Overstuffed sequel doesn't make a lot of Spider-sense

With his "Spider-Man" franchise, director Sam Raimi pulled off an impressive hat trick, placing his films in the rarefied company of "The Godfather," "Star Wars," "Blade," "X-Men," "The Terminator" and even his own "Evil Dead" series: trilogies whose second films are better than the first but whose third installments are the worst of the bunch. "Spider-Man 3" (Sony, 2007, PG-13) is a muddle, with too many villains, too many subplots, and too many chaotic fights whose victor isn't clear until he lands on his feet.

Much of the wealth of extra stuff jammed onto these two discs are strictly promotional, from featurettes to outright ads. Much better is the cast commentary, in which the stars of this solemn enterprise get to let their guard down a bit and have fun. The rest focuses mainly on the special effects, meant to be a rush but more often than not coming off simply rushed. It just goes to show no amount of technical know-how will overcome a weak script.