniuly surprised because i forgot he was in the fucking movie

"No offense, but if you like Carnage and are older than 12 you have serious, serious issues. Seek help immediately." The same could be said about, you know, Spider-Man, no?

I hope Raimi gets his way, Sony backs off, and we get a "return to basics" Spidey 4 (one villain, more Peter and MJ soap opera). That said, while the Vulture would look pretty good onscreen, and could definitely be badass (plus you get Dr. Octopus levels of sympathy in Vulture's character – an old guy screwed over by his business partner, and looking for payback), I was holding out hope for a Lizard and Kraven throwdown.

And if wishes were horses, I'd also like to see Bruce Campbell rock Mysterio as well.

There are times when I want to march down to Sony Studios and slam every executive who works there in the groin with a sledgehammer. I'd do it to Sam Raimi, too, on the grounds of wanting to use the Vulture above any other villain in Spidey's entire rogues gallery. THE FREAKIN' VULTURE.

For crying out loud, people, USE THE KRAVEN/LIZARD COMBO! IT'S SO PERFECT IT'S DOWNRIGHT SCARY! COME THE HELL ON!!

Isn't the Vulture plot a little too similar, too, oh I don't know, say… the Green Goblin (business screws business man who goes insane…) GG is a better character by far with ties to Peter Parker's past. That's what makes him interesting. The Vulture…? Blah

I wish I were as brave as Devin, valiantly fighting on the internet and being on crap tv shows! But I'm too scaaaaared!

"No offense, but if you like >Carnage< COMICS and are older than 12 you have serious, serious issues. Seek help immediately." <– Fixed it for you.

"The same could be said about, you know, Spider-Man, no?" No. Spider-Man is a great character featured in entertaining stories intended for audiences of all ages. What in God's name are you doing on a nerd site if you don't understand this? It's not still 1947 where the genre entertainment has to sit at the back of the bus is it?

Elitist Fuckwit: When did I ever say that genre entertainment shouldn't be at the forefront of culture? I was merely pointing out that it's foolish to question the maturity level of someone who may be a fan of a character in a super hero comic book series that is clearly targeted at teens and younger kids. Whether you like to it admit it or not, Spider-Man is first and foremost meant to appeal to younger demographics. In fact, didn't Devin once say: "The fanbase for superhero comics in this day and age tends to be a devolved group clinging to degrading psychosexual power fantasies that take them away from their daily powerlessness. White males on the sidelines of society who are attached to juvenile escapades and repetitive, stunted storytelling. I'm beginning to look at adults who are deeply immersed in superheroes the way I would look at a grown man eating baby food for lunch. Except that I would say the baby food guy is at least getting some nourishment." (/articles/articles/18160/1/THE-DEVIN039S-ADVOCATE-THE-NEW-DEPRESSION-MAY-BE-THE-BEST-THING-THAT-EVER-HAPPENED-TO-COMICS/Page1.html) That Spider-Man actually does appeal to a broader audience is a tribute to the character's creators, but let's not pretend he was created with older audiences in mind. Now, who's to say Carnage can't work in a movie? As the fella says, there are no bad subjects, there are only bad writers (filmmakers).

My opinion is Sony should let Rami do what he wants. If he fails and it stinks, then they can do whatever they want. Even if a Spider-Man 4 bombs it doesn't mean there won't be a place for future Spider-Man movies….look at the turd that was Batman & Robin. If Rami makes a 4th film and it's like the first two, then they'll be happy, and Rami can ride off into the sunset if he wants, on top.

Spider man 3 would have been awesome if it was just sandman as the main villian and the green goblin/peter parker storyline getting tied up and finished being the second. Venom would be awesome as a sole villian, I think spider man 4 would be awesome with vulture, or lizard/kraven. is dopey obama going to be in the movie, like he did in the comic book?

"I was merely pointing out that it's foolish to question the maturity level of someone who may be a fan of a character in a super hero comic book series that is clearly targeted at teens and younger kids. Whether you like to it admit it or not, Spider-Man is first and foremost meant to appeal to younger demographics." This doesn't mean he can't be featured in intelligent stories that are well written and which mature adults can appreciate. And the reason Devin's point holds true is because Carnage has never been anything other than an illustration that looks nice on a comic cover or splash page. Spider-Man is a much more fully realized character in absolutely every way and you made a comparison between the two because they both originated in the comics. Your first comment appeared to be more of the same tired refrain of "All adults who love comics are emotionally stunted". Many current comics suck copius amounts of ass (mostly because they are now targeted at the previously mentioned sadly stunted adult male demographic), but that was never the original point. The point that needs to be made here is that Carnage is a terrible waste of paper and Spider-Man, as you yourself said, "actually does appeal to a broader audience". Whatever audience Spider-Man was originally created for is entirely irrelevant. He appeals to many mature, socially functioning adults now. Carnage should appeal to no one capable of obtaining a driver's license. Otherwise, much of what you said in your second comment is true, and I completely agree with your last point. I love it when a good storyteller takes a shit character and creates something worthwhile. If that's what you originally intended to say, then I fully agree with you.

