When a nasty bite by an irradiated spider endows teenager Peter Parker with miraculous arachnid-like powers his death defying heroism wins him admiration from those in need. But being a superhero has its drawbacks...especially when you're in college! As Peter gains the trust of his friends the police call him a vigilante. But he meets the challenge by exercising his wonderful powers for the good of all. Multi-talented performer Neil Patrick Harris (Undercover Brother Starship Troopers) television star Ian Ziering ("Beverly Hills 90210") and singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb ("Cake and Pie") lend their vocal talents to this thrilling computer-animated version of the comic book classic and mega-hit feature film Spider-Man. EXTREME THREAT includes episodes: "Royal Scam" "Heroes and Villains" and Flash Memory. System Requirements:Running Time: 64 Min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 043396105188 Manufacturer No: 10518

While fans breathlessly await the fate of the computer-animated New Adventures of Spider-Man (it remains in limbo after being dropped by MTV in 2003), they can enjoy three episodes of its first season on this disc (culled from the 13-episode two-disc set, which is a better choice for completists). The three episodes on this disc are "Royal Scam," "Heroes and Villains," and "Flash Memory." Mainframe Entertainment (which created the cult Saturday morning series ReBoot) and writer/executive producer Brian Michael Bendis (the Ultimate Spider-Man comic) give the venerable story a spin by placing Peter Parker (voiced by Neil Patrick Harris) in college alongside pal Harry Osborn (Ian Ziering) and longtime crush Mary Jane Watson (singer Lisa Loeb). As usual, Parker/Spidey must conceal his secret identity while wrangling a host of foes, which are a mix of ones drawn from the comic book and brand new enemies. Spider-Man fans seem firmly divided into "for" and "against" camps over the animation, which beautifully captures Spidey's web-slinging, but often looks awkward when depicting everyday movement. --Paul Gaita