Spider-Man 3: The Way Early Review!

Let's get right to it. Spider-Man 3 is off the chain! I had a blast last night at the screening at the Grove in L.A., and E! rolled deep, as always (shout-outs to Señor El, J Ked, Ms. Mallorie, Catt Sadler). Also, lots of respect for Avi Arad, the mind behind Marvel movies, for playing it low-key and posting up outside to hear peoples' reactions. That's a man of the fans. One love, Avi, one love.

We were all so gassed to see this, and for a change, we weren't disappointed. It's not perfect. It's not the best of the three (the original still holds the crown). It won't be the finest film at the theater this summer (at least, I hope not!). However, it delivered on everything I asked for.

Some people tend to hate sequels, threequels and prequels—maybe because they're not as emotionally invested in the characters. Still, if I had a dollar for every person who came up to me and said, "I don't even remember the second one, but I still want to see the third one," then I would have maaad dollars.

I, for one, geeked out and watched the first two again recently (recommended, people), and I came up with a few simple requests for director Sam Raimi and the cast of Spider-Man 3. Here's how they delivered on every single one:

1. Make Venom the S--t:  As loyal Daily 10 watchers know, I'm a fan of Topher Grace. Of all the castmembers from That '70s Show, he's got the best shot at a long and prosperous movie career (more than Ashton, for real). I didn't know if he was right for the role going into it, though. But after seeing his transition from a newspaper photographer to a maniacal alien monster, aka Venom, I'd have to say he was born for this part. The kid grew up on comic books, specifically Spider-Man, and approaches the role with an insecure confidence. What I mean is: Dude nails it. The way the dark substance enters the earth and first tries to consume Spidey, and then Topher's character—it's just f--king cool.

2. Shoot at New NYC Locations:  I couldn't believe it, but there it was, in one of the flying sequences in the first 20 minutes: the street where I grew up! Literally, across the street from my childhood apartment on 57th Street, in midtown Manhattan. Right there, in Spider-Man 3. Unbelievable!

3. Don't Turn Sandman into Two-Face from Batman Forever:  I was so pumped for the villain, Venom, and the emergence of Harry Osborn (James Franco) as the next Green Goblin that I feared Thomas Haden Church's Sandman would be out of place. Superhero flicks can pile on the bad guys too deep, you know?Hardly the case. Church's transformation sequences and his fights with Spidey are some of the best special effects I've ever seen in a movie.

4. Step Up the Visuals:  Really? Did Ben just ask the filmmakers behind the Spider-Man franchise to crank the effects? In the words of the great producer and studio chief Robert Evans, "You bet your ass!" The first Spider-Man was back in 2002, and the technology has exploded since then. They raised the bar the first time around, and they did it again here, especially with the final all-hands-on-deck battle and a sweet Sandman versus Spider-Man tussle in the back of a truck.

5. Make Kirsten Dunst More Likable:  This is no easy task. She's a talented actress, of course, but the Spidey films have never given her enough to do. She goes back and forth between Peter and Harry until she's captured by the bad guys and used as a trap. Kind of the same thing happens here, but she shows a different side of Mary Jane. She's fallen on hard times after having thought she made it big, and that's very humbling for any young person (trust me, been there).

In the first two films, it's all about Peter putting M.J. on a pedestal, looking up at her. This time around, she's having the jealousy issues. When she needs Peter the most, he's soaking up the sun as Spider-Man, even kissing a woman he saves in an accident, played by Bryce Dallas Howard.

(One quick thing about Howard. She looks so different in every film, she has officially become unrecognizable! Honestly, she could walk right past me in Blockbuster, I could be in line about to rent Lady in the Water, and I would have no idea the girl on the box was right there in front of me. Very cool thing she has going on.)

6. Please, Don't Make Spider-Man 4:  Not to say this film is bad, because it is anything but; it's the perfect blend of hard-core action, intense character development, incredible visuals and inspiring subject matter. But I don't see what is left to tell or to prove. I would hate to see the franchise tainted with fourth and fifth installments that don't work like the first three. If Raimi, Dunst and Tobey Maguire aren't on board, as they've been hinting, then I'm not either.

Go out on top. With a film that works, that delivers and that reminds you of your childhood and why you fell in love with going to the movies in the first place.