SPIDERMAN 3(12a) Superhero tale comes unstuck as comic characters spoil plot

All movie trilogies have difficulty coming up with a satisfactory ending. You have only to look at The Godfather, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars - which got it wrong twice! - to realise that a third instalment of the Spider-Man saga has a lot of history against it.

The problem is compounded by the fact that the second Spider-Man film was a classic and still remains the benchmark by which all other films of this type will be judged. Any film would struggle to live up to that.

Very little of what went on in Spider-Man 2 is referenced here where the emphasis, courtesy of a credits sequence catch-up, is on the events of the first film.

When we join Spidey he is a national hero, especially in New York which has taken him to its heart. His relationship with his girlfriend Mary Jane has reached the point where a proposal is in order, and even his rivalry with Harry Osborn, son of his arch enemy The Green Goblin, will shortly dissipate.

This is a film about triumph and disaster. Just when Spider-Man is at his peak in terms of public adulation it all goes wrong. A space parasite arrives on the scene along with a new super villain, The Sandman, and the combination of the two is about to send Spider-Man's world spinning out of control.

That the film has to tinker with his origin to make things go wrong is the first sign of trouble. Spider-Man's origin has survived virtually untouched for almost 50 years - a rarity in comic-book terms - and messing around with it suggests either a franchise that is too big for its boots, or a film in a desperate search for a plot.

It turns out to be a little bit of both. Making The Sandman responsible for Uncle Ben's death doesn't make sense but what's worse is that the revelation turns out to be almost irrelevant.

All it does is provide Peter Parker with the rage that the space parasite can feed on, thus producing the cool black Spidey-suit we see in the posters. Other than that the revelation does nothing so surely they could have found another way to rile him.

This parasite will eventually turn into the super villain/monster Venom and it really has no place in the film. As I understand it, the producers wanted Venom in the film to keep the comic book fans happy.

Director Sam Raimi had to be convinced and he was right to have misgivings. The trilogy was conceived as a superhero relationship story about the triangle between Peter, Mary Jane, and Harry and the secrets they have between them.

When Venom comes into that mix it is like the proverbial bull in a china shop. There's nowhere for this character to go and at the end we still don't know what happened to him. The Sandman sort of slinks off as the film fizzles out.

The introduction of other characters, such as Gwen Stacy and her police captain father, similarly fail to add much, other than ticking boxes for comic book geeks.

Spider-Man 3 is reputedly the most expensive film ever made, so you can be assured that the effects look great. But it lacks heart. Also giving the tonally-challenged Kirsten Dunst two musical numbers and turning Peter Parker into Buddy Love from The Nutty Professor suggests that it also lacks cohesion.

Tobey Maguire has been terrific all through the series and is on top form here. No-one can quite capture the giddy excitement of the zero who becomes a hero like he can, but even he can't extract Spider-Man from the tangled web this film turns into. Director: Sam Raimi Running time: 139mins THE UPSIDE OF ANGER(15) Costner chemistry works a treat

Writer/director Mike Binder has the rare distinction of having two films in town in the same week. He also wrote and directed Reign Over Me.

Both films show Binder as a talented but limited director who writes wonderful characters. You would struggle to find a false line in either film.

Again it is a story about people connecting. In this case it is newly abandoned housewife Joan Allen and her neighbour, a former baseball star played by Kevin Costner.

She has descended into drink-fuelled bitterness at the thought of her husband doing a runner with his Swedish PA, Costner likes to drink to numb his increasing sense of failure.

They are an odd couple but it turns out to be a winning combination, as first she, then her four daughters, warm to the new man in their lives.

When you see Costner like this it reminds you why he became a star. He is a talented, engaging actor with an enormously likable screen presence.

He generates an instantly believable chemistry with Allen who, sparing Meryl Streep's presence, must be the best actress working in the movies currently.

These are beautifully written, intelligent, believable characters played by two actors who relish the opportunities presented by roles like this.

The final twist may feel contrived but there is still a lot to enjoy in this elegant family drama. Director: Mike Binder Running time: 117mins BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA(pg) Escape to a magical land

While I understand the need for counter-programming, I cannot understand why any child would want to see anything other than Spider-Man 3 this weekend.

All credit to Icon Distributors therefore for a game attempt at an alternative with this version of a much-loved American children's book which is less well known over here.

It's the story of a pre-teen couple - Jess and Ellie - who are rivals at school on the running track. Away from school they become fast friends and find their secret refuge in the imaginary kingdom of Terabithia, where they crown themselves King and Queen.

The film shifts into literal CGI renderings of this magical land with effects that are technically excellent but creatively a little dull.

Then, as all good children's stories should, it shifts into darker territory, leaving parents with explaining to do.

The performances from the young leads are good and the film is satisfactory. But with Spidey around I suspect most kids may find this film in a month or two on DVD. Director: Gabor Csupo Running time: 95mins FAST FOOD NATION(15) Not much food for thought

Eric Schlosser's book on which this film is based was shocking and fascinating. It was the literary equivalent of a motorway pile-up; you were horrified but there was a morbid fascination about the excesses of the fast food industry.

The film version is a much tamer beast. The message is that junk food is just that, and that in anything other than moderation it's bad for you.

Well, d'uh!

Greg Kinnear is the manager of a fast food chain who discovers tainted meat in his burgers so he sets off on a voyage of discovery.

It aims to be Heart of Darkness in the fast food industry instead it spends almost two hours telling you what you should already know. Director: Richard Linklater Running time: 112mins GOYA'S GHOSTS(15) Not in the frame for an Oscar

I suppose when you have One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus under your belt you're allowed the occasional dud.

Milos Forman's handsome but empty period piece takes a very long time to advance its central argument that torture achieves nothing.

Some scandalous paintings by Goya (Stellan Skarsgard) are at the heart of this impressively mounted piece. They come to the attention of the Spanish Inquisition which targets Goya's friends for torture.

First up is his muse (Natalie Portman), then his confidant (Javier Bardem). It very quickly descends into a much more expensive version of Monty Python's Inquisition sketch.

By the end the film hasn't proved anything that any right-thinking person didn'tknow before they came in. Director: Milos Forman Running time: 113mins