Spider-Man, the fictional character and comic book superhero that was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko has currently appeared in ten live-action films since his creation, not including fan made shorts. He is the alter-ego of Peter Parker, a young freelance photographer and aspiring scientist, and Miles Morales, a high school student, both imbued with superhuman abilities after being bitten by radioactive spiders.
While the first live-action that was based on Spider-Man was an unauthorized short by Donald F. Glut in 1969, his first official appearance was on a made-for-television film that premiered on CBS in 1977. The rights to further films featuring the character were purchased in 1985 and moved through various production companies and studios before being secured by Sony Pictures Entertainment (Colombia Pictures), who hired Sam Raimi to direct Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), and Spider-Man 3 (2007) that starred Tobey Maguire. The first two films were met with positive reviews from film critics, while the third met with mixed reviews. In 2010, Sony announced that the franchise would be rebooted and that Marc Webb was hired to direct with Andrew Garfield starring as the title character. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) was released with positive reviews while The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) brought mixed reviews.
In February 2015, Disney, Marvel Studios and Sony had announced a deal to share the Spider-Man film rights, leading to a completely new iteration of the web slinging superhero being introduced and integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This younger version of Peter Parker is played by Tom Holland and makes his first appearance in Captain America: Civil War in 2016.
Raimi’s original trilogy ended up grossing nearly $2.5 billion worldwide against its $597 million operating budget, while Webb’s films brought in over $1.4 billion against its $480 million production budget.
The Films:
Spider-Man (4/5):
Spider-Man, being the film that got things moving for Marvel Studios, was my second personal favorite of the Raimi trilogy. As it is the foundation for the reconstruction of the cinematic experience that is our friendly neighborhood web slinging superhero, Tobey Maguire did a really solid job at building the new foundation for the character. Sure, the film does have its more than average amount of plot-holes, just like every other superhero film that’s out there. But, if you’re one who can sit back with a care-free mind and don’t try to over-analyze everything about this movie, you’ll enjoy this film too.
Spider-Man 2 (5/5):
Spider-Man 2 is my absolute top favorite film of the original Sam Raimi trilogy. Now that the foundation is set for the lead character, we not only get to see him enjoying his newfound abilities and continuing to what he can to make sure everyone is safe as he continues to thwart off all threats against the city. Included with the expected amount of seriousness one could expect a superhero to take in their role, there are some added bits of humor that make this film much more enjoyable than the previous. The inclusion of Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus was just the icing on the cake, as he is yet another person who felt as if they were born for their role.
Spider-Man 3 (2/5):
Spider-Man 3, the absolute least favorable film of the franchise. The last film to feature Tobey Maguire, James Franco and Kirsten Dunst. But, it also introduces Thomas Haden Church as Sandman and Topher Grace as Eddie Brock, who would later become Venom. As much potential that this film had with the introduction of Venom, it really was a let down. There was just so much bad-assery that could’ve been had with this film, and Sony Pictures really let it all go to shit. The story of this film started out decent, but really fell flat and fast.
The Amazing Spider-Man (4/5):
As what seems to be an attempt from Sony Pictures to re-gain their original audience, they decide to reboot the franchise with The Amazing Spider-Man and not only introduce Andrew Garfield as our web slinging friend, but introduce an all new, younger Aunt May that’s played by Sally Field. This film also introduces Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy and an all new enemy, The Lizard, or Dr. Curt Connors. Providing a slightly different take on the overall happenings of the infamous spider bite, we’re given a film that is right on par with the initial film of the Rami trilogy. As it works to build the foundation to move onward, our web slinging friend goes through an all new set of threats that offer a new experience for viewers that offer a shimmer of hope for moving onward.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2.5/5):
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 really wasn’t all that great. However, it wasn’t all that bad either. My biggest grievance with this film was not only the continued conceited attitude that Garfield gave Peter Parker, but Jamie Foxx’s character, Max Dillon or his alter-ego, Electro. They really could have picked a better enemy for Spider-Man to face off against.
Picture Quality:
Spider-Man (3/5):
The first film of the series, Spider-Man didn’t really have that great of a visual presentation. Sure, the image itself did look cleaner, but the sequences that took place without the use of computer generated graphics looked a tad dark with a small hint of blue to it. And with the use of HDR10 on this film, it didn’t really provide for much of an optimal experience. However, the scenes that did include the use of CGI, although CGI has only been mastered at 2K, the integration of HDR into these scenes really looked absolutely phenomenal as they played out. Offering a bright, yet inclusive visual experience for viewers who are able to make use of the technology.
