Peter Parker has finally managed to strike a balance between his devotion to Mary Jane and his duties as a superhero. However, a storm is brewing on the horizon. When his suit turns jet-black and enhances his powers, it transforms Peter as well, bringing out the dark, vengeful side of his personality. Under the influence of the suit, Peter becomes overconfident and starts to neglect the people who care for him most. Forced to choose between the seductive 'darker side' and the compassionate hero he used to be, he must overcome his personal demons somehow and face two of the most-feared villains, Sandman and Venom.

Everybody needs a hero, be it an alien being wearing tights with a cape (Superman), or a rich mogul with a lot of toys (Batman), or even an average girl who can regenerate herself like The Cheerleader in TV's "Heroes". In this third instalment of the "Spider-Man" movie saga, we're served the same affair of the city being hounded by evil-doers, and it's all up to one friendly neighbourhood 'Spidey' to save the day.

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), now having gone through what we've seen in "Spider-Man" 1 & 2 movies respectively, is living the life of a dream. He has a beautiful girlfriend by his side. As Spider-Man, he is revered by the city as a hero for fighting crime and saving people's lives daily. Although he still stays in a dodgy little apartment, and still has that freelance photography job at the Daily Bugle, he's a happy man.

However, problems soon arise, when Parker finds himself caught up with his fame as Spider-Man, so much so that he begins to revel in it at the cost of his love, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst). One morning, he wakes up to find himself in a new black suit, and discovers that an alien-like symbiote has merged itself into his suit, creating the new look which is a flashier, stronger - yet - darker Spider-Man. Parker soon exhibits a darker personality too, in keeping with his suit, and begins to change, not just where his alter-ego is concerned, but as an individual - pushing Mary Jane to the brink.

In the midst of all this, Parker is dogged by more problems. Word is out that the real man responsible for the death of Parker's uncle, Ben, is Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), who has just escaped from prison and is now loose on the streets. Digging deep into his darker side, Parker goes after Flint for more than just revenge; Parker wants to exterminate him, only to find that the ex-convict has somehow become The Sandman.

More chaos occurs when Harry Osborn (James Franco) takes up the mantle of his father as the new Green Goblin. Out for revenge for his father's death, which he believed was caused by Spider-Man, Harry pursues Parker at every turn of the corner - creating havoc, and pushing Parker into finally embracing his darker side.

Now at the losing end, Parker must find a way to destroy his enemies, and sever his link to his alien symbiote - but ends up creating a new enemy when the symbiote lands on Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), the new guy at the Daily Bugle who is out to replace Parker as Spider-Man's photographer, thus creating Venom whose hatred for Spider-Man runs deep.

The beginning credits of the film showed freeze frame snippets from "Spider-Man" 1 & 2, giving a little background history for the viewers before delving into the third movie. However, the movie was above-average. I felt that there were parts that were too slow, and could do with a little bit less character development. There were too many stories and new characters, compressed into the 2 hours and 20 minutes on-screen. Although there were some exciting bits, there were also the drab, slow, and unnecessary scenes. With such a huge storyline, most parts became a little jumbled - and sort of 'everywhere-at-once'.

Sam Raimi has brought different facets to his characters, be it in producing his TV series ("Hercules", "Xena"), or his movies ("Army of Darkness"). "Spider-Man 3" is no exception, showing that good and evil are no longer as simple as black and white. Behind every character, there's a story to be told.

The main story here, however, should have concentrated on the Venom/Eddie Brock character development; the reason given for his character embracing the new symbiote doesn't hold much water. However, Raimi has spent too much time revealing the story of Flint's life, before emerging as the Sandman.

Venom seemed very puppet-like, and wasn't really scary - looking more like Spider-Man in a black suit, with fangs. It was nothing impressive, and didn't seem that venomous; unlike the symbolic original costume in the comic strips. Topher Grace's acting is rather wooden, bringing to mind his character as Eric Forman on TV's "The '70s Show". As much as one would like to believe that Eddie Brock here has embraced his evil nature by being Venom, it's hard not to laugh when he talks like his mouth is stuffed full of teeth.

There are some genuine laughs, especially when we see J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) controlling his temper (which any major fan would know is hard for him to do!), and when Parker becomes the new, hip, flashier Parker, grooving his way through with the ladies and even standing up to his boss! Look out for a cameo from Stan Lee, who as usual makes an appearance here, with a line to say; and Sam Raimi's brother, Ted Raimi, who has a role in almost all of Sam's produced or directed movies/TV series.

After a while, it gets a little bit tiring when you know you can predict what's going to happen before every scene. The fight sequences are, as usual, impressive, yet, it lacks the smoothness and excitement of the first two movies. The action sequences, when it appears, are still exciting, and sometimes gripping; yet doesn't last very long before the movie drags you kicking and screaming back into the boring scenes.

The third instalment of the "Spider-Man" franchise takes the movie into "Star Wars" territory, with Spidey getting 'seduced' by a 'dark side'. This seems to have come the way of Superman - in the form of a meteor of gooey black silk that crashes onto Earth from another galaxy.

Now, if you are thinking that the script-writers are rummaging in the 'box of movie cliches' for plot ideas, yes, "Spider-Man 3" can be rather predictable, and even a little long-winded. However, director Sam Raimi has upped the ante in the special effects department and his awesome sequences of the shape-changing Sandman would probably blow you away. If, somehow, you feel disappointed with the plot of this sequel, it is probably because Raimi had made the two predecessors so fantastic that expectations inevitably run high for this one. No, "Spider-Man 3" is not disappointing. It just gets bogged down a bit by a heavily-laden plot, repetitive sequences and some recurring jokes...

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) seems to have everything going for him and his girlfriend Mary Jane (Kristen Dunst). He has been given a special ring by his Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) so that he can pop the question to MJ at a posh French restaurant. However, a blob of black goo drops from outer space, latches on to his Spidey suit and generally fouls things up for him by enhancing his powers and corrupting his ego. From here on, his relationship with MJ hits the proverbial rocks.

If that is not bad enough, he has to contend with escaped convict Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) who transforms into the formidable shape-changing Sandman; wrestle with his buddy Harry Osborn (James Franco); and ward off Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), the new photographer at the Daily Bugle who is also changed by the black goo into the nasty Venom.

Fighting three villains - and himself - may be too much for Spidey but it can also be a strain on the movie as Raimi seems to be trying to cramp everything into the plot. With so many things going on, we are distracted from the main characters, especially the juicy love triangle among Parker, Mary Jane and Harry Osborn.

Some of the other subplots are equally engaging, like Parker's tryst with his beautiful course-mate Gwen Stacey (Bryce Dallas Howard). However, it also gets the short shrift when it is quickly dismissed so that Spidey can get to other matters at hand. Yeah, if we feel letdown, it is because Raimi gives us glimpses of such delectable plot dishes, only to take it away before we can digest them. While he had maintained a wonderful balance between stunts and story-telling in the first two efforts, he seems to be in quite a hurry here.

The saving grace is the cast, though. Maguire and Dunst have definitely grown accustomed to their roles - and each other - and it is delightful to see them together again. Church and Grace have fleshed out their roles convincingly as 'accidental' villains, and many of us would feel pity for them. Ms Howard also proves she is not just 'eye candy' and has made good use of the little on-screen time she has. The only one who looks rather 'lost' is Franco, the poor rich boy who can never get the girl or anything he wants.

There is no doubt "Spider-Man 3" will do well in the summer box-office stakes. After watching the 'origin' of Sandman sequence, you will realise that Raimi and his crew have made good use of the budget. Welcome back, Spidey!