THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
(2012, Blu-ray released November 9, 2012 – MSRP $55.99)
THE FILM:
- “Teenage social outcast Peter (Andrew Garfield) spends his days trying to unravel the mystery of his own past and win the heart of his high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). A mysterious briefcase belonging to his father, who abandoned him when he was a child, leads Peter to his dad’s former partner, Dr. Connors. The discovery of his father’s secret will ultimately shape his destiny of becoming “Spider-Man” and bring him face to face with Connors’ villainous alter ego, the Lizard.“
WHO SHOULD BUY:
I think it’s a pretty safe bet that most Marvel fans will love The Amazing Spider-man. I loved a whole lot of things about it, but as a film, too damn much of it feels derivative and sloppy to totally hand my heart over.
Not only do a lot of story and character beats feel like deja-vu from the previous Spidey-trilogy but a handful of critical plot points – and even one of the main characters – just up and vanish at random points in the film. Scouring through the Blu-ray set leads me to believe there were a bunch of last-minute re-writes and re-shoots involved in the structure problems, most likely to serve story points that provide tenuous connective tissue to future sequels. Larger, overarching narrative points that I suspect I won’t give a flying fig about. But hey, that’s Hollywood, right?
Let’s not dwell on the lame-o big-business backstory, the mystery of the missing boss-man and the bland-as-ass Lizard villain that could have and should have been great. Allow me to briefly sing the praises of the Amazing parts of the new Spider-man film instead – the actors, the costume and the action. Every scene between leads Garfield and Stone is pure gold and really anchors the whole affair. In fact, each and every performance is exceptional, with Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Denis Leary and Rhys Ifans particularly great. The revisions to the Spidey costume and the way it eventuates Garfield’s long, lean physique really help sell the physicality of the character in a way that shorter, stockier Tobey Maguire was never able to. Lastly, the action is well thought out, more visceral than ever before and all around super fun. The Amazing Spider-man falls far short of perfection but certainly has enough going for it to warrant a watch.
THE BLU-RAY DISC:
I’m not quite sure what to say about the massive 4-disc Combo Pack edition of The Amazing Spider-man Blu-ray. My preferred viewing option is the 2D Blu-ray disc, which is damn near perfect, in both its pristine 1080p transfer and muscular, dynamic DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. But this movie was filmed in 3D and meant to be seen that way. It’s just that the 3D on the disc isn’t that effective. Or perhaps it’s just a question of my 3D home viewing experience. Honestly, I’m still not sold on the format on the whole and can’t really get into it. Audio is the same excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track on the 3D disc.
The ridiculous amount of bonus goodies in this disc set make it totally worth the purchase price, even if you’re not sold on the film itself. The Second Screen tablet app is a separate (free) download but a wonderful supplement to the must-watch feature-length making-of doc, entertaining and informative commentary track with director Marc Webb and producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach and collection of surprising deleted scenes. There’s so much here to explore and enjoy, you’ll spend hours discovering every behind-the-scenes nook and cranny spread across the four discs.
3D/BLU-RAY/DVD COMBO PACK SPECIAL FEATURES:
Disc 1: 3D Blu-ray
- 3D version of the film
- 3D 101 with Director Marc Webb
- 3D Image Progression Reel
Disc 2: 2D Blu-ray feature film
- The Amazing Spider-Man Second Screen App, including interviews, storyboards, alternate takes, costume tests, pre-visualization sequences and more. Allows you to “sling” content from your tablet to the TV.
Disc 3: 2D Blu-ray featuring 90 Minutes of Behind-the-Scenes Documentaries, including:
- Development and Direction
- Casting
- Costumes
- On Location: LA
- On Stage: Sony Studios
- On Location: NY
- Post Production and Release16 Pre-Visualization Sequences
Disc 4: DVD feature film
- Deleted Scenes
- Filmmaker Audio Commentary
- The Oscorp Archives – Production Art Gallery
- Stunt Rehearsals
Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack Special Features:
