Superhero Movie

(Note: This review refers to the Blu-ray version of the DVD.)

The movie parody industry has been scraping the bottom of the barrel for years now, but this goof on "Spider-Man" (with random potshots at "X-Men," "The Fantastic Four," "Batman," and even Dr. Stephen Hawking) reminds us why we used to like these films. Craig Mazin (who co-wrote "Scary Movie 3" and "Scary Movie 4") directs for genre godfather David Zucker (of "Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun" fame), and he comes the closest to recapturing the "Airplane!"-style sight gags and rapid-fire delivery since Zucker himself. They may not all connect, but Mazin doesn't linger, and he avoids the tired TV gags and pop culture references that have clogged so many recent movie spoofs in favor of more imaginative jokes. It's hardly genius, but "Superhero Movie" at least understands that with the great power of filmmaking comes great responsibility ... to be funny.

The Blu-ray debut features all the supplements of the DVD "Extended Edition" version. It's technically shorter than the PG-13 theatrical cut (which is also on the disc), but, once you discount the end credits (packed with deleted scenes and bonus gags), the movie portion is about 10 minutes longer and, despite the addition of more scatological gags, still only nudges past PG-13. Both versions feature commentary by writer/director Mazin and producers Bob Weiss and Zucker, who delivers the track's defining line: "I'm telling you, putting an old lady in a wood chipper with her poodle to follow shortly, that's funny." Also includes an alternate ending (a less flashy climax set inside a costume convention) and more than 10 minutes of deleted/extended/alternate scenes, as well as familiar featurettes with the cast and filmmakers.