Spider-Man 3, (Cert 12A, 140 mins) Stars: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Bryce Dallas Howard, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Rosemary Harris Directed by Sam Raimi
LET’S face facts, not everyone is a fan of comic book heroes, those ridiculous characters with flashy costumes and superhuman powers who in real life are little nobodies. But for those who are, the good news is that Spider-Man is back for a third blockbuster outing and battling even more villains – including himself.
Spider-Man in his web-decorated, tight-fitting costume acts, well, like a spider, by spinning ropes from his body and swinging around the big city skyline, giving the bad guys a bad time.
He is also Peter Parker, press photographer for the Daily Bugle, a geeky type who is planning to pop the question to his long-time girlfriend, Mary Jane.
Director Sam Raimi has returned to the franchise and also contributes to the script which packs in numerous storylines to give Spider-Man actor Tobey Maguire plenty to get his acting teeth into.
Like superheroes before him, Spider-Man is taken seriously by his creators, and Maguire has to cope with plenty of angst before the final credits.
Curiously, at the start of the movie, he is more relaxed, having become comfortable with his superhero status and ready for marriage with Mary Jane (played again by all-American girl Kirsten Dunst).
She, however, is having problems in her stage career, one that gives Dunst an opportunity to exercise her singing voice in the film.
But matters soon go haywire as they do for escaped convict Flint Marko who gets caught up in a scientific experiment that goes wrong and who finds himself changed into Sandman when his DNA gets caught up with sand particles. He is also able to change his shape.
Sandman is played by Thomas Haden Church (so good in Sideways) and one thing the film can boast is a good cast doing their best to make sense of what really is a lot of silliness.
He is a pretty tough opponent but Spider-Man learns of his connection to the death of his Uncle Ben and is determined to catch him.
Then some black oozing stuff comes out of the sky and starts changing things around.
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