The weather outside may have taken a turn for the worst over the past few days but inside your local cinema summer has well and truly arrived with the release of 'Spiderman 3' - the first of the big summer blockbusters.
In its first weekend 'Spiderman 3' has been doing huge business at the local box office and the film, starring Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, has been playing to full houses all over the bank holiday weekend.
It's hard to believe this is the third outing for Maguire as 'Spiderman' - an unlikely hero I'll grant you.
When the film opens Parker is doing what he does best - being a geeky nerd. Parker loves his girlfriend Mary Jane Watson (Dunst), enjoys his work - both as a freelance photographer for the 'Daily Bugle' and as being Spiderman - and travels around the city on a moped.
The film also wishes to point out that Parker is getting a bit big for his Spiderman boots, in that his ego is now so big that he cannot see what is happening in his own life around him.
So self absorbed is he that Mary Jane doesn't even tell him when she gets fired from a starring role in a Broadway production, instead turning to Parker's one time friend Harry.
After a enjoyable start, featuring a breathtaking duel between Spidey and Harry (son of the Green Goblin, who is attempting to avenge the death of his father), the film starts to pick the pace up and tries to cram an awful lot of material into the next one and a half hours.
A mysterious black material lands on earth in a meteor and attaches itself to Peter Parker forming the black suit. But this material is dangerous and, when wearing it Spiderman has all his usual powers but is even stronger and comes with a darker side than you would normally expect from your 'friendly, neighbourhood Spiderman'.
A professor in Peter's college, who examines the black material, warns him that it appears to amplify emotions and that it shouldn't be allowed come into contact with humans.
When Parker pushes his sweetheart Mary Jane away, though his own arrogance, he realises that he is losing control and the black suit certainly doesn't seem to be helping matters.
When Parker decides enough is enough, and tears off the black suit, it attaches itself to rival photographer Eddie Brock who turns into a dangerous and powerful enemy called 'Venom'.
Once again donning his trusty red, white and blue Spiderman suit (Spiderman is a fully paid up, flag waving, American patriot, don't you know) he goes to old friend Harry and asks for help to fight these dangerous characters.
Directed by Sam Raimi 'Spiderman 3' is an incredible visual feast of high flying, death defying action set on the street, in the subways, and in the skies over that most American and iconic of cities - New York.
The action, and there is plenty of it, is truly breathtaking and the set pieces are more than worthy of the price of admission.
Tobey Maguire is still an unlikley hero but, as we know, superheroes are meant to be a bit nerdy - during the day at least.
Kirsten Dunst does all she has to (including scream a lot) as MJ while the rest of the cast are suitably over the top, comic book character creations that certainly make the kids laugh loud and laugh often.
Without comparing this to the previous two 'Spiderman 3' stands alone as spectacular, high flying entertainment for all, and something tells me there is more life in this franchise yet, should all the main protagonists wish it to continue.
