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Spider-Man 2 (Spanish) [VHS]

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Just when I was about ready to throw in the towel on Hollywood and its univentive sequel/remake/book adaption craze of unoriginal recycling, I sat down to see the second chapter in Sam Raimi's "Spider Man" series. While I enjoyed the first film, it never really drew me in emotionally. It had some real cool action sequences and some interesting special effects but the story was very paint-by-numbers comic book fare. I enjoyed the film's cinematic style, which seemed to me like an homage to the 50's-style of films, but while I wasn't turned off by the the hero's backstory, I was never fully compelled by it either. When I had heard all of the cast members spit the usual studio speech about how the sequel would be even better, I took it very much with a grain of salt. By the time I came out of this movie, however, I was a believer.

"Spider Man 2" takes place two years after the original where Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is struggling with the realization that his superhero alter-ego is alienating him from everyone that he loves. His best friend, Harry (James Franco) is stelling stewing over his father's death at the hands of Spidey and the object of his affections, Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) is fed up by Pete's inability to committ to her. If that wasn't bad enough, his commitment to crime fighting has cost him more than a few jobs and he's struggling to pay his rent. On the Spider-Man side of things, he has to deal with a new enemy, Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), a transformed version of Otto Octavius, a brilliant fusion engineer whose expirement ends up killing his wife and subsquently driving him insane. As far as super-villians go, this one's a doosy.

"Spider Man 2" improves on so many aspects of the first film. Where the first film had Maguire as the akward teen coping with his newfound powers and subsquent responsibilites, this one paints him as the reluctant hero that is banished to a life of personal abandoment. The hero seems like a far greater underdog this go around as Spider-Man must deal with a much tougher villian while Peter Parker tries to put his life back together. I liked the fact that Raimi balanced out the film's jaw-dropping effects with some emotional character depth. There is a good mixture of storytelling and cinematic style here. Raimi also improved on the dialouge here. There are some comedic moments but the rivalry between Spidey and Doc Ock doesn't elevate itself to the level of cheesy line-trading that went on between Maguire and Dafoe in the first.

The performances are really what seperates this one from its predecassor. Tobey Maguire is given a lot more to do, this time around. While Molina doesn't have the same charisma as Dafoe, his villian is far more menacing. Kirsten Dunst is given a somewhat smaller role here but it serves its purpose. My one complaint is that Mary Jane doesn't really look the same in this one. In the first movie, she had a much different look to her than most of the characters that Dunst has portrayed. Here, she doesn't carry herself the same way. It doesn't really take anything away from the film but it is somewhat noticeable whether intended or not. There are a good deal of amusing cameo appearances here as well but I'm not gonna spoil them for you.

"Spider Man 2" is not just one of the better sequels I've seen in awhile but also one of the best films of its kind that I've seen at the movies in some time. I can't remember the last time that I went into a movie theatre and was entertained on so many levels the way that I was with this film. Maybe low expectations might have played a part in it but in all honesty, I doubt it. No matter what your preconceived notion of this movie is, you will probably be drawn in just the same. You don't have to be a comic book fan or even a fan of the first movie to enjoy but it certainly doesn't hurt things. (Review: ****1/2)

While the first installment of the "Spider-Man" franchise was certainly a noble beginning, this sequel somehow manages to improve upon it in a big way. The first movie accomplished the task of getting Spider Man's origins out of the way and setting up the important characters, and "Spider-Man 2" picks up right where the original left off, hitting the ground running as it further examines the struggles of Peter Parker. As you may remember, Peter can't tell the woman he loves who he is, his best friend wants to kill him and doesn't even know it, and he's having a bit of trouble finding steady work. While that may not seem like an auspicious beginning, things still proceed to go downhill pretty fast.

Much like its predecessor, "Spider Man 2" presents Peter Parker as the most human of superheroes, struggling to reconcile the responsibility that accompanies his powers with his desire for a normal life. This guy didn't ask to have superhuman powers, and as we see in this movie, there are times that he'd much rather not be one. After all, when you like a woman who looks like Kirsten Dunst, and you have lots of evidence that the feeling is mutual, it can be hard to get out there and perform the thankless task of fighting crime. In all seriousness, though, the moral conflict that Spidey faces forms the heart of the movie. With a level of emotional depth and a lack of heavy-handedness rarely seen in big-budget blockbusters, this movie brilliantly depicts the tension our protagonist feels as he tries to decide whether he wants to be Peter Parker, mild-mannered student, or Spider-Man, daring superhero.

