Peter Parker packs a powerful punch in this highly anticipated instalment of the Spiderman franchise. Spidey swings back into action and he’s brought his dark side with him – you can tell when Peter’s not quite himself because he combs his fringe forward in bad-boy-chic style. This change of heart for the putzy nerd occurs after an alien life form, largely resembling a sticky elastic band, knits him a new, black suit. Drawn from anger, it allows Spiderman to behave with uncharacteristic strength and venom – he even kills a man. OK, he actually kills the bad-tempered Sandman whom, as fate would have it, killed his Uncle Ben in Spider-Man 1. Meanwhile a cocky photographer wants his job, Mary-Jane wants to leave him and Son of the Green Goblin wants to finish him off. No wonder Peter’s feeling the pressure.

For much of its exhausting 156 minutes, Spider-Man 3 shows great promise. There’s enough room to examine Peter’s dilemma, both as Spiderman Red and Spiderman Black. There’s time to develop Sandman, Green Goblin 2 and introduce a third adversary. And there’s time to explore his sagging relationship with Mary-Jane. The production is crisp, pacing is well metered, aerial choreography is bewildering. Above all, it remains contextually credible. Peter is a normal guy struggling with an abnormal situation, the villains are given good reason for revenge even if their methods are extreme. They’re not evil for evil’s sake, and this ambiguity keeps it real. Ish.

So it’s distressing to see the final forty minutes simply collapse. As if reserving energy to cross the finish line, each character reverts to one dimension as plotting falls on old times: witness Mary Jane’s ‘shrieking woman in distress’ finale, lifted straight from Spider-Man 1. Then as each super-villain apologises in the blockbuster equivalent of a group hug, menace and meaning is sucked out of the film. Word has it that Sony have commissioned another sequel though one wonders if there’s enough spring left in Spidey’s suit to manage it.

// COLIN FRASER