Spider-Man 2 (4/5):
Very much unlike the first film, Spider-Man 2 looked a million times better in 4K UHD with HDR. Offering a much, much cleaner visual presentation than the first film, it didn’t feel as if I was really watching a film that was thirteen years old. Everything about the picture quality for this release was cleaner, making pretty much every aspect of the film, more visible to the human eye. As I mentioned in the last paragraph, the first film seemed to have had a blue tint to it that I found to be a bit distracting, this one does not have that eyesore attached to it.
Spider-Man 3 (4/5):
Continuing to improve on the overall visual performance, Spider-Man 3 really did a great job with its use of upscaling to 2160p and implementation of HDR. While things still aren’t quite there yet, most likely a result of the original source material, but the HDR itself was slightly overcompensated in various scenes of this film.
The Amazing Spider-Man (4.5/5):
The Amazing Spider-Man, a completely new take on the origin of the infamous spider bite, we’re offered a visual presentation that was created using a new round of technological advances. Offering a considerably clear view into the life of Peter Parker, how he managed to get bitten by that radioactive spider and him generally becoming more and more familiar with his newly acquired superpowers. My only personal complaint with this release is the use of darker tones in lower lit scenes. With the implementation of HDR, one would hope that they would offer a better experience in these scenes, but I felt that it could’ve been handled better.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (5/5):
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is hands down the best looking disc of this set. With the implementation of 4K with HDR in this release, this disc really shines on the television sets of those who are fully equipped to take advantage of the benefit of UHD. Seeing every minute detail in the suit, environmental elements and fast paced action sequences, this disc offers one of the best visual experiences this series could offer.
Audio Quality:
Spider-Man (5/5):
Featuring an all new Dolby Atmos audio track, Spider-Man on 4K UHD takes every possible measure to offer an all out immersive experience for those who have a home theater system that’s capable of making use of the elevation aspect of the audio track. Making, what felt, the best use of the surround, elevation and rear channels of the audio track, the 4K UHD release of this film did an absolutely fantastic job at placing the audience right into the middle of the film and action as it progressed forward. There was a noticeable distinction in the movement of the dialogue in this release as the camera would pivot around Maguire that could cause some confusion for someone who’s not actively paying attention; but, that didn’t really deter the overall experience. Another favorable part was as the Green Goblin would fly across the landscape on his hoverboard, it truly sounded as if he was coming right up on you and was circling the room as my wife and I watched through this film.
Spider-Man 2 (5/5):
Just like the first film of the series, Spider-Man 2 also includes a Dolby Atmos audio track for its feature audio track. Taking every opportunity to offer an all out immersive experience for viewers, it certainly does a beautiful job at making sure those watching at home are right there in the middle of the action. Unlike the first film of this release, the separation of the channels during the dialogue were less distracting in this release and once can gain an understanding that the production crew had gotten a better feel for the technologies that they were working with.
Spider-Man 3 (5/5):
Packaged with a Dolby Atmos audio track, Spider-Man 3 offers an all out immersive experience for viewers that are able to make use of the technology. Certainly making use of all of the available channels at hand, audiences can feel as if they are right there in the middle of the action. That said, I’m not going to elaborate further as the quality of audio that’s included with this film is phenomenal and a great experience.
The Amazing Spider-Man (5/5):
Packaged with a Dolby Atmos audio track, The Amazing Spider-Man offers an all out immersive experience for viewers that are able to make use of the technology. Certainly making use of all of the available channels at hand, audiences can feel as if they are right there in the middle of the action. That said, I’m not going to elaborate further as the quality of audio that’s included with this film is phenomenal and a great experience.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (5/5):
Packaged with a Dolby Atmos audio track, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 offers an all out immersive experience for viewers that are able to make use of the technology. Certainly making use of all of the available channels at hand, audiences can feel as if they are right there in the middle of the action. That said, I’m not going to elaborate further as the quality of audio that’s included with this film is phenomenal and a great experience.
The Packaging (5/5):
The Spider-Man Legacy Collection comes packaged in two steelbooks that are surrounded by a thick plastic case that is used to provide additional text, particularly for the spines. Each steelbook features a different piece of artwork that is relative to each director at hand.