Since it ups the ante from the original in virtually every other aspect, it only makes sense that "Spider-Man 2" would represent an improvement in the bad guy department, and it doesn't disappoint. While the villain is once again a brilliant scientist victimized by an experiment gone horribly wrong, Willem Dafoe's cartoonish Green Goblin has been replaced by the fearsomely tentacled Dr. Octopus, portrayed with the requisite gravity by a glowering Alfred Molina. The Spider-Man series has demonstrated a knack for crafting nemeses as vividly human as its hero, and as with the Green Goblin, we get to see the conflicts played out in Dr. Octopus's head as he decides to complete his fusion experiment no matter the cost. Perhaps more importatntly, Dr. Octupus's tentacles are a marvel of modern special effects, swinging wildly and with a mind of their own, smashing through concrete, effortlessly tossing whatever they can grab, and dispatching a room full of doctors in one harrowing early scene.

This brings me to perhaps the most attractive aspect of this movie: it actually features believable, fleshed-out characters. The "X-Men" franchise has done an admirable job in this regard as well, but the "Spider-Man" movies still take the prize thanks to unusually intelligent dialogue and acting that communicates the movie's key themes while keeping the melodrama to a minimum. Maguire's everyman appeal as Peter is undeniable; Dunst's smart, sensible Mary Jane is one of the only female leads around who actually bring something to the table besides good looks; and James Franco is turning the tortured soul Harry Osborn into a tragic hero of near-Shakespearean proportions.

Anyway, with Dr. Octopus predictably set on a mad quest to finish his project, and Peter the only guy who can stop him, the stage is set for some truly unbelievable combat scenes, surely among the best to be seen in a mainstream movie in recent years. While I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and character development and all that nice stuff, you can't have a superhero movie without some great action sequences, and this one has plenty of them. Whether in a bank with bags of money flying around, on the side of a skyscraper with Peter's Aunt May serving as a human shield, or on a speeding train filled with innocent passengers, the two duke it out in frenetic, fast-paced battles that pit webs against tentacles and any other potential weapon that presents itself. Sam Raimi's apparently one of the only directors in Hollywood these days who can film a tight, tense fight scene without overrelying on CGI effects or cutting every half-second, and we should all be grateful for it.

As if all that isn't enough, we're once again treated to the over-the-top antics of J.K. Simmons, who threatens to steal the show even in his limited screen time as the imperious Jonah Jameson. Mugging furiously, yelling up a storm, and terrorizing those who come near him, Jameson's character is every bit as scary as his flattop haircut and Hitler mustache would suggest. Someone could make a movie about this guy, and I might put down some cash to see it. While many big-budget movies try to inject some comic relief into the proceedings, this one is notable in that it actually does it well.

Everything comes to a head in the movie's epic climax, with a concluding half-hour full of revelations, emotional drama, and of course lots of action. In fact, the bittersweet nature of this movie and its conclusion practically position it as the "Empire Strikes Back" of the Spider-Man series. Given the massive receipts this movie has already brought in, it's inevitable that there will be a "Spider-Man 3" coming down the chute eventually, especially with the neat bit of foreshadowing at the end of this installment. If the next sequel is as smartly written and skillfully filmed as this one was, it can't come soon enough.

Peter Parker nearly forgets that when due to several crises occurring in his already hectic life, he chucks the famed red suit and mask in a dumpster. "I am Spiderman no more," he declares. Indeed, his hectic life is divided going to college, working as a pizza delivery boy, trying to get enough money to pay his long overdue rent, and fighting crime as his alter-ego. The trouble is, he doesn't have much of a life as a result. He's so stressed, he even forgets it's his birthday, and hasn't been in contact with his friend Harry Osborn, still grieving over the death of his father in the first Spiderman and still seeking vengeance on Spiderman, and with Mary Jane, acting in The Importance Of Being Earnest. Unfortunately, an act of crime fighting causes him to be late for the play, disappointing the already beleaguered MJ, who announces that she is seeing someone. That someone turns out to be the son of The Daily Bugle's J. Jonah Jameson, the egomaniac tabloid editor who still treats Parker like dirt beneath his shoes and prides himself on wanting to drive Spidey out of business.

