Spectacular Spider:Man: Attack of the Lizard [DVD]

He loves all Spider-Man movies. This was the first one I purchased for him and he hasn't stopped talking about it. He now refers to this movie as "Spider-Man's big fight with the Green Lizard." He loves it.

He's a huge Spiderman fan. I'm not sure when it was made but it feels very 80's.

As I get older, I've come to notice that many of my favorite shows have come and gone and while I have usually collected new shows to watch as old ones depart, I find myself being less enthralled by the latest shows on television, animation or otherwise. It's a recurring thought that one day my favorite old shows to watch will depart before I find new ones to take their place . . . perhaps killing my TV habits once and for all.Thankfully I've not come to that conclusion just yet, as Sony's new show, The Spectacular Spider-Man is without a doubt not only one of the best incarnations of the epic tale of Peter Parker but one of the best cartoons currently on the air.I may not be the best expert when it comes to all things Spidey, but I have been a pretty decent Spider-Man fan, having watched both the 90's FOX show as well as the movies -- but both of these predecessors pale before the new show, thanks to a combination of original Lee/Ditko & Ultimate Spider-Man storylines and the masterful storytelling of Greg Weisman himself (Gargoyles, W.I.T.C.H, just to name a couple of his other works). Seriously, this show differs in many, many ways from the 90's show and the movies but one thing's definitely for sure -- they got Spider-Man ABSOLUTELY right this time. You'll actually won't recognize the Web Head in the other versions after you watch this show!The end result is a refreshing new series that's not only fast paced and filled with high drama, but contains many hilarious moments . . . not to mention that ever-so-elusive aspect of modern television: character development. Needless to say, many of the main characters get their proper growth, but what really seals the deal is the amount of attention paid to the secondary characters, from Flash Thompson to Hammerhead, among many, many others. To put it bluntly, this show is smart and respects the enough audience to be so.While I too usually wait for a complete season set myself, I'm definitely leaning toward buying this set too, mostly because the crew has refashioned the first three episodes into a single story, which will include NEW MATERIAL that was originally removed due to TIME and/or CONTENT restrictions. I may have already seen these episodes on Saturday mornings not too long ago, but I'm pretty confident that I'm going to remain entertained nevertheless.Like I said, if you would rather hold out for the season sets, go right ahead . . . nothing wrong with that. But if you've never seen the show before (or you just love it at that 'right' level), then get this DVD. If you can afford it, why not buy a really awesome show?

My boys, ages 2 and 4, love Spiderman. They've never seen any Spiderman movies or TV programs, so I don't really know how they became such huge fans... This DVD was on sale at Toys R Us for $5, so I thought, "What the heck?" and I'm very glad we purchased it. The boys think it is the "coolest" show (as much as they love Elmo, I guess he just isn't as "cool"). I like that although this program was not really geared for such a young audience, there is nothing inappropriate in the language or content and it is kept simple enough for kids to easily follow the storyline. I'm excited for the entire season to be released. I think my little Spider-men will love it. FYI, notice this is the "Spectacular Spiderman", not the original "Amazing Spiderman." Most the characters are the same (in this episode), but the context of the story is pretty different.

My sons (ages 6 and 4) love this new animated series, The Spectacular Spider-Man. The show is much better suited for younger audiences than Spider-Man's last animated series, which lasted only one season on MTV in 2003.This series features all of Spider-Man's most famous villians, including the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Sandman, Vulture, Rhino and Electro.If you absolutely must buy a DVD right now (birthday present, etc.) this is a good choice for Spider-Man fans. Amazon has the DVD priced $5 below suggested retail price ($19.95) and this is a good choice for young children who love Spider-Man.The more economical decision is to wait for a DVD set release of all 26 episodes from Seasons 1 and 2, which should be priced around $30. It was announced earlier this year that Season 2 would move from the CW network to Disney XD. Season 2 is scheduled to begin in March 2009. However, the Spectacular Spider-Man ended production after completing the 26th episode (the end of Season 2). A third season might happen, depending on the ratings Season 2 gets on Disney XD.There are other Spectacular Spider-Man gift options to consider if you hold off on the DVD purchase. Amazon has a great set of action figures modeled that were modeled from the animated series. I recommend the action figures listed below but check out my Amazon lists for other superhero toys and books.One final note on these action figures: we paid about $5 each but many collectors have driven up prices to more than $20 each. Compare Amazon sellers and be selective. You can still find affordable action figures on Amazon but you need to do some research. Spiderman Animated Action Figure - Spider-Man Spiderman Animated Action Figure Black-Suited Spiderman Spiderman Animated Action Figure - Doc Octopus Spiderman Animated Action Figure - Venom Spiderman Animated Action Figure - Green Goblin Spiderman Animated Action Figure - Sandman Spiderman Animated Action Figure - Electro Spiderman Animated Action Figure - Rhino Spiderman Animated Action Figure - Lizard In summary, I'd rate The Spectacular Spider-Man series four stars based on the entertainment value for young superhero fans. The shows are accessible without being too scary or adult for the under-10 audience. However, by marketing the first season into four DVDs, I deduct three stars. The series is overpriced, especially in light of the current economy.