David Zucker, the man behind such landmark comedies as Airplane!, The Naked Gun and Scary Movie, joins writer-director Craig Mazin for another outburst of hit-and-miss parody.

This time he is aiming his scattershot attack at cinematic superheroes, particularly Spider-Man, as nerdy high-school student Rick (Drake Bell) gains bizarre superhuman powers after being bitten by a genetically enhanced dragon-fly.

The gags come fast and frequent enough to make up for the inevitable longueurs. Veteran Leslie Nielsen shows how coarse, crazy comedy should be played, while Christopher McDonald savours the scenery as the villain of the piece.