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)