Review: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN DVD

Read my review of The Amazing Spider-Man DVD!

I picked up The Amazing Spider-man DVD* a while back and it's one of the finer home video releases of last year.

Read the full review after the jump along with some artwork from the special features.


Here's a list of the full set of special features of the The Amazing Spider-Man (Four-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy):

• Amazing Spider-Man Second Screen App - On disc supporting content
• 3D Film School with Marc Webb - 3D PIECE ONLY
• Developing the Amazing Spider-Man Video Game
• Commentary with Marc Webb, Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach
• Andrew Garfield & Dr. Jane Aronson for the Worldwide Orphans Foundation
• The Oscorp Archives - Production Art Gallery
• What is Second Screen?
• Rites of Passage- The Amazing Spider Man Reborn The Drawing Board: Development and Direction; The Amazing Spider Man Reborn Friends and Enemies: Casting; The Amazing Spider Man Reborn Second Skins: Spidey Suit and the Lizard; The Amazing Spider Man Reborn Spidey Goes West: Production - Los Angeles; The Amazing Spider Man Reborn Safe Haven: Production - Sony Studios; The Amazing Spider Man Reborn Bright Tights, Big City: Production - New York; The Amazing Spider Man Reborn The Greatest Responsibility - Post Production and Release
• Iconic Poses and Digital Environments
• Deleted Scenes A Different Fate
• Pre-Visulizations: Revised Opening Sequence; Spider Room; The Subwa; Birth of Spider-Man; Handstand; Roof Top POV; Overpass; Bridge; Love Swing; Lizard Sewer; High School; Lizard Ambush; Standoff; Crane; Oscorp Lab; Oscorp Finale
• Image Progression Reels: Scene 1; Iconic Poses and Digital Environments; Scene 3; Scene 4
• Stunt Rehearsals: Live Subway; Davescript; Spidey Luis Sequence; Escape Under Bridge; Sewer Fight; Big Liz vs. Spidey; Lizard Attacks SWAT; SWAT Attack - V3
• Developing The Amazing Spider-Man Video Game

I decided to get the DVD since the only thing I really care about is the art gallery. The featurette on the DVD is called "The Oscorp Archives Production Art Gallery" which has three sections of concept art: "Spider-Man," "Lizard" and "Environments." What I absolutely love is when the special features have galleries instead of "pan and scan" videos of illustrations. It's perfect for savoring the designs. One minor quibble is you can't zoom in, but that's a rare feature anyway.

The "Spider-Man" section is my favorite since there are dozens of pictures showing all the different looks Spider-Man almost had. From counting the number of webs on his mask to wildly different color schemes, it's a fascinating peek into the design process. The other two galleries are different looks at the makeup designs for the Lizard and some set designs. What about the quality of the images? They're not bad, but I always judge by color saturation and how clearly you can make out signatures on the artwork. I can make out names like Felipe Sanchwez and Ed Natividad, so it's acceptable, but not high quality. That might be different on the Blu-Ray, but I can't confirm that.

Here are some screencaps from the gallery:

 

Here are the specifications for the DVD:

• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Subtitles: English, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Sony
• Run Time: 136 minutes
• Release Date: November 9, 2012
• ASIN: B00AC5GZQQ

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) is a great behind-the-scenes look into the designing of the film with plenty of never-before-seen concept art by legends in the field.

Here's the rundown for fans of pre-production artwork:
Storyboards: None
Concept Art: Yes
Image Quality: Fair

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5



Official The Amazing Spider-Man Synopsis
One of the world's most popular characters is back on the big screen as a new chapter in the Spider-Man legacy is revealed in "The Amazing Spider-Man." Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the new film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field. The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt, based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the film in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia Pictures, which will open in theaters everywhere in 3D on July 3, 2012. "The Amazing Spider-Man" is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents' disappearance - leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father's former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors' alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.
Directed by Marc Webb
Cinematography by John Schwartzman
Production Design by J. Michael Riva
Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Irrfan Khan
Official Site: theamazingspiderman.com
Release date: July 3, 2012 (USA)
© 2012 Copyright  Columbia Pictures, Marvel Entertainment, Laura Ziskin Productions. All rights reserved

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What do you think of The Amazing Spider-Man home video? If you've seen The Amazing Spider-Man what did you think?

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