Search - Spider-Man (Superbit Collection) on DVD

Amazing Spider-Man! Amazing Movie!

Savant11 | Canada | 05/05/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What can I possibly say but WOW! This movie is truly a dream come true for a long time Spider-man fan like me. Not only was the movie made but the movie was made RIGHT! Many directors and artists in Hollywood claim to be fans of comic book heroes, but when it comes time for them to actually put it together they fail miserably. But not here. Sam Rami is a TRUE Spider-man fan-- and he did what a true fan would do. He stayed true to the source and to the material. He captured the essence of Spider-man and his history. He didn't decide to pretentiously add his own mark like Tim Burton did with the laughable Batman movie. Rami stayed true to the comic. This is the Spider-man I read about month for the last 13 years.I really did not think that anyone could top the X-Men, but Rami has and I don't just mean because of the special effets. I also mean in terms of the plot and character development. This is not a long drawn out movie filled with pointless violence. It is a well plotted story that moves effortlessly from point to point. Who would have thought that so much could be fit into two hours? And the end, I won't give it away , but who on earth would have thought that it would have ended that way. Instead of going for the same old boring cliche Hollywood ending--Rami tacks on an original one which hints towards the future.Tobey Maguire was not my first choice to play Peter Parker. But boy does he deliver! I understand that he worked hard to get this part and boy does it show! He plays Peter just the way he was portrayed in the book! Kristen Dunst also was excellent,I did not think that she could pull off the part of Mary Jane. She's a lovely girl but not the super-model that MJ is in the comic book. But I was pleasantly surprised with what was done with the character.After being disapointed with the unseeminly endless rubish that Hollywood has produced lately I am now, in the words of Mr. Stan Lee, a true believer. Thanks Sam Rami for not butchering a character I consider to be like a brother and restoring my faith that there are film makers out there who actually care about film making!"

A review of Spider-Man Limited Edition Collector's Gift Set

adead_poet@hotmail.com | Beaumont, tx USA | 11/24/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, this isn't a review of the Spider-Man movie or dvd. It's a review of the box set: Spider-Man Limited Eidtion DVD Collector's Gift Set. (I'll do a review of the Spider-Man dvd at a later time) It contains two dvds: 1) the Spider-Man widescreen special edition, and while I'm not going to go into it in this review, it is a great movie and a great dvd; and 2) Stan Lee's Mutants, Monsters & Marvels, which I've reviewed under the dvd, so I won't go much into this dvd here. But it is a very informative interview. These two dvds pretty much make the gift set worth the price. It also comes with a few 'collector's items' which I leave to you to decide if they make it worth picking up the gift set or just buying the dvds. There's a reproduction of the Amazing Fantasy comic that first introduced Spider-Man. It's monetary value is null, since it is a reproduction, but it is nice to get a copy of our favorite web-slinger's first appearance. A bit juvenile, but valueable for the Spidey-fan. There's a piece of artwork by John Romita Sr, nice but doesn't add much to the set. And finally there is a film cell from the movie (when Spider-Man is dodging Goblin's bats in the burning building). Also nice to have, but I found these collector's items don't add much to the enjoyment of the dvds. I'd say the gift set is only valuable to the hard core fan. Otherwise, just pick up the dvds."

