"Spider-Man 3"
Rated PG-13
Now playing
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THE PLOT: In this latest installment of one of the most successful movie franchises in history, our favorite human arachnid is a very busy boy. Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) struggles to hold on to his relationship with true love Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) as classmate Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard) puts the moves on him.

Meanwhile, alter ego Spider-Man battles a slew of new baddies: Flint “Sandman” Marko (Thomas Haden Church), possibly the real killer of his Uncle Ben; Eddie “Venom” Brock (Topher Grace), a resentful rival photographer; best friend Harry Osborn (James Franco), avenging his father’s death as the New Goblin; and an alien symbiote that’s threatening to take over the famous Spidey suit.

(Photo: Tobey Maguire is a busy superhero in "Spider-Man 3." Credit: Columbia Pictures.) 

PUTTING THE COMIC IN COMIC BOOK MOVIE: Departing from the more dramatic first two movies, “Spider-Man 3” has a somewhat humorous tone, with hilarious bits like a spoof of “Saturday Night Fever.”

Unfortunately, in choosing this approach, director Sam Raimi has weakened some of the genuine emotion and strong character development that has made the series so wonderful and different.

“Spider-Man 3” is just a smarter, wittier version of the clichéd “action and punch-line” superhero flicks such as “Ghost Rider,” a problem that similarly plagued the third installment of the “X-Men” movies, another great comic book trilogy.

A NEW PERSPECTIVE: Another change for “Spider-Man 3” is film-geek Raimi’s use of unconventional, post-modern techniques usually seen in student films and not in summer blockbusters. Flashbacks, quick cuts, altered color and other experimental choices combine with the spectacular, eye-popping fight sequences to create a cool and distinctive visual style.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The “Spider-Man” films are a whole other class of comic book movies. But as simply a good movie, this latest chapter can’t stand up to its brilliant, character-drama-in-an-action-setting predecessors.

-- Alexei Koseff, Palo Alto High