Don't Let The Studio Door Hit You On The Way Out

Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire have both released statements explaining why they are leaving the Spiderman franchise that they systematically destroyed with part 3.

I am so proud of what we accomplished with the 'Spider-Man' franchise over the last decade," Maguire said in a statement Monday. "Beyond the films themselves, I have formed some deep and lasting friendships. I am excited to see the next chapter unfold in this incredible story.


Working on the 'Spider-Man' movies was the experience of a lifetime for me," Raimi, who directed all three "Spider-Man" films, also said in a statement Monday. "While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job.

While Raimi took to the reigns with passion and an honesty for the character origins in the first two films, he turned in a completely pile of larks vomit with the third installment.

I should have known that it was going to be horrible when rumors began swirling that Venom would show up toward the end of the film. Having The Sandman as the primary villain was an interesting choice and I think he was portrayed somewhat faithfully by Thomas Hayden Church, but Venom was reduced to an ancillary character that was teased by a lackluster performance by Topher Grace. Anyone with even rudimentary knowledge of mid to late 80s Spiderman lore knows that Grace was a pathetic choice to play Eddie Brock.

None-the-less, the series is slated to continue, but I don't see this going anywhere else but down. This news is somewhat predictable to start with, as talks about Maguires bickering over the script and push back from the studio to make up for Raimi's hamfisted attempt during part 3 were obvious signs that someone was going to leave.

Toby Maguire's only two great performances were Wonder Boys with Micheal Douglas and Spiderman 2. Raimi should stick with horror and forget about ever making a comic related film again. This news for the Spidey franchise is both good and bad. Good in the fact that those that ruined the classic story for a new generation are now gone, but bad in that it had to end this way.