This installment has Spidey fighting Dr. Octopus, the former Otto Octavius, a scientist whose attempts to create a new kind of fusion technology that would yield cheap energy or make Manhattan toast with enough for a side of eggs result in an accident where the artificial nervous system with four shiny metallic tentacles become fused to his body. Unfortunately, the chip that gives him control of his mind is destroyed, turning him into a villain who wants to restart the fusion experiment that failed. And for that, he turns to crime, his appearance heralded by the same pounding footsteps reminiscent of a T-Rex in Jurassic Park or Godzilla in Godzilla (1998). But Octavius isn't a clear cut villain, but a victim of circumstance, like Mr. Freeze in the fourth Batman. Before his transformation, he's a genius, but also a loving husband to his wife. He tells Peter Parker that knowledge is a privilege, but also not to suppress the love one feels for someone

It seems that Parker is happy to no longer be the webslinger. His grades improve, he makes an effort to have a life, and his less-stressed look yields a smile on his face, evident in a series of shots with B.J. Thomas's "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" playing. But the question is this. As his late Uncle Ben told him, he had a special gift, and with that gift, moral responsibility. His wishes to have a normal quiet life, to win back MJ, are overshadowed by his moral responsibility because he is denying himself his potential, or the importance of being earnest, namely being Spiderman. Loving MJ is impossible, because saving other people takes precedence, plus she would be his Achilles heel. All his enemies have to do is take her hostage to gain an edge over him. And more to the point, with Spidey out of the way, Dr. Octopus and other criminals have a free-for-all.

Tobey MacGuire fits snugly in the role of Parker as Parker does in the Spidey costume, someone's who quite appealing, sympathetic, and sensitive, a guy trying to juggle many priorities. From Indiana Jones's treacherous assistant in Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Joe Orton's lover and murderer in Prick Up Your Ears, the religious mayor of the provincial town in Chocolat, and Diego Rivera in Frida, Dr. Octavius demonstrates another interesting role for the versatile Alfred Molina. The real surprise here is Kirsten Dunst, who has never been more appealing than here instead of just being another pretty face. And yes, there is another Stan Lee cameo, but you better look quick aboard a runaway train.

Spiderman 2 surprised me by being better than expected and the special effects, which I normally deem a secondary consideration, are superior. There's a very human story beneath, and as a result, I deem it the best superhero movie I've seen since Superman.

The trailers for this movie looked great and the reviews have been stellar. Definitely the movie of the summer whether you are a Spidey fan or not. As most reviews have pointed out, the storyline is very well developed. Peter Parker struggles with complexities of living a dual life. And decides for a time to be Spider-Man, No More.

I won't go into detail too much about the plot as every other review on here will probably give you a synopsis. I will however, make some comments about what I particularly liked or disliked about this film.

I found that I came out of the movie thinking that there wasn't as much action as I expected. It was strange that Peter Parker's powers could go away simply because he didn't want to be Spider-Man anymore. And I found myself noticing that Tobey Maguire was starting too look a bit old for this part. He is already 28(?) now, and by the time Spider-Man 3 is released, I may not be able to be convinced that he Peter Parker anymore. I was also a little disappointed that the rumours of a Venom appearance weren't true and that the next movie will probably feature Harry Osbourne as the Green Goblin. And I didn't like how so many people saw Spider-Man's identity (Harry, MJ, Doc Ock, all the people on the train).

Among the things I liked most was the beginning of the movie, which was very clever in the way that it showed you storyboards from the 1st movie to refresh your memory and summarize what has happened. Undoubtedbly, the action scenes in this movie were great (eg. the scene where he has to stop the speeding train). And the storyline is very well developed. In addition to these, there was also a good mix of humour thrown in to make the movie even more entertaining (eg. when Peter gives up being Spider-Man to the tune of Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head, and the elevator scene where the stranger asks him about the costume... "a little itchy"... haha). We also saw characters from the comics such as John Jameson, which some of us know as Man-Wolf.

This is a great movie to see with the family and I hope that it breaks many box office records. (...) That's it for now Spidey fans! Have a great summer!

