The Spider-man films have been a real turning point in comic adaptations. While not slavishly sticking to the original storylines, they have kept them in mind, and what has translated most clearly to the screen is the enthusiasm that the production team have for Spider-man and his world.

The first film succeeded in laying the foundations for the franchise without dulling its own effect. It was an exciting, fresh film that for the first time took you web swinging through Manhattan and showed you a spider's eye view of New York. The second built on this by developing the regular characters themes and also retelling the sad tale of Otto Octavius; it achieved these aims with aplomb and resulted in an exciting, breathtaking film that quickly joined the limited ranks of sequels that surpass their predecessors.

Anticipation for Spider-Man 3 has been high indeed, particularly in my household. It is sad to report then that this latest venture was, while not a failure, certainly not a qualified success. The problem is that the film gives itself too much hard work to do; and in this perhaps Raimi & Co.'s enthusiasm has back-fired. It takes as its subject matter not just Peter's love triangle with MJ and Gwen Stacy, but also the rivalry with Eddie Brock, the creation of Venom and Flint Marko, and the culmination of the ongoing story of Harry Osborn's obsession with destroying Spider-man; who he believes to be responsible for his father's death. If that reads like a long list, it's because it is. Juggling so many strands it's surprising that it manages to spin them together effectively, largely without showing the author's hand. Indeed it is only in the climactic yet improbable team-up of villains that events seem contrived.

However, what is less surprising is that none of the listed plots are explored in the depth they deserve. Gwen Stacy is superfluous and the inclusion of her father, a cruel tease for fanboys, is entirely pointless. Mary Jane, at the centre of events and pivotal to the plot, is given less to do than in preceding films and comes across as selfish and whiney. Whilst these can be traits of the character, it does seem unfair on Kirsten Dunst after two strong turns.

The Sandman, here with an added sob story tacked on and then forgotten, is a great character who is used only for visual effect and in the already mentioned unlikely team-up with Venom. Eddie Brock is one dimensional, and his fusion with the symbiote suit will make sense only to those who fill in the blanks with their knowledge of the source text. As for the alien itself, it appears to be named only in the end credits and apart from some staggeringly accurate guesses from Dr. Connors (another continued fanboy tease), nothing more is learned about it. A further irritation is that it is destroyed at the end, meaning either an awkward resurrection or no return appearances.