Spider-Man 3
Grade: B-

The third time is not the charm for writer/director Sam Raimi, who spins so many plot webs that you can barely tell who’s fighting whom by the final reel. Thanks to the $258 million budget there’s no shortage of eye-popping special effects, and there’s a smattering of standout performances from James Franco, Rosemary Harris and Bruce Campbell. But tossing three villains into the mix has a curiously dampening effect on the action, and Peter’s journey to the “dark side” is too goofy to be even remotely menacing. Lastly, Peter’s stuttering romance with Mary Jane climbs to new heights of insipidness.