Even superheroes get the blues, as Spider-Man discovers
in this latest sequel during which he confronts a mutant made of
sand, a vengeful former friend and, ultimately, himself.
Cast member Tobey Maguire
smiles during the world premiere of 'Spider-Man 3' in Tokyo on
Monday, April 16, 2007.
Spider-Man 3 is packed with stunning special effects
such as the crumbling, morphing Sandman and an evil black suit with
a life of its own that brings out a person's dark side, but the
characters also show a complexity rarely seen in action movies.
In the sequel, Peter Parker, played by Tobey Maguire, is finally
enjoying life with the beautiful Mary Jane Watson, played by
Kirsten Dunst, when he discovers a mysterious suit that enhances
his power, but stirs hidden feelings of bitterness and revenge.
The ensuing battle between good and evil, revenge and
forgiveness, is played out in airborne superhero fights as well as
more mundane rows with friends and colleagues.
"To see Spider-Man cry so much was different," said Gerry
Penacoli, a critic for Extra entertainment magazine, after seeing
the Spider-Man preview in Tokyo ahead of the evening
premiere.
"It's more intense -- you still have great action but certainly
it's the deepest of the three. Kids and adults will learn so much
more from this than from a movie that's just wham-shezam," he
added.
The special effects were also a reminder of the production cost
of slightly more than US$250 million, making the movie a huge
financial gamble for Sony Corp.'s Columbia Pictures.
The gamble paid off for Spider-Man and Spider-Man
2, which grossed US$822 million and US$783 million,
respectively.
While sequels tend to do less well than the original movie,
Spider-Man 3 could draw new fans with its sophisticated
plot.
Launching the sequel in Japan, home to a huge community of
superhero comic fans, rather than the United States is also seen as
a shrewd push into the faster-growing international market that
could help box-office revenues.
Dunst, dressed in a floating pink chiffon gown, and Maguire were
greeted with screams of "kawaii" ("cute") by hundreds of young
Japanese at an open-air fan event before the premiere.
Fans braved cold weather and rain to listen to Maguire describe
what he called "the darker side of Peter Parker" at the futuristic
Roppongi Hills complex, where the movie was shown.
Maguire also named Tokyo as one of the few cities in the world
that was suited to Spider-Man -- a reference to the
superhero's habit of swinging from skyscraper to skyscraper,
weaving webs between towering buildings.
"If we do a fourth movie, we might need Spider-Man to come to
Tokyo," he said, prompting another round of enthusiastic
screams.
In a clever marketing move, Sony announced during the event that
the launch date would be shifted forward to May 1 in Japan, the
second-biggest Spider-Man market after the United
States.
The movie debuts globally on May 4. The movie's makers travel to
London on April 23 and then Rome, Berlin, Madrid, Moscow, Stockholm
and New York.
The movie will also open on Chinese mainland on May 2.
Initial reaction from Japanese viewers was positive.
"It's better than Spider-Man 2. He's more human,
there's more tension between Peter Parker and his Spider-Man
character," said Kumiko Hayashida, a critic who writes for
entertainment Web sites.
"The story is better, more psychological. And Japanese people
like animation, so they like this story because of the comic."
Spider-Man originated as a comic book hero and Marvel
Entertainment Inc. holds the rights to the character.
"Japanese women and girls like the male characters in comics and
superhero films because they are cool and strong, and men feel that
way too because they identify," said Yuki, a 20-year-old who
shivered as she waited for Maguire's appearance.
Scenes such as Parker and Watson lying on a giant spider's web,
watching the stars, are likely to please fans of
Spider-Man's romantic side -- and yes, there is a
reference to the hero's signature upside-down kiss as he dangles
from a thread.
And if Spider-Man 3 is a success, will there be another
sequel? Maguire has not commented on whether he would slip into the
Spider-Man costume a fourth time, but critics did their own
guesswork after the preview.
"I can't believe they'll leave it at that, it's left wide open
for another one," said movie critic Penacoli.
(Agencies via CRI.cn April 17, 2007)
