Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco.

Director: Sam Raimi

It's finally here, and it's such a bag of fun. At two hours plus -- which is too long for a superhero film -- Spider-Man 3 is still so enjoyable because unlike last year's Superman Returns, this one doesn't forget that what we really want to see in a superhero film is some fantastic action and some superb stunt scenes.

And that's not missing in Spider-Man 3 even though it's packed with romance and comedy and lots of emotional drama.

Now the film opens with Spider-Man having become a New York celebrity -- everyone loves him because he's the saviour of the city, turning up every time and everywhere that he's needed.

Peter Parker is in a happy relationship with Mary Jane and he's even thinking of popping the question. That's when it all goes wrong.

In Spider-man 3, our superhero finds himself confronted by three enemies. There's Flint Marko who'd murdered Peter Parker's uncle, who turns into the formidable Sandman.

There's Venom, the evil creature that Peter's professional rival Eddie Brock turns into, and there's Peter's best friend Harry Osborn who's seeking revenge from Spider-Man for the death of his father.

In addition to these three, Spider-Man battles his own inner demons when he's inhabited by an alien parasite which turns his spider-suit black and brings out his worst side.

As you can see, there's a lot happening in this film -- MJ sings, Spidey dances, and every single one of them cries. You could be the party pooper here and apply logic to the film, in which case none of it will make any sense.

But please remember, that's not how you judge a superhero film. The idea with films like these is to suspend your disbelief, and if you do, you'll enjoy the ride. Let's face it, the Spider-Man movies work because the hero at the heart of the story is a character you can totally relate to.

He's the geek in your class, the guy who never has any luck with girls, he's the fellow you borrow your study notes from.

Now, he suddenly chances upon these superhero powers, and it changes his life forever. Because inherently he's the good guy, he's not about to use his powers to steal money or harass people. No, he uses his powers to do good. That's who Spider-Man is. And that's why we love him.

Now in Spider-Man 3, director Sam Raimi once again explores the human side, he questions what would happen to a guy like this when his head swells up with pride. I think one has to appreciate the fact that the Spider-man films have always stayed very true to who is inside that suit -- a simple guy with simple dreams.

Even if the villains are cartoonish, and even if the film's packing in too much all at once, it's still a film that won't bore you. Most of all I think you'll enjoy the big climatic battle between Spidey and his villains -- it's the film's biggest moment.

Also how can you not laugh at those bits when Spidey goes bad -- when Parker gets darker, as I like to call it -- that whole scene in which Peter Parker swaggers around the city, and then that scene where he breaks into that dance at MJ's jazz club -- it's such a riot.

I do agree the film is too long and twenty minutes shorter would have been just perfect, but having said that, I didn't want to leave the film because I was never bored. I'm often accused of being more lenient towards Hollywood movies, I'm told I prefer American movies to our good old Bollywood films and I'm sorry I don't agree with that.

Let's be honest here and let's face it -- there's a basic standard of quality that almost all Hollywood films meet, whereas the same can't be said for all Hindi films.

Aesthetically and just on a basic technical level, their films are far superior products. And that's not just because they have much bigger budgets, it's because there's a lot of thought that goes into those films.

Anyway, we're not here to get into a debate about Hollywood versus Bollywood, we're here to talk about Spider-Man 3. I'd loved the first Spider-Man film and didn't think the second one was too great, but the third is definitely an enjoyable watch.

So I'm going to go with three out of five for Spider-Man 3, it's a good film, in fact it's exactly what you'd expect from a superhero film. It's got explosions and fights and dazzling set pieces.

Go with a big bucket of popcorn, get a comfortable seat and prepare to be entertained!

Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)