Spider-Man 2 Special Edition

In SPIDER-MAN 2, the latest installment in the blockbuster Spider-Man series, Tobey Maguire returns as the mild-mannered Peter Parker, who is juggling the delicate balance of his dual life as a college student and a superhuman crime fighter. His life becomes even more complicated when he confronts the brilliant Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), who has transformed into the maniacal and multi-tentacled "Doc Ock" and kidnaps MJ (Kirsten Dunst). As a result, Spider-Man must swing back into action as the adventure reaches new heights of unprecedented excitement. The movie was praised as "the best superhero movie ever," thanks to a bigger budget, better special effects, and a dynamic, character-driven plot, making it a notch above its predecessor in terms of emotional depth and rich comic-book sensibility. Director Sam Raimi's affinity for the material brings the story to vivid life, as Molina delivers an outstanding performance as a tragic villain controlled by his own invention.

The DVD features two commentary tracks, with the first featuring director Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire, and producers Avi Arad and Grant Curtis. The second commentary is by six members of the Oscar-nominated effects team, focusing on how Doc Ock's arms were achieved with a combination of puppetry and CGI. The second disc includes a two-hour documentary covering the development of the story, visual effects, costumes, stunts, and sound and music, as well as shorter featurettes discussing Peter Parker's struggle between his personal and hero lives, Doc Ock, and the women in Spider-Man's life, which also delve into their impact in the original comic books. Additionally, there's a scene with three different camera angles and a gallery of 17 paintings by Alex Ross created for the opening sequence. The sound and picture are spectacular, though only the Superbit edition has DTS. --David Horiuchi

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