JAPAN: Preparations are underway as Japan braces for the world premiere of Hollywood blockbuster "Spider-Man 3"

Japan is gearing up for the world premiere of the Hollywood movie "Spider-Man 3," which kicks off in Tokyo on Monday (April 16). Despite the drizzling rain, fans and reporters waited for hours for the stars of the movie to show up on the red carpet at a premiere venue in central Tokyo. Launching the sequel in Japan, home to a huge community of superhero comic fans, rather than the United States is seen as a shrewd push into the faster-growing international market that could help box-office revenues. On Monday morning, "Spider-Man 3" posters were plastered all over Tokyo's futuristic Roppongi Hills complex, where the movie was shown, and the initial reaction from Japanese viewers was positive. Critics say that "Spider-Man 3" is packed with stunning special effects such as the crumbling, morphing Sandman and an evil black suit that brings out a person's dark side, but the characters also show a psychological 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 black suit that gives him special powers, but also 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. The impressive special effects were also a reminder of the production cost of slightly more than 250 million U.S. dollars (USD), 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 822 million and 783 million (USD), respectively. After the premiere in Tokyo, the movie's makers are set to travel to London on April 23 and then Rome, Berlin, Madrid, Moscow, Stockholm and New York. The movie debuts globally on May 4.

ITN Source | April 19, 2007

Tags:. .preparations. .mary. .dark. .waited. .positive