Spider-Man 3

Spider-Man turns bad and has a blast doing it, in Sam Raimi's second sequel to his 2002 hit. Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is now at ease with his alter ego and the public adoration it attracts, leaving girlfriend Mary Jane (a sympathetic Kirsten Dunst) constantly neglected. Events are complicated when contact with a parasitical alien substance brings out Spidey's dark side and exacerbates a personal vendetta against one of the tale's three villains, Sandman (a molecularly displaced Thomas Haden Church). Visually, this comic-book spectacle can't be faulted, with eye-popping effects intensifying a clutch of exciting set pieces. However, the self-indulgent running time and cluttered plotline frequently render the scenes in-between unfocused and plodding. Raimi works hard to compensate, contrasting the characters' repetitive emotional angst with a fun dose of fanboy-friendly humour. But the overall magic remains diluted, making an enjoyable picture fall short of greatness.