Within the Raimi trilogy, there are three standard 4K UHD discs as well as three standard Blu-ray discs, one for each film. The 4K UHD discs do not feature any artwork whatsoever outside of the standard text that is used to differentiate each film from the others, while the included Blu-ray discs feature a different piece of artwork that is respective to each film. This steelbook is a two-disc steelbook, but offers deeper spindles on each side so that the three Blu-ray discs are stacked upon each other while the three 4K UHD discs are stacked upon each other.
The Webb films are in their own steelbook case, with two standard Blu-ray discs stored on the left and two standard 4K UHD discs stored on the right. Like the Raimi trilogy, the 4K UHD discs do not feature any artwork whatsoever outside of the standard text and the included Blu-ray discs feature a different piece of artwork on each disc that is relative to the two films.
There is also two digital copy redemption pamphlets that are included in this release, allowing consumers to add all five films to their digital collection for on the go streaming. Hidden behind the two films that make up the Andrew Garfield portion of the series is an included Bonus disc as well as Blu-ray disc that contains the Director’s Cut of Spider-Man 3.
Special Features (5/5):
Each of the 4K UHD discs included in the Spider-Man Legacy Collection contain only one additional feature that allows consumers to explore the films further. At the end of the menu is the option to explore brief cast biographies for those who are featured in each film respectively. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 does include an audio commentary to compliment the feature film on the 4K UHD disc. All other special features are included on the Blu-ray discs that are in this set. Available with this release is:
- Spider-Man
- Audio Commentary With The Filmmakers & Cast
- Audio Commentary With Tobey Maguire & J. K. Simmons
- Audio Commentary With Visual Effects Designer & Crew
- Spider-Man: The Mythology Of The 21st Century
- HBO Making Of Spider-Man
- “Spider-Mania” An E! Entertainment Special
- Gags & Outtakes
- Director & Composer Profiles
- Behind The Scenes Of Spider-Man
- Screen Tests
- Music Videos
- Easter Eggs
- Theatrical Trailer 1
- Theatrical Trailer 2
- Spider-Man: Homecoming Theatrical Trailer
- Spider-Man 2 (Spider-Man 2.1 is included on this Disc)
- Audio Commentary With Cast & Crew (Theatrical Version)
- Technical Commentary (Theatrical Version)
- Audio Commentary With Laura Siskin & Alvin Sargent (Extended Version)
- VH1 Goes Inside Spider-Man
- Hero In Crisis
- Interwoven: The Women Of Spider-Man
- Visual Effects Breakdown
- Danny Elfman Scores Spider-Man 2
- Blooper Reel
- Inside 2.1
- With Great Effort, Comes Great Recognition
- Train: “Ordinary”
- Willem Dafoe / “Doc Ock” On-Set Gag
- Alfred Molina / “Doc Ock” Green-Screen Gag
- Teaser Trailer
- Theatrical Trailer
- 2.1 Theatrical Trailer
- Spider-Man: Homecoming Theatrical Trailer
- Villains Of Spider-Man
- Spider-Man 3
- Audio Commentary With The Director & Cast
- Filmmakers Audio Commentary
- Featurettes
- Bloopers
- Snow Patrol: “Signal Fire”
- Teaser Trailer
- Theatrical Trailer 1
- Theatrical Trailer 2
- Theatrical Trailer 3
- Spider-Man 3 (Editor’s Cut)
- The Stan Lee Legacy: From Comic Book To Homecoming
- Additional Spider-Man Bonus Features
- Webisodes
- Spider Wrangler
- Bone Saw McGraw
- The Model Maker
- Production Designer
- Set Design
- Set Builder
- Webisodes
- Additional Spider-Man 2 Bonus Features
- Making The Amazing
- Greater Power, Greater Responsibility
- Story And Character
- Visual Design
- Costume Design
- Direction
- The SpyderCam
- Stunts
- Practical Effects
- Editing
- Visual Effects
- Sound And Music
- Lesson Learned
- Ock-Umentary: Eight Arms To Hold You
- Enter The Web
- Webisodes
- Costume Design
- Comic-Con Q & A
- J. Jonah Jameson
- Peter Parker And Mary Jane Watson
- Making The Amazing
- Additional Spider-Man 3 Bonus Features
- On The Set: Spider-Man 3
- A Conversation With Tobey Maguire
- On Location Cleveland – The Chase On Euclid Avenue
- On Loation New York – From Rooftops To Backstreets
- Webisodes
- Saim Raimi Introduction
- E. J. Hrisor, Illustrator: On Sandman & Venom
- Elizabeth Banks, “Betty Brant”
- Laura Ziskin, The Love Triangle, Eddie/Venom
- SpyderCam
- Bob Mano, Goblin Weapons
- Scott Rogers, Creating A Sandstorm
- Trailer Tours
- Tobey Maguire On Black-Suited Spider-Man
