Can't wait for another big screen flick to be made one day, but
don't feel like
reading any of the comics? Oh well, I suppose you can always check out
this DVD which collects several episodes from the 1994-1998 animated
television series for your Spidey fix (groan).
This series shouldn?t however be confused with the new
Spider-man computer-animated.
Speaking of which, these Spider-man episodes
have
the occasional computer-generated object (especially cityscapes, bridges,
etc.). Not only do they clash noticeably with the cell art employed, but
also look clunky and unwieldy - really ugly in fact. The animation in
general isn't too bad, but not of the hyper-stylised sort which made the
Batman animated series so watchable.
In fact, while the Saturday morning cartoons go a long to replicate the
tone of the original comics in that it keeps several subplots running at
the same time and comes across a superhero soap opera (hey, what else was
Spider-man then?) this show was ultimately aimed at kids and not
adults really. At least it is never dull with all the going-ons, but I
must confess that it felt like tuning into a TV of which I have missed
several episodes.
Just some brief notes:
The supervillain The Spot has to be the most camp and effeminate
character in quite a while. I doubt whether he can even intimidate Woody
Allen! (Why give him a dog's name in any case?)
Why is the African American character, The Daily Bugle's Robbie Robertson
a different colour from the other African Americans? In fact his face
seems a bit mustard-y in some scenes, as if he's ill or something.
THE DISC: This region 2 disc has as extras a game called Rogue's
Gallery which demands knowledge only someone regularly watched this show
would have. Stan Lee's Soapbox is a ten-minute talking head of the
legendary Marvel Comics creator in which he talks on several aspects of
the comics business. One secret he gives away is how he managed to write
so many comics back then ? he just gave his artists a brief outline of the
plot and left them to draw it any way they wished to. When they're done,
he would fill in the dialogue and thought balloons ? making it up as he
goes along! No scripting beforehand! Yikes!
WORTH IT? Unremarkable Saturday morning cartoon stuff. Sure, it's a
huge improvement over those awful 'Sixties Marvel cartoons, but this one
is for older boys only . . .
RECOMMENDATION: Ideal for 12-year-old boys . . .
