In this third installment of the blockbuster Spider-Man franchise, moviegoers continue the foray into the mind of Spider-Man’s (Tobey Maguire) alter ego, Peter Parker. It is a dark and dangerous journey; though not without humor.  

Photojournalist Peter Parker (AKA in certain circles as Spider-Man) has decided to ask actress/singer Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) to marry him. M.J. knows that Parker is Spider-Man, and one night as they star gaze, suspended in a romantic web, a meteorite plunges to earth and lands conveniently close to Parker's motorbike. Creepy black goo emerges from the rubble and attaches itself to the bike’s wheel. Parker and M.J. are otherwise engaged and don’t notice. At that moment duty calls for Spider-Man and Peter Parker misses his chance to propose.  

Harry Osborn (James Franco), Peter, and M.J. (all three characters appeared in Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2) were long time friends. That was until Harry’s father, wealthy industrialist Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe, whose other guise was the Green Goblin from Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2), tricked his son into believing that Spider-Man killed him. Osborn actually took his own life but Harry is convinced that Peter, whom he knows is Spider-Man, did the deed. Now he’s out to avenge his father’s death. Harry is the New Goblin, complete with deadly weapons and a bad attitude. 

That symbiotic ooze from the meteorite attaches itself to Spider-Man’s signature red and blue super-hero suit, gradually changing it to menacing, midnight black. Spider-Man begins enjoying his celebrity on a different level when he saves a screaming model (Bryce Dallas Howard) from a crumbling skyscraper. When their Spidey kiss lands on the front page of the newspaper, M.J. is jealous. Peter Parker also sports a new attitude, complete with a new wardrobe and a swagger in his stride, along with the constant need to be the center of attention.  

Spider-Man’s exploits become more sinister, and photographer Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) captures them on film. Peter unleashes a threat against Eddie and ultimately Eddie emerges as Venom, a predator who is uncomfortably close to Spider-Man. 

Spider-Man 3 takes fans for a spin on the wild side of the web. There are villains aplenty, which may be one drawback, especially for the younger crowd. But the greatest challenge comes from within the web master himself, Spider-Man.  

Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) morphs into Sandman, a giant, shape-shifting mass of sand, capable of destruction as a solid wall of fury or a wind storm of loose granules.  

Delightful supporting cast regulars have returned as well. Rosemary Harris is back as Peter’s beloved Aunt May. J.K. Simmons again plays Peter’s irascible Daily Bugle newspaper boss, J. Jonah Jameson, and he brings laughs as soon as he appears on screen.  

Sam Raimi has directed all three installments of the Spider-Man saga. He and Ivan Raimi have written the screenplays, this time with Alvin Sargent, from a story based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.    

Spider-Man 3 is an amazing collaboration of art and science. The production design and costumes are fantastic. Scott Stokdyk’s visual effects team created memorable characters, capable of breathtaking feats. The battle between Spider-Man and the New Goblin had fans dancing with anticipation in their seats. 

Together, Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 have grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide. There’s speculation that with advertising thrown in this production might top out at a cost of $500 million. That is a tremendous amount of money and creative, make believe mayhem to distract us earthbound types from our own true-life global issues. That’s one way to know that summer is here.