Spiderman on MTV

[Queen Asuka]

[color=hotpink][size=1]I was just wondering if anyone was obsessed with this new animated series as I am?

I first heard of it/watched it when I was on vacation in Oregon. My Uncle Ace is the biggest Spiderman fan in the universe and records it so he can watch it. So that's how I got to see it.

I was mesmerized. I love the character designs and how they are so contemporary.

I haven't seen alot of episodes, but I think that it takes place after the movie? I'm not too sure.

I am so glad I have cable now. Even though I missed it every weekend until now. And still tonight I missed the first episode...*sighs* So yeah...anyone watch it besides me?[/color][/size]

[Shy]

[size=1]I made a thread about this... a month or so ago, the link is [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=28131]here.[/url] Anyway, here's what I think about it.

[center][img]http://www.mtv.com/onair/spider-man/flipbooks/images/spiderman_8.jpg[/img]
[size=1][i]Note: The series does not look nearly this good.[/i][/center][/size]
[size=1]MTV recently launched a new animated series about the collegic adventures of Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson, and Harry Osborne. This is much different than any previous Spider-Man animation, the main difference being that these the situations are heared towards young adults, and the animation is fully computer generated. If any of you saw the MTV Movie Awards this year you should know exactly what the animation looks like. It is basically cel-shading so everything looks like it was taken out of a Jet Grind Radio cut-scene.[/size]

[center][img]http://www.mtv.com/onair/spider-man/flipbooks/concept_completion/images/peter_5.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.mtv.com/onair/spider-man/flipbooks/concept_completion/images/mj_4.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.mtv.com/onair/spider-man/flipbooks/concept_completion/images/lizard_12.jpg[/img][/center]
[size=1]These designs are somewhat faithful to the original comics they were inspired by, but were based on the new "Ultimate Spider-Man" comic book series. In fact, Brian Michael Bendis, a writer for the comic, was a consultant for several of the episodes. Some of the designs look great, (The Lizard being a prime example) but the main problem is that characters designs are not the most important part of animation, [i]the animation is.[/i] For some reason TV is unable to do a CGI series with realistic movements, and everyone ends up walking around like a bunch of robots. This makes the action very uninteresting and blocky, which is a major problem for an action show like this. It is even worse when the characters try to be intimate, like in a scene where [spoiler]Mary Jane and Peter kiss.[/spoiler] There is no depth to their movements, and it looks like one of those animated films people make with their action figures of Legos.


The techno background music fits the series surprisingly well, but the voice acting is weak. I guess being "cool" on MTV means that you have to sound bored most of the time, and it gets tired to hear such unpassionate dialogue from two characters who are fighting to the death. Peter Parker's voice fits him pretty well, but there is no distinction between him and Spider-Man. Spider-Man sounds like a bored slacker, which is the worst way to portray the character. He is a regular guy who is trying to be Superman, and even though he has his fair share of failures he continues to bounce back with a clever reply.

The stories are really tired. One episode a nerd on campus gains super-powers and attacks the fraternity house, while in another Harry dates a villain without knowing it. Even though this is MTV there isn't the edginess that one would expect, and in many ways this is a tamer series than FOX's old Spider-Man cartoon on Saturday morning. I was hoping that airing on MTV would give them a chance to push the boundaries of these characters, but nothing is pushed. This is basically the same Peter and Harry that went to college in the 1960's, only now Mary Jane is a boring and angsty sidekick, void of the passion that she had in the old comics. Harry is annoying, but he has always been like that. Aside from the nice apartment I'll never understand why Peter makes friends with a person like Harry, oh well. The writers seem a little confined, since they are trying to stay within the boundaries set by the movie. I think they should have just thrown caution to the wind, and done whatever they want.

Hopefully toning down the Marvel characters for mainstream audiences isn't going to be a huge trend, but after Hulk and Teen Titans it looks like hardcore fans are stuck with the comic books if they don't want to be disappointed. There is also a lot of name-dropping, which is used as a combination of filler and product placement in the episodes. One of the villains steals an MTV movie award, while Spider-Man swings by a few corporate logos while chasing down the Lizard.

In closing, I recommend this show to people like me, who enjoy watching super-hero shows, regardless of the qality. By far, this is not the worst animated series based on Spider-Man (Spider-Man Unlimited is), but nobody but fans of the character will find any enjoyment out of the show. Problems with the plots, animation and characters are great to make this noteworthy, and I'd much rather be watching a rerun of "Clone High."

-Shy[/size]

[M_Chan_Angel]

I think MTV's Spider-man is awesome. It has very realistic graphics and a great story line to go with it. Deffianitly a must see for any Spidey fan.

[caffeinefreak5]

i live in canada so i dont normaly get mtv but i am lucky enough to own an american satilite dish so unlike some of my friends i get to watch it and i think its a pretty god series and i do like it quite a bit

[DeathBug]

I'm a huge Spider-Man fan, as anyone would tell you, but, for the most part, I didn't like the series. The animation didn't bother me, but I just found it...boring...

I hated what they did with Electro, but I loved their Lizard, so I guess it balances out. However, I think it became way too formulamatic.

I didn't find it bad; this rendition of Spidey just holds no interest for me. I'll probably rent the whoe season when it's released on DVD.

