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Spider-Man - The New Animated Series (Special Edition)

Spider-Man - The New Animated Series (Special Edition)

List Price: $24.95
Your Price: $19.96
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Blech . . .
Review: I don't know what else to say but: Blech! I watched this show, and I really tried to like it, because I'm a big Spidey fan, but I just didn't get it.

No wonder Bendis walked on this project. He was still credited as "exec producer" but he clearly had little to do with this show on any creative level. Dialog is often poor. Storylines do not seem to be thoroughly thought through.

"Flat" is the best way to describe this series.

The show is supposed to be right after "the movie," but the characters look and act nothing like the characters form the movie. And the animation, for the most part, looks like . . . well, like the SIMs or something. Some of the jumping around and swinging is pretty good, but everyday scenes are not done well considering.

I could go on, but I don't feel it's fair to myself for me to invest more creative energy into a review that the team on this show did.

I love Classic Spider-Man, I love Ultimate Spider-Man, I loved the movie. I hated this show.

'Nuff said.

P.S. Actually, the opening theme music is pretty cool, for what that's worth

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The New Spider-Man Cartoon!
Review: Don't expect to be like the hit 1995 Spider-Man on Fox Kids,But its still a good Spider-Man Cartoon.Its worth getting!

Episodes
1.The Party
2.Sword of Shikata
3.Law of the Jungle
4.Keeping Secrets
5.Tight Squeeze
6.Head Over Heels
7.When Sparks Fly(A continuing episode from Number One)
8.Spider-Man Dis-Abled
9.Royal Scam
10.Heroes and Villans
11.Flash Memory
12.Mind Games Part One
13.Mind Games Part Two

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Spider-man the animated Series...REVAMPED!!!!
Review: One Word...AWESOME!!! I was a bit skeptical at first, it being on MTV and all, but I was impressed. I've been a big fan of spider-man since I was like 4 or 5, and I got to see all the reruns of Spider-man and His amazing Friends(ok, it was just ok...), and the original 1968 series.

When they came out with the SPIDER-MAN THE ANIMATED SERIES show, I was excited with the premiere episode in December with the Lizard. Then Feb 4th of 1994 I was pumped. The show ended on a clif hanger. The that horrible show, SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED came on...Oh, the animation was ok, but the plots, the characters, Venom and Carnage in general, were HORRIBLE!!!, thank goodness it only lasted like 41-43 episodes. I watched it, but I was kinda freaked out by all that went on in it, being like Marvel didn't even have a hand in the series...

It's been a few years since it ended, and after the Spidey movie came out, I couldn't wait for something else to come out...then, this past Summer, SPIDER-MAN came out on MTV(the horror something like that on MTV, but I dealt with it...)...MAN THIS SERIES ROCKED!!!, I mean it was GREAT!!!...by the time the series ended, at the end of September, early October, I was like, WHAT, THAT'S IT?!...I was bummed out, and then like a week or so later, I looked up what would become of it, and lo, and behold, IT'S COMING OUT ON DVD!!!! I can't wait to get it on DVD!!!.

This series is gonna be great when they get the second season rolling. I thoroughly enjoyed the first season, and the animation was a bit wierd at first, but I got used to it in like 3-5 minutes, the cell shading is great, I like that it's like watching video game-type graphics, and the stories are great...I MEAN, WITH THE GREAT BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS WRITING THIS, HOW CAN IT BE BAD!!!?!?!? He is a great writer, being his older series and his newer work in the new ULTIMATE UNIVERSE...I think this series is really gonna stick this time, with an actual Spider-man Comic book writer writing it, instead of someone just pulling stuff from the comics, or just out of thin air. That's why I think Spider-man 2 the movie is gonna be better than the first(well, how much better do you want it other than organic web fluid, but hey, beggars can't be choosers...)...J. Michael Straczynski lending a hand with the movie, I think it'll be so much closer to the comics than ever before, which for some people, might be bad, but for me, I'll be a happy person...lol

So, Kudos to this DVD, I'll be waiting for with baited breath for it's arrival...and until Batman runs off with Wonder Woman, Make Mine Marvel!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Not about the animation
Review: This show isn't about the animation. Personally, I LOVE the animation. There's nothing wrong with it. People hear that it's CG and expect it to look lifelike. That's not what the producers were aiming for. There is a cartoony look because it is a show about a COMIC BOOK character. It has a comic book feel. The movements, however, are very lifelike. I don't see how anyone could hate this animation more than the Spidey series from the 90s. The 90s one had much worse animation (though I didn't mind that either).

