Spider-Man [WS] [Special Edition] [2 Discs]

Some have criticized this two-disc special edition of the mega box-office smash Spider-Man, but those pans are way off base. In reality, there is little, if anything, wrong with this DVD. To begin with, the visual presentation, framed at 1.85:1 and anamorphic (yes, there is a full-frame edition out there to confuse consumers), is near perfect. Detail is solid and colors are vivid. In addition, the darker scenes, a crucial element of the film, are stable, with no signs of breakdown. The auditory part of this set, presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital (in both English and French) is both aggressive and crisp. Dialogue is never washed out by sound effects, while at the same time, the use of those effects with the surround speakers is generous. The real marvel of this disc though are the special features, and they are plentiful. The first disc, with the movie, not only contains subtitled facts about the production and the history of Spider-Man, numerous television spots and theatrical trailers (for this and other Columbia/TriStar films), and bibliographies for the main cast, but also two full-length, scene-specific commentaries, one from director Sam Raimi, co-producers Grant Curtis and Laura Ziskin, and star Kirsten Dunst and the second from visual effects producer John Dykstra and his team. The second disc continues the supplements. Divided into two sections, "The Web of Spider-Man -- The Comic" and "The Goblin's Lair -- The Movie." As you might have figured, the first section covers the history and mythology of the comic book series. There is a documentary from the comic book artists over the years, a comic book archive of Spidey over the years, galleries for the villains and the girlfriends, and more. The second section covers the film, with a nice documentary on the making of the film, with plenty of behind-the-scene footage, and an even longer E! Entertainment television special called "Spider-mania." In addition are a couple of very short screen tests, profiles on director Raimi and composer Danny Elfman, a gag reel, and plenty of conceptual art and production paintings. If this all weren't enough, also included are a number of DVD-ROM features for each disc, including the ability to create your own commentary. There is plenty here to please any fan of this film, from those that grew up with this classic comic book character, to those that are newly introduced.