Rating:  -
SPIDER-MAN 2 is one of the best movies ever, in my opinion--lots of heart, great characters, great writing, great action, great moral to the story, great performances and special effects! So I am a little disappointed with this 2007 DVD release of the 2.1 version.
This review is for the 2.1 DVD version of SPIDER-MAN 2. It is INFERIOR to the original DVD/theaterical version because the 8 minutes of new footage often REPLACES original scenes, (not just adds new footage), and the replaced footage is always best the original way!
The new footage rates okay to great, as long as it does not replace any original scenes, in my opinion. So this 2.1 version of SPIDER-MAN 2 is interesting, if you really know the original version, then you can try to catch what is different. Sometimes it is just an added line of dialogue, sometimes it is a complete scene. This is all good until they start pulling out the original scenes choices and replace it with this "new" footage. The original scenes were better.
I think they also monkeyed with the timing of many scenes, which now feel too rushed.
The best stuff on this 2.1 DVD is the ADDED stuff (not the REPLACEMENT stuff). You get a scene with MJ talking with her friend about marrying the astronaut, and the perfect kiss from her fantasy man (as seen in SPIDER-MAN 1, and referenced again in SPIDER-MAN 3). There is a brief scene when J. Jonah Jameson puts on the found Spider-man costume and pretends in his office. There are 11 extra seconds of the Doc Ock fight with Aunt May at stake, where Spidey and Doc Ock break through a window and pound on each other while a woman watches in fear.
There are also many more brief additions of minor dialogue and brief footage. My favorite is when they first show Peter Parker hanging his tired head in his dumpy apartment. In the original version the scene stops there--depressing surroundings, but in the 2.1 version, they briefly end the scene with Peter reaching to turn on his police scanner radio, to monitor for some criminal action for Spidey to get busy with! This changes the tone of the scene immensely, in that being Spider-man is saving him from the dreariness! I like the added police scanner shot, and it also appears again, more often, in SPIDER-MAN 3! Cool!
A strange piece of dialogue added is when MJ and Peter are talking in Aunt May's backyard, and MJ says she is seeing someone now. In the original, Peter asks if it is like a boyfriend, but in the 2.1 version, first he asks if it is therapy, then he asks if it is a boyfriend. This is cool because you get more without losing the original, though it is a strange comment!
Sometimes things seem rushed and the timing is off, or small, little things are replaced.
A major scene that ANYBODY will recognize as being completely REPLACED (and not as good as the original) is the scene on the elevator, when Spider-man meets the guy walking his dog. This is a completely different conversation, more dumb than funny, and you completely lose the original conversation which actually was funny.
The Director's Commentary is with producer Laura Ziskin and writer Alvin Sargent. (NOTE: Kirsten Dunst in NOT included in the Director's Commentary, though some information online says she is). This Director's Commentary is pretty interesting, with some fun trivia and insight into the writing and production, despite the absence of the actual director and any actor from the film.
The bonus disk is okay. Not too long, not too short. If you like Making Of documentary stuff, then here is about an hour's worth.
If you have never seen SPIDER-MAN 2, then get the original version on DVD before getting this 2.1 version! But, if you already own and love the original version, then get this 2.1 version and watch it with a friend, and have fun pointing out and finding the new stuff.
Rating:  -
I love to be proven both right and wrong at the same time. I was a bit underwhelmed with the original film although it was pleasing enough and I was happy to see my all-time favorite comic-book icon swing onto the silver screen, but I did predict that this series of films could improve with time as the core elements were all there, but I never ever thought they would produce such a fantastic film as this one. The original cast, which was great, returns bringing more depth to their roles. Tobey was great as Peter Parker, but his voice-over Spider-Man had a lot to be desired. His sense of comic-timing, a Spidey trademark, was way off and unconvincing as was the CGI Spider-Man. Those issues have been put to rest.
Maguire IS Parker/Spider-Man! The CGI effects are enormously improved upon and now very believable. The show-stopping scene of the runaway train is nothing less than jaw-dropping. To beef up the believability factor we get numerous scenes of a real stuntman and Spidey without his mask on which allows us to feel more for Maguire as a character and hero.
