Spider-Man 3

The arachnoid superhero and his alter ego Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) are on a roll—Spidey secure in the affections of New York City, Peter in those of lissome Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst)—but clouds gather in the form of Peter’s apparent neglect of Mary Jane, and the advent of new villains (too many, in fact, played by James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace and some crawling tar from outer space). Director Sam Raimi’s new entry (co-written by Raimi, his brother Ivan and Alvin Sargent) gives the first pesky hints that the blockbuster franchise is running out of steam. Still, the movie’s emotional core, the romance between Peter and Mary Jane, is strong, thanks to the invincible screen chemistry between Maguire and Dunst—and to Raimi’s acuity in casting them in the first place.