What a tangled web he weaves

A sneak preview of the third movie in the series that8217;s already the most anticipated movie of the season

Perhaps you8217;ve heard that web-slinger Peter Parker Tobey Maguire is returning for a third round of romantic problems, friendly misunderstandings and8212;oh, yeah8212;battles against mutant villains intent on destroying New York. That8217;s right, Spider-Man 3, reuniting Maguire with co-stars Kirsten Dunst and James Franco and director Sam Raimi, opens in May. Here8217;s a sneak peek at a few things to expect.

The plot
Peter and Mary Jane are happily dating. At first. Things grow tense when her acting career starts to fall apart, while Peter8217;s head swells over the city8217;s hero-worship of his red-costumed alter-ego. Meanwhile, escaped prisoner Flint Marko gets caught in a physics laboratory accident and becomes the shape-shifting Sandman. A bit of black ooze from outer space attaches itself to Peter and gives him greater power8212;but not for the good. A freelance photographer named Eddie Brock wants to replace Peter at the Daily Bugle. Oh, and Harry has learned how to operate all those Green Goblin gadgets, and plans to use them to kill Peter in revenge. Yes, it8217;s a lot of plot to cram in, even with the movie8217;s ample running time of 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Thrills and spills
A faulty construction crane slams through the top of an office tower8212;and sends Peter8217;s classmate Gwen Stacy hanging by her fingertips 62 stories in the air. The big climax finds one beloved character stuck in a taxi hanging hundreds of feet above the pavement while Spidey and a cohort battle two villains simultaneously.

Coolest effect
The CG animation for the Sandman, who can be small enough to be blown through the sky on a breeze, or become a granular behemoth several stories tall.

Spider-Man? Dances?
Did you hear that Broadway director Julie Taymor is planning to direct a Spider-Man musical, with tunes written by U28217;s Bono and the Edge? Well, the new movie almost feels like a bridge to that project. Actress-singer Mary Jane has two songs. Peter struts down the streets of New York like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, then performs a dance number in a nightclub.

Main themes
The dangers of arrogance whether the normal human kind or amplified by a symbiote from outer space and the power of forgiveness. Oh, one other thing: If you8217;re in a relationship, learn to listen to your partner instead of spending all your time yakking about yourself.

Where can you see it?
Everywhere. In a reader poll for the most anticipated film of 2007 on the website boxofficemojo.com, Spidey beat both Pirates of the Caribbean: At World8217;s End and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Steve Murray NYT