But this show isn't about the animation. The plots are good, the scripts are good, in general, the writing is good. There's is absolutely nothing wrong with the dialogue. In fact, I've found it to be very similar to the way high school friends talk to eacher. Now, the characters are supposed to be in college, and the things Peter's science teacher talks about are clearly high school information, but the audience is primarily high school students.

Plus, this show takes off from the movie. If you liked the movie you should love this! People complaining about this show should have hated the movie. And if they hated the movie they should never have watched the show. I love Spider-Man and I love all the current interpretations of him. I think this show was better than the movie. Peter's character was more what it should have been as was Spider-Man's. The movie completely missed Spidey's wit. This show pulls off his quick one-liners perfectly. It's very much the way Spider-Man is in the comics.

I've seen complaints on here talking about differnt things in different episodes, including the final episode! If people hated it that much, they wouldn't have stuck around for the final episode. This is a good series that appeals to not only comic fans, but fans of the movie and people who just might have found this show through channel surffing. With all the special features, this DVD is mostly likely going to be worth the price. I suggest you check it out. And, hey, if you're still not sure, you can always download a sample episode. ;-)

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good for any true believer
Review: While many people who have seen this series complain because they don't like the "Cell Animation" or the story line....ignore them. I own over 400 spider-man comics, have seen every cartoon and real series in completion at least once and im telling you this series was well done. Some scenes were alittle strong for a spider-man cartoon and they did play the technological aspect alittle too much, but, you have to plaese everybody, not just the spider-man fanatics. The one-liners were great(classic spider-man trait) and the action, his movements, were very well done. If you haven't seen it you should...especially the last two episodes...amazing!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Cool DVD, cruddy Spidey series.
Review: I'm sure the DVD will be great, being the full first season instead of a 'best of' compilation, but I dont really dig the way they used the textures with the 3d animation. It looks too X-Box-ish. Hahah. I'll wait for the DVD box set of the original Spiderman series from the 1960's that Ralph Bakshi worked on.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: This Is OKAY!
Review: This new Spider-Man show on MTV is bad!To 3-D!It looks like a video game it is a bad movie I hate it!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Spider-Man (2003) - I Loved it. It works for me.
Review: I've been reading the negative comments on Amazon and I'm quite perplexed. I loved the show and understood what the producers were trying to do and the limitations of the computer generated animation. Re-interpreting Spider-Man is the right thing to do for any creator. I think they did a great job here and I didn't object to any of the changes - they all worked great for me. I'd compare it to what has been done to Superman on Smallville. It seems a bit odd that we'll suspend disbelief for so many unbelievable things but not a quick costume change. As far as Aunt May not being a central figure, I can see why she has been omitted so far. Her inclusion would slow down the story telling pace. Aunt May's picture - with Uncle Ben is shown in at least one episode where Peter is contemplating his family ties. I think the plots and characters were properly developed and the whole new universe made sense and was a logical extension of the Spider-Man lore that has been estbalished for 40+ years. I liked Spider-Man: Chapter One, and the Ultimate Spider-Man comic books too. This series is trying to capture the spirit of these two re-inventions of Spider-Man. They did great. The voice actors were perfect too. Stop your lusting for Tank Girl and Jessica Rabbit. The computer generated babes on Spider-Man 2003 are totally hot. I'm buying this DVD. The negative reviews can be disregarded. They just don't get the point. I like box sets and I want to encourage their creation by buying the good ones. This set was mastered in High-Definition and is a good demo for your HDTV system. Shows are in Anamorphic 16x9 widescreen and there is also DTS sound. The episodes are also presented in chronological order rather than MTV broadcast date order, so the story lines of the episodes blend better.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: This spider SUCKS!!!
Review: This newest version of the Spider Man animated series is terrible. The animation is poorly done, and obviously much cheaper to produce, than traditional cartooning. It would be half forgivable if the dialog wasn't so terrible. Marvel has to stop trying to cut corners with it's hot properties, this newest series will fade away, just like the last one, remember that future/off-world Spiderman cartoon? This "hip" new version won't snag a new audience, there's too much superior competition. The current X-men cartoon series sets the standard, followed closely by DC's Justice League. The new Spiderman cartoon is a lame attempt to cash in on the Tobey Maguire movie's success, well if owner Avi Arad (sounds like a third rate villian) wants to cash in yet again - he'll need to dig a little deeper into his fat pockets. When this series dies, perhaps Marvel will listen to the fans who kept the wall crawler alive and create a true cartoon instead of this animatronic drivel, here's hoping!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Spider Hype
Review: The fourth animated series depicting the adventures of everyone's favorite wall crawler, "Spider-Man" premiered on MTV Network this past summer to solid ratings but largely disappointing results for fans of the character. Although the show attempted to break new ground with its combination of computer animation and hip dialogue clearly aimed at an older audience, "Spider-Man" completely missed the mark due to its disappointing storylines, creative interference from the network, and terribly uneven execution on the part of the producers.

