Spider-Man 3 Review

The webbed wonder swings back onto our screens for the third time in this mega-budgeted comic book adventure. But can director Sam Raimi keep the momentum of Spidey's excellent previous outings going? Well yes and no, because while "Spider-Man 3" is bound to thrill multiplex audiences, hardcore fans may be left feeling a little unsatisfied.

The movie opens with Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) on a high - New York has taken Spider-Man to its heart and he's on the verge of proposing to Mary-Jane (Kirsten Dunst). But it's not long before three super villains, the desperate Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), the vengeful New Goblin (James Franco) and the power hungry Venom (Topher Grace) are terrorising the city. And Spidey's got his own problems when his dark side begins to bubble to the surface.

Packed with special effects and huge battle sequences, "Spider-Man 3" is certainly not a bad movie. Maguire has really grown into the role over the years and the dynamic between him and Franco has real tension, while JK Simmons is on fine form as grouchy Daily Bugle editor J. Jonah Jameson. But even with the films two hours twenty minutes running time it does rather feel like Raimi has tried to cram too much in, and as such the characterisation that made the first two movies such winners has been overlooked in favour in more baddies and more bang for your buck. Also some of the new additions, especially Bryce Dallas Howard's Gwen Stacey, feel pretty two dimensional.

There's no doubt that "Spider-Man 3" is going to be a huge success and plenty of people will love it. But you can't help but wonder how much better it might have been had Raimi trimmed down the baddie quota by a third.