"Spider-Man 3" shows soul-searching superhero (Reuters)

Launching the sequel in Japan, home to a huge community of superhero comic fans, rather than the United States, was seen as a shrewd push into the faster-growing international market that could help boost box-office revenues.

Over the next week and a half, the film will also have gala openings in London, Rome, Berlin, Madrid, Moscow, New York and Stockholm in a marketing plan aimed at seeing "Spider-Man 3" do as well at the box office as its predecessors, which collectively grossed $1.6 billion.

In an interview with Reuters Television on the red carpet at the Tokyo opening, Maguire said he loved the latest film. "It's very different than 'Spider-Man 2.' It's a whole different movie. I think we did a good job in continuing the stories that we set up in 1 and 2, but moving further beyond that, and using our experience to try to make a better film."

Maguire has tried not to give any hints as to whether he would star in a "Spider-Man 4" if there was one. But that didn't stop him from telling fans that Tokyo was one of the few cities in the world 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 told a group of cheering fans before the premiere.

"Spider-Man 3" stays true to the series' tradition of stunning special effects, but it is also a darker, more psychological film than the other two in the series.

In the third, Peter Parker (a.k.a. Spider-Man), played by Maguire, is finally enjoying life with the beautiful Mary Jane Watson, played by Dunst, when he discovers a mysterious black suit that gives him special powers, but also stirs hidden feelings of bitterness and revenge.

What follows is a battle between good and evil, revenge and forgiveness that 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, 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 $250 million, making the movie a huge financial gamble for Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news).'s. Columbia Pictures.

While sequels tend to do less well than the original movie, "Spider-Man 3" could draw new fans with its sophisticated plot, some film experts said.

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," he added