Spider-Man 3 on DVD

Does it live up to expectations?

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Thomas Hayden Church

Directed by: Sam Raimi

(12A), 139 mins, May 4 2007, United States

What's the story?
Bar one thing, everything is rosy in Peter Parker's life. He's about to propose to his gorgeous girlfriend Mary Jane and he's the unrivalled hero of New York City. The only obstacle holding him back from true bliss is his ex-best friend, Harry, who wants Peter – aka Spider-Man - dead because he thinks he killed his father. When Harry contracts amnesia it looks like Peter's problems are solved… until bad dudes The Sandman and Venom enter the picture.

Who's in it?
Tobey Maguire is understated, likeable, and amusing, particularly in a Blaxploitation mode iwhen Spider-Man goes bad (think heaps of kohl, fake tan and tight outfits that could have him pass for Jared Leto's brother). Kirsten Dunst is good as Mary Jane, despite there being no really romantic moments, and Thomas Hayden Church and Topher Grace are the unlikely choices for bad guys.

Liking?
The entertainment value. With touching performances and sets that look hand-drawn, this is a comic book tale that offers perfect escapism.

Not liking...
The naff quality. The first two movies had moral tales – these are comics after all – but this goes way overboard and dishes up the cheese. The story never quite gels and the action isn't on a par with the previous two films.

Extras
The two-disc Spider-Man 3 Blu-ray and two-disc Special Edition DVD offer fans more than six hours of all-new bonus material, including a six featurettes about the web crawler's greatest nemeses, and how they created the spectacular stunts in the movie. In addition, there is a Snow Patrol music video, and two audio commentary tracks with cast and filmmakers. 

Who would like this?
Anyone who wants to tie up the loose ends of the previous two Spider-Man stories, plus viewers partial to a touch of corniness.

Rating
3/5

Website
sonypictures.co.uk/homevideo/spider-man3

Buy Spider-Man 3 on DVD here