Spiderman 2 has some of the highest expectations to ever be placed on a movie. Spiderman grossed $403 million dollars and is the fifth most successful movie in U.S. history. Spiderman 2 could shatter that number.

Spiderman 2 picks up right where Spiderman left us. Peter Parker(Maguire) is a struggling college student. His grades are slipping and so are his friendships with his best friends Mary Jane(Dunst) and Harry(Franco). His Aunt May(Harris) is worried sick about him. His duties as Spiderman are keeping him so busy he's starting to fall apart. He has a huge assignment due in school about a famous scientist and Harry happens to know the guy so he gives him the hook up.

Harry is now in charge of special operations at Osbourne Industries. Dr. Otto Octavius(Molina) is a world famous scientist who has ideas on how fusion will save the world. He's created four mechanical arms he wears that help him do the work. An accident happens though that causes the arms to fuse to the Dr and he goes on the rampage because the A.I. from the arms consume him. He is determined to make his fusion work and will stop at nothing to do it.

Peter is a little devestated by the accident. He enjoyed meeting Octavius but is saddened by the experience. His life is also getting very hard on him. He finds out Mary Jane is engaged and is so mad with him that she wants almost nothing to do with him. Harry is so obsessed with killing Spiderman because he blames him for his dads death. He's angry at Peter and wants him to give him info on Spiderman. Peter can't take it anymore so he gives up as the web slinger.

Peter is happy with his new life. His grades are improving, but his relationship with MJ isn't going the way he wanted. Doc Ock is still on the loose and must be stopped. Will the web slinger give up his new found happy life and stop Doc Ock or will he keep his new found happines. This is the movie that is Spiderman 2.

This movie destroys the first one. It's much more entertaing than the first. It doesn't drag like the first one did, because so many new character aren't introduced. The movie is quite humerous in places and it is obvious that Raimi is more comfortable with the character. Raimi's comedic charm is evident all over the film and he takes the story and runs with it.

An excellent story has been given to us. The Smallville creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar contribute to it. The screenplay is from Alvin Sargent who has written a comic masterpiece. The writers did a fantastic job with the story.

Tobey McGuire is excellent as Spiderman. He is perfectly cast as Peter Parker. He seems more comfortable with the role and he shines. Kirsten Dunst is hot as Mary Jane. Like everybody else it's obvious she is more comfortable with the role and it's a bigger one for her this time around. Molina as Doc Ock is perfect. A awesome cast was done with this movie and the makers really need to be complimented on the good job.

This movie is awesome. It's the most entertaining movie of 2004. It's easily the best comic book movie ever. Spiderman has always had a more humble human trait that so many other comic heros don't have. It's not so much about his powers and abilites, but how much he sacrifices to make the world a beter place. He puts other people above himself and he does so for the right reasons. With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility and that's why we love Spiderman.

You have to see this movie. This is what a comic movie should be. It's the best movie to this date of 2004 and is family fun entertainment. You can't call yourself a Spiderman fan and not see it. Go see it and be prepared for a great time.

I have to start by saying I'm fairly biased about this film. The original was one of my favorite movies, and I grew up reading the comics religiously. That being said, I do feel I would be able to give it an unbiased review if I didn't like it, but thankfully, that was not the case.

Spider-Man 2 is Sam Raimi at his best. I've never been in a theater where I've felt an audience have so much fun at a movie. This film had everything: incredible special effects, great dialogue, romantic themes, plenty of action, and some decent acting. When I first saw the trailer for the film, I thought the special effects looked a bit shoddy, but the final release was amazing. Everything was seamless, and the attention to detail was very noticeable. One of the best parts aspects of this film is the comedic elements. I didn't expect to laugh going into Spider-Man 2, but it pleasantly surprised me and I found it more humorous than most comedies. The humor is very subtle and some of it is campy, but doesn't come off poorly. It's great watching Parker trying to deliver pizzas in his costume to meet a deadline, or being forced to use an elevator and make small talk with the other occupant. Raimi fans will also be pleased with a few Evil Dead II references, and one 30 second scene in a hospital realy stood out and showcased his talent for the horror genre.