IMO, the defentive Spider-Man cartoon was the first season of the Fox Kids cartoon, in '94. Sadly, it went off track after that. As it stands, there's no perfect Spidey cartoon, in my eyes. Alas.

[Pagan]

This Spederman is ok thou I like the old one on fox kids better. It a little too teen oriented(sp?) for my liking. The animation is somewhat more funny then serious in my opinion.

[Queen Asuka]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Shy [/i]
[B][size=1]These designs are somewhat faithful to the original comics they were inspired by, but were based on the new "Ultimate Spider-Man" comic book series. In fact, Brian Michael Bendis, a writer for the comic, was a consultant for several of the episodes. Some of the designs look great, (The Lizard being a prime example) but the main problem is that characters designs are not the most important part of animation, [i]the animation is.[/i] For some reason TV is unable to do a CGI series with realistic movements, and everyone ends up walking around like a bunch of robots. This makes the action very uninteresting and blocky, which is a major problem for an action show like this. It is even worse when the characters try to be intimate, like in a scene where [spoiler]Mary Jane and Peter kiss.[/spoiler] There is no depth to their movements, and it looks like one of those animated films people make with their action figures of Legos.[/size] [/B][/QUOTE]

[color=hotpink][size=1]I guess that's why I like it: because it's so different. Sure, there are lots of flaws, but it sounds to me as though you are just nitpicking. I like they way they move around. It almost reminds me of playing with Barbies...I don't know...

And I don't like the way MJ acts like she has no guts. She just submits herself all the time. I hate that. But she is still my favorite character and I still adore her. [/color][/size]

[DeathBug]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Queen Asuka [/i]
[B][color=hotpink][size=1]I guess that's why I like it: because it's so different. Sure, there are lots of flaws, but it sounds to me as though you are just nitpicking. I like they way they move around. It almost reminds me of playing with Barbies...I don't know...

And I don't like the way MJ acts like she has no guts. She just submits herself all the time. I hate that. But she is still my favorite character and I still adore her. [/color][/size] [/B][/QUOTE]

I would have actually preferred if they'd just made an "Ultimate Spider-Man" cartoon, CGI or no.

In "Ultimate", MJ's not such a whiner...she actually once saved Peter's life, taking him to the hospital after he was shot in the arm.

(Yep, shot in the arm. In 40+ years of Spidey, he never *once* got shot...)

Anyway, MJ's a lot more gutsy....but she also knows Peter's secret. Sadly, Harry isn't a recurring cast member. :(

[Manic Webb]

When you think about it, nearly every CGI animated TV series is made by Mainframe. ReBoot, Star Ship Troopers TV Series, Beast Wars/Machines, Action Man, ect. In fact, I can't think of a North American CGI TV series made by anyone else. Mainframe was the first, and if anyone was going to make this Spider-Man show, I'm glad it was them.

You know, I hear a lot of people say that they like Spiderman above other superheroes because Peter Parker is a normal, angsty teen, just like themself. However, some of these same people watch MTV's Spider-Man and find themselves complaining about how it focuses too much on Peter and not enough of Spiderman.

I think it's a good show. Fox's animated series let us know how stressful Spiderman's life can be from dealing with all of these super villains, but MTV's series let's us know that Peter Parker is stressed out enough just trying to keep up his social life, let alone stop the occasional villain.

I really liked the character Indy. She put a little focus on Peter's and MJ's relationship. On one hand, Peter is having trouble figuring out if he should commit to Mary-Jane (the girl he's loved for as long as he can remember), mostly because of his own double-life and his uncertainty of her feelings. On the other hand, he's got casual sex coming from Indy, as well as a lot more passion. If Mary-Jane weren't such a staple in the Spiderman mythos, I'd want Peter to stick with Indy. Oh, and it doesn't help that Indy's in a coma right now.

[Doukeshi]

So in other words it's a buffy type superhero show. The hero trying to keep a social life and "be normal" while also trying to save the world from the evil super villans that threaten it.
I've never particularly like the CG kind of animations, like Beast Wars and such. I'm a stickler for the original type...though cell shading...I dunno.

I haven't seen this new series, since I live in Britain and we get everything a little late. I have seen the Fox production and the animation of Ultimate Spiderman, and I like those fair enough. I'm pretty much a DC fan myself but a good animation is a good animation. I shall wait to see for myself what it's like.

[Magnum Apex]

[font=trebuchet ms][color=darkblue]Not bad, not bad at all.

In fact, it shows more promise than anything made about Spider-Man [i]outside[/i] the comic book world (Well, minus the PS video games.)

It does something that the movie and older animated series haven't been able to accomplish, which is the removal of the "chessness" from the dialogue and animation. Somehow the cool comic book sequences and dialogue don't necessarily translate well in a television screen... until now. As sad as it is, its pop culture references help keep the show fresh and devoid of embarrassment. Also, we finally get to see Spidey move FAST, jump FAST and swing FAST. You would think that before this show others would've already captured said sense of speed. Well, I'm glad someone finally has.

I originally had low expectations of the show, mainly because it's MTV and they force all their shows towards dumbass teens (redundant?), but I've been gladly proven wrong.[/color][/font]