Product Description
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Triple bill featuring the first three movies from the hugely
popular 'Spider-Man' franchise. In 'Spider-Man' (2002) high
school student Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is bitten by a
genetically-altered spider while on a visit to a scientific
institute, and he soon begins to experience unusual side effects
such as increased strength, enhanced wall-climbing skills and the
ability to spin webs out of his wrists. Peter first attempts to
make use of these skills to impress girl-next-door Mary Jane
Watson (Kirsten Dunst), but after his Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson)
is killed in an armed robbery, he is compelled to work for the
greater good and reinvents himself as Spider-Man, the enemy of
criminals everywhere. Meanwhile, arms manufacturer Norman Osborn
(Willem Dafoe) transforms himself into the Green Goblin, begins
to terrorise the city, and lays down the gauntlet to Spider-Man
by abducting his beloved Mary Jane. In 'Spider-Man 2' (2004) two
years have passed since the events of the first film, and the
mild-mannered Peter Parker faces new challenges as he struggles
with trying to balance his dual identities as the web-slinging
superhero Spider-Man and his life as a college student. Tormented
by his secrets, Peter finds that his relationships with all those
he holds dear are in danger of unravelling. His life-long
yearning for Mary Jane becomes even stronger as he fights the
impulse to reveal his secret life and declare his love. His
friendship with Harry Osborn (James Franco) is complicated by the
young Osborn's bitterness over his her's death and his growing
vendetta against Spider-Man. In 'Spider-Man 3' (2007) Peter
Parker and Mary Jane are on the cusp of contentment - but not for
long, as Peter's former friend Harry Osborn, son of the Green
Goblin, becomes the New Goblin in his desire for revenge against
Spider-Man. Fugitive Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), killer of
Peter's Uncle Ben, has been transformed into the shape-shifting
Sandman, possibly Spider-Man's toughest foe so far. To complicate
matters further, a parasitic alien symbiote has attached itself
to Peter's suit, giving him even greater powers but also bringing
out the evil side of his personality. He has to struggle not only
against two major adversaries but also against himself.
.co.uk Review
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Let’s deal with the films quickly. The first Spider-Man movie
arrived after the webslinger had been stuck in Hollywood
development hell for the best part of a decade at least.
Introducing Tobey Maguire in the title role, it was a strong
opener for the franchise, and laid the path towards the
inevitable sequel. And what a sequel Spider-Man 2 was: genuinely
expanding on the ground of the first film, and introducing the
best villain of the series to date with Doctor Octopus, it
remains a very high peak for the franchise. Film three? Not so
good, with three villains fighting for attention space, and
Spidey himself hardly at his best. It was still a decent film,
just not up to the standards of those that preceded it.
Yet whichever your favourite of the Spider-Man films is, you’re
still likely to be blown away by its Blu-ray transfer. Given that
the movies are among the most expensive of the past decade to
make, it’s unsurprising that they’re packed with details, and
that they splatter the screen with colour, action and frenetic
swinging through the city streets. The colour palette looks
terrific in high definition, and the vibrancy of the soundstage
too makes these potential reference discs.
You get a fair selection of extras across the three films too,
and all this bodes well for the release of the fourth Spider-Man
movie in 2011. Until then, this Blu-ray set is very much worthy
of your time and financial investment. --Jon Foster