Spider-Man 3 — Forgiveness is on the minds of many characters this time. They ponder if they’re capable of offering it, worthy of receiving it, and whether it will ultimately prove divine. In that spirit, audiences may want to forgive director and co-writer Sam Raimi for creating a bloated, uneven behemoth with his third instalment in the hugely successful comic-book franchise. (The film is so feverishly anticipated, however, and the entire series is so revered, that any critic’s opinion is irrelevant at the box office. Nevertheless, let’s press on.)

Spidey the Third seems like an even greater letdown following Spidey Part Deux, which was the rare sequel that surpassed the original and, in retrospect, is looking better all the time.

This time, Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) must battle human foes Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) and Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) and their alter egos, the Sandman and Venom. He’s still at odds with old best pal Harry (James Franco) as well as Harry’s souped-up super self, the New Goblin. And Peter, as Spider-Man, must fight his own dark urges when a pesky black goop attaches itself onto him of all people — what are the odds? — bringing out his worst tendencies. PG-13. — Little Theatre“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” — It’s way too long and massively convoluted and ultimately just plain silly. But still, it’s a lot of fun. The third movie in the freakishly successful “Pirates” franchise feels substantial and looks impressive and fulfils the hype surrounding it in a way the other thirds — Spidey and Shrek — haven’t so far. Having said that, it is, of course, a giant meandering mess that leaves you feeling as if you’ve been tossed about on the high seas for three hours, but theoretically that’s also part of the allure of these movies. As for the plot — not that it ever matters — this one’s more confusing than ever. Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) must rescue the wily Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) from the purgatory of Davy Jones’ Locker, where he wound up last year at the end of “Dead Man’s Chest”. They also must round up the Nine Lords of the Brethren Court, hoping their combined power can stop the Machiavellian Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) from ridding the world of pirates. PG-13 — Liberty Theatre