Raimi captures the essence of Parker so much more closely in this film. The Parker in this film is given a closer focus on the fact that he still experiences much of the flaws that every other New Yorker has to go through. From having to live in a run down apartment, to never having any money. Too many Super heroes come from wealthy backgrounds and have an unlimited supply of money, but Spider-Man is just a below-average teenager who's given an incredible ability. And this is why he's so identifiable and likeable to the audience. As I said, Raimi does an incredible job of showing this and I couldn't believe how closely the film version of Parker matched the bumbling science nerd I grew up with in the comics. In addition, comics fans will love this film for all of the hidden references that are stacked in the movie. There's a cameo of creator Stan Lee, a photographic reference to a famous comic panel of Spidey taking of his mask, oft-quoted lines from the book, and Dr. Connors and John Jameson appear, who feature into the comic very prominently.

It does have a few faults, albeit they're hard to notice. I found that some of Maguire's lines came off a bit forced, which I noticed in the first film. Franko is also a little stiff as Harry Osborne. I didn't notice any bad acting, but nothing I would consider Academy-worthy either. There was also a subplot about a physical problem with Parker that felt out of place in the film and wasn't developed very well. But it made for some really incredible scenes that I wouldn't want removed.

Overall, this is one of the best films I've seen in a long while, and accomplishes that rare feat of surpassing the original. There were two or three specific events at the end of the movie that really blew me away and that I wasn't expecting, and will make for some very interesting sequels. As a long-time Spider-Man fan, I can definitely say this movie is very fulfilling, and I would recommend it to audiences of any age and type.

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.

I just got back from seeing "Spider-Man 2". I have to say that it definitely blows away the first film although the first film was wonderful. In the first film, we see how Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man. In the sequel, Peter Parker is struggling to balance his life as a college student, a freelancing photographer, a pizza delivery guy, a nephew, and a friend all at the same time. It is a constant, neverending battle for Peter Parker. Eventually Peter succumbs to his doubts as a superhero and whether the sacrifice is worth it. That in itself was well written out and the writers did an excellent job at fleshing out the true essence of the comic book Peter Parker and bringing him out in actor Tobey McGuire however director Sam Raimi gets full credit for keeping faithful to who the characters are from the comic book pages to the big screen. Alfred Molina as Dr. Octopus was the best casting job. Alfred's portrayal as the brilliant physicist turned psychopath was one of the best performances I have seen from Alfred. The most chilling scene from Molina in the film was when Dr.Octopus woke up in the hospital. That entire scene in general was rather intense and brutal to say the very least. Tobey McGuire and Kirsten Dunst were wonderful as their perspective characters but I have to say Alfred Molina was the highlight of the blockbuster smash for me. I also loved the brief cameos made by QAF's Hal Sparks, Bruce Campbell, and Sam's younger brother Ted Raimi (who played Joxer on "Xena: Warrior Princess"). The special effects were amazing although there were moments that just screamed "I am the cheese" because I could easily tell that they were computer generated. It is rare to see a comic book turned into a movie that is so well written. Sam Raimi stayed true to the essence of the "Spider-Man" series.

Tobey Maguire is back as the Superhero with low self-esteem, but awesome super-powers. If getting bitten by a spider made me buff overnight, gave me perfect vision and the ability to climb walls, I don't think I would have a low self-image, but that's just me. Peter Parker is an odd one. He's in love w/ his childhood friend, but feels that allowing himself to be a part of her life will endanger her because he has "enemies." Of course, he makes enemies by chasing sirens.

This film is full of contradictions. Doctor Octavius (Alfred Molina) dons this ridiculous 22nd century technology that looks like a rip-off of the "squiddy" in "The Matrix" that supposedly helps him man-handle his own man-made sun (his version of creating a fusion reactor) - yet the biggest newspaper in town is doing cut & paste mock-ups like a high school journalism class... no computers... and they send their photographer out with a Nikon F1. Pulleaaase! They stopped making the F1 in 1979. If at least it was an F3, that I could buy - or more likely, an F5.

Molina's Jekyl/Hyde relationship w/ his technological enhancements makes him the anti-hero - his flabby belly and flabby chests ripple in the wind without shame, since he can now climb walls and kill the innocent with a swipe of his massive tenticles.

