It seems appropriate that the special features packaged with “Spider-Man 3” focus primarily on visual effects, because the movie itself relies more on stunning CGI sequences than on its script or actors. Instead of delving into characters’ origins, the special-features disc reveals how the crew digitally recreated the Marvel universe.
It’s not easy making comic-book villains come to life, but painstakingly detailed work and a reported budget of $258 million certainly help. In one feature clip, “Grains of Sand: Building Sandman,” the crew explains how it experimented with 12 different kinds of sand and how each type bounces off thousands of surfaces. A similar short clip addresses the making of Venom and how it took the crew months to decide on the perfect virtual characteristics of his costume.
Considering the amount of money and energy that went into making “Spider-Man 3,” the movie’s inability to simply tell a good story is a disappointment. But the special features disc rightfully celebrates the movie’s strongest point: truly superior visual imagery.
“Spider-Man 3”
Columbia
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars