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 (f