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The case for the Blu-ray high definition format is considerably, and immediately, strengthened by the appearance of one of cinema's most lucrative franchises of recent times. Each of the Spider-man films have amassed extraordinary sums of money, and they're gathered here together in this glorious high-definition set. Ironically for a trilogy, it's the second film that's the strongest, although let's not jump ahead. The first Spider-man, for instance, introduces us to Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), and covers the genesis of the infamous superhero. Set against Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin, it's a deft, impressive and entertaining blockbuster, albeit one that takes a little longer than you'd like to get motoring. Spider-man 2 is the business, though. This is the one with Alfred Molina's stunning Doctor Octopus, although he has to share the screen with the title character contending with his dual life, and the effect on his relationship with Mary-Jane (Kirsten Dunst). It could have gone wrong, but it's so tightly put together that it's one of the very best blockbusters of recent times. Spider-man 3, inevitably, can't quite match the standard set, but you can't fault it for ambitious. Mixing in Topher Grace as Venom, Thomas Haden Church as Sandman and James Franco as the new Green Goblin, it's a lot to fit into one film, and that's what bogs things down. However, when it does hit its stride, Spider-man 3 is a rip-roaring ride in its own right. Exclusive to the Blu-ray format in high definition, this is undoubtedly the cinematic purist's best way to enjoy the Spider-man films at home. And backed up by some incisive extra features, this is a boxset that not only demos the strengths of high definition home entertainment, it's also got three highly entertaining films at the core of it. --Jon Foster