Following the events of the theatrical film, the series continues to detail the extraordinary life of college student/newsboy photographer Peter Parker, who is transformed into a costumed super-hero after being bitten by a radioactive spider. His sense of personal responsibility to help those in need puts him at constant odds with such villains as the Kingpin, the Lizard, Electro, Turbo Jet, and the beautiful-but-deadly Silver Sable -- while still attempting to lead a normal dual existance as a freshman at Empire State University with his friends, Mary Jane Watson and Harry Osborn.

Although the animation is often a sight to behold, with Spider-Man leaping and swinging through the New York skyline in breathtaking sequences that put every other cartoon series of the character to shame, the creative side is total misfire. Aunt May is completely missing (outside of appearing in a photograph during one episode), many of the villains (Talon, as well as the deranged Spider-Man stalker from "Head Over Heels") are awful, and the writing is sometimes terribly weak. Peter Parker has also been transformed into a wisecracking, quick-witted hipster more in keeping with MTV's vision of twenty-first century youths as opposed to the classic interpretation from the comics and theatrical film (shouldn't the wisecracks have been left for his costumed alter-ego, after all?). The series often reeks of teen WB melodrama, borrowing heavily from such live-action counterparts as "Smallville." Neil Patrick Harris does a solid, if unspectacular, job with the vocal duties as Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Other "actors," such as pop artist Eve (as Talon) and Rob Zombie (voicing Doctor Connors/The Lizard) are far less successful. The headache-inducing pacing often resembles that of a music video (surprise, surprise) -- destroying any sense of smooth storytelling or logical transitions between scenes.

Even more annoying are the bizarre "split-second changes" from Peter Parker into Spider-Man which are nothing short of jarring and absolutely ridiculous. At one point during the second part to the episode, "Mind Games," Peter takes off running down an alley, and his street clothes literally blend/fade into the red and blue costume of Spider-Man. Questions immediately abound -- just how in the world did this happen? Are we to assume that being bitten by a radioactive spider has given Peter the ability to make his clothes vanish at will?

Brian Michael Bendis was given credit as an executive producer on this project, but after writing the episode "The Party," rumors began to circulate about his disgust with this series (as well as the fact that he became a producer in name only). The other producers often served as writers -- but none of them seemed to grasp what the character was about.

MTV also interfered (although Sony Pictures must take some of the blame as well for the creative direction of the series), trying to turn the show into a rapid-fire, "Real World"-type series which just happened to feature Spider-Man. Not surprisingly, they were also the main reason why Aunt May was cut out, and characters such as Indy (one of the most annoying romantic interests in cartoon history) were brought in.

Overall, despite having a new animation technology for the character and plenty of hype at their disposal, the producers of this series and MTV concocted something which never satisfies -- a shallow attempt at uber-hipness that wallows in its own target audience's worst indulgences.

The special edition DVD contains plenty of extras, which should please those fans of the series. The show features some violence (including an off-screen beheading) and mature themes, so parents should take note.


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