One universal truth in the world of cinema is that sequels will always be a tough nut to crack. Though there have been a handful of follow-ups that have arguably surpassed their cinematic originals — Terminator 2, The Empire Strikes Back and Aliens spring to mind — Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 can also be added to the list as it too helped buck the ‘inferior sequel’ archetype by delivering a bonafide classic in the superhero sub-genre.

‘But we’re here to talk about Spider-Man 3!’ I hear you shouting. Well, here’s the thing: I can safely say that Raimi’s third, and final chapter, won’t be joining the pantheons of greatest sequels of all-time, unlike its immediate predecessor. That said, I do believe that Spider-Man 3 deserves some love, too.

On that note, come join us as we take a look back at Raimi’s oft-maligned third entry into Marvel’s beloved web-slinging series. It may arguably be the weakest outing in the trilogy, but there’s still a whole lot to appreciate — as well as a few things that don’t quite stick the landing.

So, dust off those cobwebs and put your spidey senses to good use, as we dive into a few reasons why Spider-Man 3 isn’t anywhere near as bad as you remember it.