For those craving no-strings-attached action, Director Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 has disappointment written all over its spandex-clad characters. The special effects are there, but so are the classic one-liners, dialogue chocks full of life lessons and the ongoing love story between Spiderman/Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) and Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst). Beyond the characterizations that defined the previous two movies, Spider-Man 3 offers several new villains, including the Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Venom (Topher Grace). The Sandman unleashes his powers when inflicting destruction and evading capture. Venom is particularly unsightly, with an uncanny resemblance to one of the creatures from the Alien movies. These newcomers serve up both super-human powers and a thirst for destruction, and yet somehow express distinctly human desires. In short, Spider-Man 3 attempts to fuse action with the sentimentality of a classic drama.

The film goes as far as to incorporate a religious thread that for me undermined the pure frivolity of Spider-Man the comic. When a film promises action, explosions, fight scenes and computer enhanced special effects, sentimental plot lines are only appreciated if they are well- executed. For those expecting Spider-Man the greater-than-human action flick, not Spider-Man the life-altering drama/romance, be prepared for utter disappointment. Lines such as “I’m not a bad person, I’ve just had bad luck,” punctuated by the quivering jaw line and tear filled eyes of one of Spider-Man’s foes, do not have the intended affect. While a film based on a comic book character is expected to deliver a little cheese and the occasional contrived one-liner, Spider-Man 3 loses points for delivering one too many. The film fails to balance the frivolous with the profound.

Despite failures at substance and truly inspiring plot points, the film has its moments where the larger-than-life acting and corny dialogue are an asset rather than a detriment. At one point in the film, Spider-Man comes to resemble an emo version of himself. Think Spidey a la Pete Wentz of the band Fall Out Boy. Adorned in eyeliner, side bangs and a snazzy getup, Maguire’s hyperbolic performance adds a much-needed comedic flare unique to this chapter of the Spider-Man series. Ultimately, Spider-Man 3 delivers a formulaic comic-strip action film with enticing special effects and a showdown between superhero and mortal enemy. For those unwilling to forgive sugarcoated sentimentalism, this film is not for you.