Someone Finally Does Justice To A Marvel Character On Screen

The Great Rocky Hill | Pittsburgh, PA USA | 06/16/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was afraid to see this movie. I was afraid that I'd be disappointed,afraid that this would be a farce or a live-action cartoon with no human interest and that it would kill everyone's perception of everything that the comic book medium could be.I wasn't sure about Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst being in the movie. I was concerned when I heard they were making Spidey's webbing organic and threw out the web-shooter idea. I became dismayed when I read that Roger Ebert only gave it 2 1/2 stars and at this point,almost had to be coaxed into seeing the film.You see,I'm a lifelong comics fan and Spider-Man is my all-time favorite comic book hero.I have grown-up with him. Peter Parker looks like me,and I've always felt that I was him. He was the first comics character I felt I could relate to. The comics have had their ups and downs creatively throught the years,but all in all,I've remained loyal to 'ol Webhead(J.Michael Straczynski and John Romita Jr. are really working wonders with the character these days) I almost thought we were going to see "Spider-Teen" or "Spider-Dude". I was afraid to see this movie.Boy, were Ebert and I dead wrong! There were minor problems with it,I felt,but overall,"Spider-Man" was everything I had hoped it would be:the best darn comic book movie ever made. Roger Ebert felt that the action sequences were fake-looking and said that "Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon" handled this type of superhumanity more effectively.I felt "Spider-Man" captured Spidey's actions perfectly. In the movie,Spider-Man and the Green Goblin have the fluidity in their movements that reminds one of the Lee/Ditko Spider-Man era. Spidey fights like he does in the comics(throwing guys around,double-punches,etc.)and the Green Goblin is as sinister, dangerous,and cunning as a large predator on the loose. The fight scenes are choreographed well,evoking the fantastic and the brutal all at once. Any comics fan will be reminded of the immortal "Death Of Gwen Stacy" storyline during the chilling,final confrontation between hero and villain.New York becomes a character in its own right. Watching the film,you really get the impression that Spidey owns the Big Apple.The city is like an old,familiar friend to him as he effortlessly swings from rooftop to rooftop,looking for vermin that would soil or irritate NYC and the good people who live there(the scene where all of the citizens start pelting the Goblin with debris and such almost brought a tear to my eye). "Spider-Man" is as much a tribute to New York and its residents as well as the comic book form and Spidey himself.I had been pulling for Freddie Prinze Jr. to get the role as Peter Parker,but Tobey Maguire's performance made me forget about all of that. Maguire evokes Parker's quiet,shy,sensitive personality perhaps better than any other actor out there and balances it masterfully with cocky,devil-may-care attitude of Parker's alter ego. Now, I can't imagine anyone else playing Parker other than Maguire.The same can be said for Dunst's Mary Jane Watson. I originally thought that she would have made a better Gwen Stacy(Parker's first true love in the comics). After seeing her as Watson,I became convinced that she was the correct choice. Dunst really tapped into the fun-loving,starry-eyed yet troubled working-class girl that MJ has always been. MJ's a flirt and a dreamer,and Dunst made her come to life(I wish she would have said the line "Face it tiger,you just hit the jackpot!" like she did in the comics,but oh well).I jumped for joy when Willem Defoe was pegged to play the Green Goblin,and Defoe doesn't disappoint. I was hoping that the filmmakers would build the costume and mask around Defoe's chisled visage(just look at that face,he is the Goblin! I love it!),however they opt for a "body-armor" look that works pretty well in its own right. Defoe's portrayal of Norman Osborne's madness is frightening. Defoe didn't turn the Goblin into a buffoon like others would have. Defoe's Goblin is deadly,swift,and truly an alter-ego. Defoe makes you believe that Osborne and the Goblin are two separate people inhabiting one mind. The Goblin mask speaks to Osborne,and Osbourne speaks back to it. He makes Osborne seem sympathetic,and in a way,almost tragic in the tradition of the great Marvel comics villains.Under different circumstances,Parker and the senior Osborne could have been like father and son,and Defoe as well as Maguire show that through their stellar performances.All of the other performances are great too. From James Franco's Harry Osborne(poor,little rich kid),to J.K. Simmons' J.Jonah Jameson(I wanted to see Dabney Coleman play him,but Simmons fleshes him out well),and even Randy Savage as Bonesaw McGraw(The Macho Man is jakked in this one!). Cliff Robertson's Uncle Ben is as loving as the comics character was,and Rosemary Harris turns Aunt May into the grandmother we all had or wish we had.My beefs about this picture are minor. The score was totally wrong for this one. Danny Elfman sounds like he was doing another Batman film by mistake. There is nothing quirky about "Spider-Man",and the music should have reflected this. Spider-Man was to me the first "rock 'n' roll" superhero. Think about it,he defies authority,debuted in the early 60's(a turbulent time in American history),gets chased by cops,is misunderstood by elders,is full of bravado,is a smart-aleck,and is loved by the people. I wanted to hear electric guitars instead of a bouncy,pretentious orchestra. "Spider-Man" is set in New York,not a fictional city like Gotham where Elfman's music fit in better. The Green Goblin's costume also takes some getting used to. Like I said before,I wished they would have taken advantage of Defoe's face(oh that face gives ya the willies,no pun intended). I would have rather seen a form-fitting mask,rather than the bulky helmet the Goblin is given here. I have always loved heroes and heroism,fictional and otherwise. "Spider-Man" only reinforced that adoration. Spider-Man is our folk hero,an American myth,our everyman,and I think is in everyone of us. Peter Parker is the kid who we think is geeky,but is cooler than we will ever know. Spider-Man is the mousy librarian who plays in a heavy metal band by night,the housekeeper with a bestselling novel in her head,the accountant who dreams of being a director,hell,the construction worker who dresses in drag and sings Ethel Merman tunes while off-duty. Spider-Man is rock 'n' roll,romance,youth,daring,creativity,and anything anyone ever wanted to be when they grow up. The movie made this all clear.I hate to admit it,but I'm finding myself getting as choked up writing this review as I did while watching the conclusion of the film when I realized that they actually succeeded in making my favorite hero of all time come to life in masterful fashion.Watching the movie made me take a look into myself and realize more than ever that I too am Peter Parker and Spider-Man or at least wish I was."Spider-Man" is a sometimes harrowing,but ultimately wonderful film. Everyone will find something to enjoy in it. The action fans will rejoice when the battles take place,the romantics will fall head over heels with the love triangle,and those who just plain like a good flick will come away wanting to cruise the skyline of their hometown via webstrands.I want to personally thank all who were involved in the making of this picture. "We"(meaning comics fans) really needed this movie to be excellent. Not only did you all deliver,but you all seemed to have the time of your lives while you were at it.I want to see a franchise. I want to see Jack Black as Dr. Octopus,Henry Rollins as Venom,Arnold Schwarzenegger as Kraven The Hunter,Kevin Spacey as Electro,Ben Kingsley as the Vulture,Portia de Rossi as the Black Cat,Ed Harris as the Scorpion,and I could go on and on.Go out and see this movie."