The problems with the over-top-acting of Willem Defoe as the Green Goblin villain is brushed aside with this new villain that is marvelously played by Alfred Molina. We honestly like this guy when we meet him and feel great empathy for his disasterous turn. The effects involving his character are perhaps the best ever created for a comic-book transfer to film villain. You just can't believe your eyes. It's astounding.
I do not know how they will top this one, but this is arguably the very best comic-book to film ever made. It does everything a film should do and then some. It does everything a sequel is supposed to which is continue the storyline in a believable manner. Again, it does that and then some. It leaves the audience wanting more and that is the highest compliment any audience or reviewer can say about a film. BRAVO!!!!!!
Rating: -
This is one of the few times that the sequel out shines the original. Alfred Molina gives a great performance as Doc Octopus and the special effects are simply amazing. Frankly, Im not a huge fan of Maquire, but his bug eyed nerdiness works ok as Peter Parker, but as a fan of Spiderman when i was a kid, i really imagined Peter Parker as hotter than Mr. Maguire, I mean a nerd can be sexy, right?..well, Maguire keeps threatening to quit the series, so maybe we will get a hot peter parker for #4, anyway, this movie works on all levels, and i was in awe of the special effects. If you liked the first Spideman, you will love this one..and if you didnt like the first one..give this one a try, it's better and i just saw the third one..and i liked it...Topher Grace is good as Venum, as is Church as Sandman, special effects rocked as usual and Maguire, though dorky as ever, was very funny in parts, but im still not sold on him as Peter Parker, im surprised his eyes dont bug out of his head.
Rating:  -
We all know how great Spiderman 2 was, it included one of the classic villains from the comic in an excellent adaptation of the original story delivering a movie that was indeed better than the first one. So I will base this review on the extra scenes and the DVD specs and not the movie itself.
Disc 1
This one includes the movie with 8 minutes of bonus footage, this footage is not shown separately as `deleted scenes', instead, the scenes were added to the movie so we can consider this an extended edition of the film.
- Peter's birthday party is extended. Here, we see Peter and Harry going over Harry's issues with Spidey and the death of his father.
- The elevator scene in which Spidey talked about his costume was replaced with another that I personally didn't like, the new one feels awkward and not as spontaneous as the original.
- MJ at the shoe store. Mary Jane talks about love and the kiss she got from Spidey with a friend.
- Two fight sequences are extended; in the one in which Dr. Octopus takes aunt May hostage, a new bit in which they both crash into an office through the window and fight inside was added. Also, the train sequence has new bits of Spidey and Dr Octopus fighting while hanging besides the train.
- Jonah Jameson wears the Spiderman suit while the staff looks amazed, a quite silly scene that I understand why it was originally removed.
Bottom-line, the extra 8 minutes do not add anything to the movie; they are tiny bits that were originally removed for a reason. If you are a Spiderman fan and a collector you can get this for a very decent price, if you liked the original and expect to see major changes, the 2.1 version will only disappoint you.
The movie includes a trivia track with a lot of information about the comics, the actors and the movie itself; if activated, it will also show you behind the scenes during the movie. The movie screen will be minimized in the lower left corner to show the behind the scene footage in the full screen. Presented in English, French and Spanish (all three in Dolby Digital 5.1) and subtitled in the same three languages. It includes also an audio commentary by Laura Ziskin & Kirsten Dunst.
Disc 2
The features included here are more oriented to promoting the third movie of the hero. There is a sneak peek for the "Spider-Man 3" movie, which is basically the same scenes from the original trailer plus some interviews with the cast. I rather watch the last trailer for the movie but that one is not included here.
There is a `Inside 2.1 Featurette' that describes the process of completion of the scenes, ironically the last comment in this featurette says that `the movie the people will remember will be Spiderman 2 and not the 2.1 version'
Another preview for the video game is also here, but when you see it you'll see that it was added just to justify more features in the disc. Also, a look at Danny Elfman composing the music for the Spiderman saga is shown as part of the special features.
Rating: -
This extended was actually pretty good. The specials were great. The only real major problem I had was in said in the description that it would have a link to download the Spiderman 3 game PC demo and there was no of this in site on either disc. What gives?
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