Now hopelessly fused with his technological prosthetics that have their own artificial intelligence, the newly dubbed "Doctor Octopus" is on a mission to get Spiderman out of his way, in what is one extremely cool twist on the "bullet time" scenes from the first "Matrix" film and the kung-fu action on top of semi-tractor-trailers in the Matrix sequel.

Doc Ock is causing millions of dollars of damage all over the city, yet no one has thought of bringing in an armed Apache helicopter with heat-seaking missles. Dr. Octopus can swing, but he can't fly. A miniture version of our own sun is tossed into the Hudson River to "extinguish" it, and while it glows yellow-hot, even the water touching the "sun" isn't boiling or turning into steam.

There are holes all over this story, but when it's all said and done, you don't really care. You want Peter to stop tripping over his own tongue and tell Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) that he loves her already and for everyone to hold hands and get along... but this is based on the dark Spiderman comic, where Spidey makes everyone else happy, but must must be sad and lonely himself. The action scenes are beautiful and exciting to watch - clever choreography and a lot of really funny moments where the film doesn't take itself too seriously. The movie definitely sets itself up for a sequel on many fronts. Will the Green Lantern live again? Will we see a new Dr. Octopus - with rusty, yet sparky tenticles? Will Peter & MJ get married and will they end up with an egg-sac full of mutant spiderlings? Don't baby spiders eat their mothers? Oh Hollywood - there is no telling what they will come up with for the sequel.

No sex scenes and I don't even remember one foul word in the movie. There is violence, but nothing compared to the evening news. I would say the PG-13 rating is appropriate. The movie is a little too long and intense for very young viewers.

SPIDER-MAN 2 is arguably the best comic book action movie ever made. When I saw it in the theaters, I said: "wow"!!I was already satisfied with the original cut and now with Spider man 3 in the horizon, Marvel is coming out with 2.1. Luckily, I managed to see my friend's sampler.

Forget everything else when you watch this extended cut and it's outstanding. The extra 8 minutes of footage add context, lengthen and deepen some emotional scenes, inject the funniest moment of the film and (surprisingly) add and extend fight scenes.

From what I can tell, almost all the deleted scenes are incorporated in. The elevator scene when spidey lost his powers, more emotional scene and character depth why he is losing his powers and the clock tower/subway fight with Doc Ock has been extended(although the extended scenes are very subtle).

For Spider-man fans(such as myself), it is something that completes the entire context of the film and defines why Peter Parker is such a comic book hero than shall I even say Superman or Batman. He is broke, have a lot of hardships but he still travels the straight and difficult path just to do the right thing. His problems caused him to slowly lose his focus, hence his powers. He believes in (Stan Lee came up with this)"with great power comes great responsibility." and Aunt May's "sometimes we have to give up the things we want the most, even our dreams" just defines Peter as human, with flaws but he is always willing to make a sacrifice.

Now, I have some experience with marketing gimmicks to know this is also one. But for Spidey completist, (if it wasn't for us, no 2.1 wouldn't be released)it may be worth the purchase. It is not a superior cut of the original but it does fill up the void between 2 and 3. I already own the SE 2 disc release, as well as the outstanding Superbit version(the superbit version utilized 6.8 gb space out of the 7.4 gb dual layer)and I can't help getting a bitter taste in my mouth and now I heard Fantastic Four is also getting an extended cut.

Video: The picture is amazing, although the superbit version is still a bit better. It looked like it has a better transfer from the first release. I didn't see any noise because of the extended scenes. Colors are radiant and vibrant. It was sharp and clean, and for some reason, the 2.1 transfer seemed brighter and yielded more detail in the black levels where needed. Superior transfer from the original SE.
Audio: French, spanish, Portugese, English 5.1 DD track, sorry, no DTS-ES. Sound is crisp and loud with 5.1 Dolby Digital track.
EXTRA FEATURES: Weak. The special features in the original dvd release are a lot better. For die-hard fans, you still cannot get rid of the original version, it has the best special features.

I cannot say this version is better than the first Special Edition or the Superbit, but die-hard fans will be happy to own it although I CANNOT give it a "HIGHLY RECOMMENDED" RATING. It is something you have to think about, if you already have the first SE version, but definitely grab this one if you don't own any of the other previous dvd releases.

RECOMMENDED!! It is a weak 4 stars for the dvd release, 5 stars for the movie.