"I was merely pointing out that it's foolish to question the maturity level of someone who may be a fan of a character in a super hero comic book series that is clearly targeted at teens and younger kids. Whether you like to it admit it or not, Spider-Man is first and foremost meant to appeal to younger demographics." This doesn't mean he can't be featured in intelligent stories that are well written and which mature adults can appreciate. And the reason Devin's point holds true is because Carnage has never been anything other than an illustration that looks nice on a comic cover or splash page. Spider-Man is a much more fully realized character in absolutely every way and you made a comparison between the two because they both originated in the comics. Your first comment appeared to be more of the same tired refrain of "All adults who love comics are emotionally stunted". Many current comics suck copius amounts of ass (mostly because they are now targeted at the previously mentioned sadly stunted adult male demographic), but that was never the original point. The point that needs to be made here is that Carnage is a terrible waste of paper and Spider-Man, as you yourself said, "actually does appeal to a broader audience". Whatever audience Spider-Man was originally created for is entirely irrelevant. He appeals to many mature, socially functioning adults now. Carnage should appeal to no one capable of obtaining a driver's license. Otherwise, much of what you said in your second comment is true, and I completely agree with your last point. I love it when a good storyteller takes a shit character and creates something worthwhile. If that's what you originally intended to say, then I fully agree with you.

I commend Raimi on his decision to fight sony on this. I hated the 3rd spiderman because they threw in a villain that they knew all the fanboys would be wetting their pants over and it completely ruined the movie for me. I myself would love to see a more intellectual villian like Vulture or even Kraven. I must say I usually don't follow production news on movies but this time I will be following this closely to see how much pride Raimi truly has in this movie.

Raimi only came back for Spidey 4 because he knows everybody hates the last one and he wants to go out strong.'

Devin, you have a terrible gift for hyperbole. Everyone hates the last one? No. YOU hate the last one, and you project your vitriol on everyone else. i agree it was no Spider-Man 2, but keep your exaggeration in check, please. If it bombed, you'd at least have SOME credence for your claims.

MC4

Spiderman is a very juvenile character, but that was always his appeal. The character is a moral compass for younger readers. Moral in that really blase Judeo-Christian way, but ultimately more hero than super-hero. The kids could identify with someone who became powerful who was more like them than, say, Superman.

That being said, it's a silly character when you're past twelve.

Raimi is better off doing what he likes… Let some other shmuck be the corporate puppet, let it go Raimi. A movie is a collaboration of talents, but too many fucking cooks always spoils the meal, in any case.

#24 Umm no he's defiantly in the majority in that belief. Your going to have to back up that statement a little more. In what world does simply not bombing make it a good movie?

Wow. Someone is spilling major hate on this page. What's wrong with Carnage? He's basically just a cold-blooded psycho killer. I remember him from my childhood and still have fond memories. Who the fuck are you to tell me I need professional help?

Same with Venom. The most popular excuse these days is "Oh, Venom is so lame. He's so one dimensional. You can't use him and have the film taken seriously." Piss off. If you don't get Venom, its because you are not a long-time reader of Spider-man comics. He's been an iconic villain of the series since 1986. Chances are most readers of this site weren't even born yet. I remember Venom fondly. What Marvel has done to the character in modern times? THAT is the joke, THAT is the ruination of the character. Sticking Venom on Raimi, a professed Venom hater, was a retarded move on Sony/Marvel's part.

And btw, to stoop to your level momentarily:

Spider-man 3 not as bad as you've heard? THAT is a statement that defines a person in need of professional help. SM3 was an abortion.

Have a wonderful day.

@28
You said pretty much exactly what I scrolled all the way down here to say. The self aggrandizing cynicism in some of these posts and articles is the kind of thing I find pathetic.
Also, lol at calling an anonymous poster a coward……. seriously…..

Carnage got PWNED by The Sentry in the comics.
Weak bastard.