It's a couple of months before the release of Spider-Man (2002). Kevin Smith has a sit-down interview inside a comic book store with legendary creator of Spider-Man, Stan Lee. It's thread-bare. It's just two guys talking about the classic superhero. The interview is intercut with panning shots of the comic books and other visuals.This is really only for fans of Stan Lee and Spider-Man. It is mostly inside baseball although it is still a compelling story of a life in comic books. It is rather static visually other than the comic book shoots. For non-fans, this may be too minute and too long. It's not anything cinematic. It's basically a DVD commentary extra.

I do admire the man Stan Lee. Despite his so-called "humble" attitude on his "laziness" in creating some of the most iconic comic/superheroes of the past 50+ years, the man was far beyond his own time when it came to inventing characters that survived decades, re-writes and some great/some awful films. So, I had to rent "Stan Lee's Mutants, Monsters & Marvels" for him as well as Kevin Smith, whom I also favor in creativity and humor. Unfortunately, Smith showed his love and nervousness throughout the entire interview to the point of utter irritation. And that began on minute one. Yes, it's human to be nervous, especially if you strongly respect/idolize the person you're interviewing. But it's unprofessional to interrupt, squirm/move consistently, finish the interviewee's lines and (for the love of Pete) continuously interject "right" and "uh-huh" practically after single sentence the subject completes. That all being said (and you finally can get used to Smith's child-like banter,) I did enjoy the interview(s) though it just seems like one long one despite being split on the DVD. The first is an obvious plug for the (then) upcoming Spider-Man $400 million dollar movie while the second is supposedly devoted to the other characters he helped create. Unfortunately, though it starts that way, basically it just turns to more Marvel topics. Overall, I learned a lot, Smith was extremely knowledgeable (and anyone who knows his background/employment, would know he should be) and Lee was a hoot. While Smith was the actual humble one, Lee was most certainly not. But, that's okay. I always let arrogance slide when they have a right to be that way. For, even being a Superman-lover, I can't come up with any other creations Jerry Siegel/Joe Shuster invented. I could name countless imaginations from the great Stan Lee.

"Stan Lee's: Mutants, Monsters and Marvels" is a documentary in which filmmaker Kevin Smith interviews comic book legend Stan Lee. This spectacular DVD gave me a chance to learn more about the man behind such comic books as: Spiderman, the Incredible Hulk, X-Men and Daredevil. After seeing Spiderman in the theaters and with all the blockbuster comic book movies coming out over the next few years, I wanted a little more - and this delivered. This is the most definitive thing out there and a must-have for all comic book fans. The chemistry between the two is visible from the first moment - by Smith's vast knowledge of the history of comic books and Stan Lee. You will definitely get a bang for your buck!

Stan Lee is very complimentary of his collaborators, but struggles with acknowledging them as co-creators. Lee continually brought up his fuzzy memory, but at the start of the film recollects the creation of Spider-Man in detail (maybe in response to the assertions of Kirby, or even Joe Simon, that they created the character. There's not much we didn't know here, and Smith almost answers some questions for Lee when he's asking them. Smith is annoying as an interviewer, feeling he has to say "Uh-huh", "yeah", "Hm", "right" or some exclamation after each sentence or pause that Lee makes. This film is a love letter to Stan Lee, so don't expect anything incisive or controversial. There are some nice extras, including an interview with Lee's wife, who wasn't what I expected. Label this one "For Marvel Zombies Only"