In Defense Of: “Spider-Man 3” (2007)

The Sandman’s Transformation Is One Of The Best Scenes In The Whole Trilogy

Sure, Venom may’ve felt a wee bit tacked on, but The Sandman undoubtedly feels like the centrifugal force that Raimi envisioned at the heart of his movie (he also wanted Ben Kingsley to play a supporting role as Vulture, but that idea was cut early in pre-production). Though Flint Marko (played by the terrific Thomas Haden Church) and his small time crook character arc is a little on-the-nose, the pivotal scene in which the infamous villain is brought to life is, in a word, fantastic.

When Flint Marko accidentally falls into an experimental particle accelerator (that ol’ chestnut), his molecular structure binds itself with the swirling sand that surrounds him, gifting him the unique ability to shape-shift. His transformation is a poetic one. As he grasps for his daughter’s pendant — a symbol of the sole motivational force in his tragic, lonely life — it fittingly slips through his sandy fingers. This is the catalyst that gives Flint the impetus to solidify the sand within his body and morph himself back into his human form.

Add to this Danny Elfman and Christopher Young’s brilliant orchestral collaborative score for Sandman’s theme, and you have one of the most emotionally impactful scenes in the whole trilogy. Poetic, tragic and heartfelt, The Sandman will forever be one of Spidey’s most sympathetic villains, second only to Alfred Molina’s incredible Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2.