Spider-Man: Superbit DVD Review

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Title: Spider-Man: Superbit

Region: One

Genre: Live Action Superhero Dramatization

Stars: Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson, Rosemary Harris, Ted Raimi, Randy Savage, J.K. Simmons, and Bruce Campbell

Writer: David Koepp

Based On The Marvel Comic Book By: Stan Lee and Steve Ditko

Director: Sam Raimi

Feature length: 121 minutes

Extras: Exclusive Feature Length Audio Commentary With Actors Tobey Maguire and J.K. Simmons

Languages: English DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical Surround Sound and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound

Subtitles: English Captions and Closed Captions and French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai Language Subtitles

Sound: DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical Surround Sound and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound

Chapter Stops: 28

U.S. Distributing Studio: Columbia Pictures

Home Video Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera

With “Spider-Man 2” due out in theaters in about a week at the time of this writing, I have turned my attention to the original film on DVD with Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment’s “Spider-Man: Superbit” DVD-Video. The “Superbit” release of “Spider-Man” is actually one of two DVD-Video releases timed to tie into the theatrical release of “Spider-Man 2” on Wednesday, June 30, 2004. The other DVD release is the “Spider-Man: Deluxe Edition,” which features the original “Spider-Man: Widescreen Special Edition” two-disc set that was released back in 2002 and a separately packaged third “All-New Special Features” disc and both are housed within a glossy cardboard slipcase. Both the “Superbit” and “Deluxe Edition” of “Spider-Man” are available now at retailers on and offline from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, but they are sold separately. I was going to review both releases together, but decided it would be better to do two separate reviews so expect the DVD review of the “Deluxe Edition” to be posted presently.

As with other “Superbit” DVD releases, “Spider-Man” is given nearly an entire dual layered disc devoted to delivering the best possible picture and sound quality available on the format. It has been awhile since I have watched Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” and the immediate element that struck me about the film was just how bright it is. The colors are truly vibrant on this new DVD and the level of detail at times is astonishing. Yet despite the enhanced look of the film, “Spider-Man” never loses its sense of being grounded in New York City instead of some fictional place and yet it stays surprisingly true to the comic book too. The film also handles the background exposition in such a way that regardless if you are familiar with the character in comic books or are just a casual viewer, there is nearly no denying that this is one entertaining film. The two hours just goes by so fast that before one knows it the film is over and yet it is still a satisfying experience. I think I enjoyed watching “Spider-Man” more with this “Superbit” DVD release than I have ever before.

Some films that include “Spider-Man” are movies where one truly appreciates the bonus features, but not every film on DVD that features bonus value materials are something that I would listen to or view over and over again so I like the “Superbit” series in part because it delivers what in the end is the most important aspect of any DVD release and that is great picture and sound quality. Now that doesn’t mean that I think all DVD-Videos should be released as movie-only discs. I have multiple versions of the some films in my personal library because of the extra features that I cherish and wish to preserve and that includes having both the “Spider-Man: Superbit” and “Deluxe Edition” DVD sets, but as noted above, in some cases just having the movie on disc is fine with me.

The English DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical Surround Soundtrack is aggressive and definitely superior in my opinion to the Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack as it was presented in the 2002 “Widescreen Special Edition.” The Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack on the “Superbit” edition is also more vibrant than the previous release and therefore benefits from the expanded space to encode it. The picture quality is so good that CGI effects that did not look too CGI before seemed quite animated this time around, but that is nothing to hold against the filmmakers and the DVD authoring since any film dates much faster now more than ever before because of the fast advances in special effects. English Captions and Closed Captions for the hearing impaired and French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai Language Subtitles are encoded onto the DVD as options too.

Exclusive to this “Superbit” DVD release is the addition of a feature length audio commentary featuring Actors Tobey Maguire and J. K. Simmons. This commentary was recorded before the production of “Spider-Man 2” as can be heard by the speakers during the commentary. Maguire has a humble and somewhat laidback tone that mixes well with Simmons comments. Both discuss the location shooting and various scenes as well as working with the filmmakers. Humorous to note is Maguire’s comments on Sam Raimi’s ability to control a large crowd of extras and his own off-screen involvement in the wrestling scene, throwing things at Maguire with zest. Overall this is something that should have been included in the original DVD release, but since neither Actor was available it is understandable why their comments were recorded at a later date and it is nice to finally have it on DVD. There is also a Hollywood Movie Money Ticket good for free admission to “Spider-Man 2” at participating theaters for a limited time.

As a companion to the original DVD release or just as an addition to one’s DVD library, “Spider-Man: Superbit” is a great demo disc worth checking out.

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