- Aaron Lam, Assistant To Sam Raimi
- The Stunts Of Spider-Man 3
- Easter Egg: Grant Curtis ADR Session
- Easter Egg: Scoring The Blooper Reel
- The Amazing Spider-Man
- Audio Commentary With Marc Webb, Avi Arad And Matt Tolmach
- Enter The Lizard
- Defying Gravity: Spider-Man’s Amazing Stunts
- A Hero Will Rise
- Deleted Scenes
- Image Progression Reels
- Exclusive Look Behind The Scenes Of The Amazing Spider-Man
- Theatrical Trailer 1
- Theatrical Trailer 2
- Theatrical Trailer 3
- Spider-Man: Homecoming Theatrical Trailer
- The Amazing Spider-Man 2
- Audio Commentary With The Filmmakers
- Deleted & Alternate Scenes
- Alicia Keys – “It’s On Again” Music Video
- Theatrical Trailer 1
- Theatrical Trailer 2
- Spider-Man: Homecoming Theatrical Trailer
- Bonus Disc
- The Stan Lee Legacy: From Comic Book To Homecoming
- Additional The Amazing Spider-Man Bonus Features
- Rite Of Passage: The Amazing Spider-Man Reborn
- A Rooftop View
- Stunt Rehearsals
- Pre-Visualizations
- The Oscorp Archives Production Art Gallery
- Additional The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Bonus Features
- A Hero’s Destiny: Behind The Amazing Spider-Man 2
- The Wages Of Heroism: Making The Amazing Spider-Man 2
- Something Sinister This Way Comes
- Electro Suit Mechanics
- Your Friendly Eco-Friendly Spider-Man
- Spider-Man In Action
- Location: NYC
- Gwen And Peter
- Electro Vs. Spider-Man
- The Music Of Amazing Spider-Man 2 With Director Marc Webb
Technical Specs:
Video
Codec: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: 4K (2160p)
HDR: HDR10
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1, 1.85:1
Original Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 2.39:1
Audio
Spider-Man
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish (Castilian): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish (Latin American): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spider-Man 2
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish (Castilian): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish (Latin American): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spider-Man 3
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish (Castilian): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish (Latin American): Dolby Digital 5.1
The Amazing Spider-Man
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Czech: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
German: Dolby Digital 5.1
Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Japanese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Russian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Turkish: Dolby Digital 5.1
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles
Spider-Man
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American)
Spider-Man 2
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American)
Spider-Man 3
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American)
The Amazing Spider-Man
English, English SDH, Cantonese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American), Swedish, Thai, Turkish
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Runtime
Spider-Man: 121 minutes
Spider-Man 2: 127 minutes
Spider-Man 3: 139 minutes
The Amazing Spider-Man: 136 minutes
The Amazing Spider-Man 2: 142 minutes
TOTAL: 665 minutes
Final Thoughts:
Overall, I’m glad that I picked up The Spider-Man Legacy Collection as it not only includes all five films on Blu-ray, but it includes them on 4K UHD and digital as well. As you can see, some of the films are definitely better than others, but that is expected with a box set that includes more than one film. Not all of the films included in this set are shining examples of 4K with HDR and really shouldn’t be used as showcase pieces when showing off your living room setup. If you find that you are limited to this set being your only 4K UHD entry in your collection, then I would strongly advise in using The Amazing Spider-Man 2 as a showcase piece until you can get something better. There are a ton of special features included with this release, and it really makes this package an all inclusive one. If you’re considering grabbing this set, I would highly recommend waiting for it to go on sale. Because with the $100 price tag that it’s going for now, it’s not really worth it. I would expect to see this set drop below $60 within the next month or so, or who knows, there may be a bitchin’ deal for it on Black Friday!