"SPIDER-MAN" a remarkable, action-packed popcorn flick

Ladd Wendelin | in NE USA | 05/04/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"True Believers! For one reason or another, you fell in love with Spider-man. Maybe it was the comic books, or the cartoon series. But in any case, you fell in love with the Web-head. You wanted to be him. Climbing walls, swinging high over the busiling streets of the city that never sleeps. It was intriguing, beguiling, a dream within a dream come true. And now, it's just that, a dream come true...Sam Raimi, along with the talents of Tobey Maguire, Kristin Dunst, and Willem Dafoe, all courtesey of the colorful imagination of Stan Lee, have created the best comic book movie adaptation (dare I say it, ok...) EVER! All your expectations are dashed and surpassed in over 2 hours of nothing but web-slinging action. I was totally blown away. Sam Raimi certainly had a definite vision for Spider-Man, and it shows. He faithfully recreates a hyper-reality New York City for Spidey. His execution of the mythos of Spider-Man onscreen is simply flawless. And in these troubled times, isn't this what movie goers and film buffs want? Pure escapist fiction, comic books superheroes and exploits come to life. Stuff blows up, and throw in some computer-generated images for the kiddies, and patriotism for 9/11. Character and plot development, (the tormented superhero, and average joe who must struggle with the great power he has acquired and the great responsibility that he must deal with) along with exceptional talent and a director with a keen eye for the action flick to boot. Simply, it's pure movie magic. You're a Spidey fan, and to see these characters come to life on the screen, in such an excellent manner, and it's just TOO much. I was estatic, the entire film. Spider-Man stands alone by itself a remarkable picture. Why criticize it when there's so much to love about it? Spider-Man has it all. Columbia Pictures, Sony, and of course Raimi and Maguire have their work cut out for them for years to come, both financially, and professionally. It's Spider-Man, the comic book, the hero, the man, come to life. Don't miss this exceptional movie!"