User Reviews

Peter Parker (Nicholas Hammond) is an earnest photographer for editor J. Jonah Jameson (Robert F. Simon). The plot is way too complicated for a two-part episode of a network television series: Min Lo Chan (Benson Fong) arrives in New York City from Hong Kong. He is to become a minister in the Chinese government, and villain Zeider (Richard Erdman) wants him dead so he could get a steel mill contract. Min, on the other hand, is up on charges of selling Chinese military secrets to some U. S. Marines in WWII. Min wants to clear his name, and needs to find the three Marines in order to have them tell their side of the story. Min is good friends with Jameson, so he goes to the cranky editor for help. Min drags his poor niece Emily (Rosalind Chao) along as Parker and Min hunt for the Marines, and Spider-Man conveniently pops up to save the day. The last half of the film is shot on location in Hong Kong, as we Americans offend the Far East with cheesy action sequences.

I really tried to get into this. Ted Danson pops up in one scene, as the most unconvincing Marine Corps officer ever filmed. I thought it was funny that the first episode- I mean, the first half of the film- took place in New York City, film makers obviously shot some of this in Southern California. Hammond is good as Parker, but the costumed Spider-Man is awful. However, this bored me. No one could figure out Parker is Spider-Man, until one scene where Emily unmasks him (after he gets hurt AGAIN), and that scene is glossed over. The film makers try to take advantage of Hong Kong locales, but the story is convoluted and lame, it is a shame they went through the money and effort. The direction is standard. The script is jumpy because it is two hour-long episodes edited together. When Spider-Man climbs a building, you can see rope and machines pulling him up. Spidey gets shot, twice!, but in each arm. The whole thing is laughable- Parker goes "undercover" by disguising himself as a Chinese stereotype, right down to dark pajamas and a straw hat. This might find new life thanks to the new "Spider-Man" films constantly coming out, but do yourself a favor, and go to the theater instead. Also known as the episode's title: "The Chinese Web."

While not as good as Spider-Man Strikes Back (1978), this is amusing stuff, with some extremely cool fight scenes and painful sound effects. Nicolas Hammond finally gets a decent(ish) haircut, and he goes to Japan to battle a couple of low-rent kung fu types. the theme tune is great, and Spidey himself is ridiculously funky. Go on, watch it - you know you want to!

After this two part episode, the series was givin the ax. This was the most exciting one. Spider-Man really takes a few beatings in this one, he gets called a coward, he also gets shot at. Really not a good day to be super-hero. The story is about Peter Parker/Spider-Man goes to Hong Gong, In hopes to flush out some bad guys who is trying to kill a rich but nice old Chinese man. I still don't think Nicholas Hammond looked the part of Peter Parker, but he plays it well non the less. This one was the best, not a single flaw or pot hole. It had great action and great suspence. Really a classic Spider-Man.

Although the live action series came before my time, I do remember watching reruns as a child on both the USA network and the Sci-Fi Channel with their "Spider-Mania" and "Mighty Marvel Marathon" respectively. The latter was hosted by none other than Stan "The Man" Lee himself! I loved this show then, and although I haven't seen it in years, I am glad to say nothing has changed, I still love it!

Nicholas Hammond was brilliantly cast as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. I think he is definitely the best actor to have played the part, and that includes Tobey Maguire! He is very likable, and looks and acts just the way the character should. It is quite obvious to me that he was the inspiration for the look of Peter Parker on the "Spider-Man" animated series from the 1990s (which I also grew up on).

I just watched this movie, and so many great memories of running around dressed in my very own Spider-Man costume, on my own make believe adventures came flooding back.

It was great to see actual fight scenes that didn't involve CGI, same with the moments where Spider-Man is wall-crawling, or web slinging. They had it right, keep it real! The stunts were amazing, considering someone had to be hoisted high above the city streets while simulating Spidey's ability to climb walls! I highly recommend both this movie and "The Amazing Spider-Man" series to any Spider-Man fan, or comic book fans in general. It's just a lot of fun!

Shot partially in HONG KONG this episode uses asian intrigue to tell a tale that was unusual from most in the SPIDER MAN tv series. People find this show today at times painful to watch, yet it is good clean family fun. I supose in retrospect it is indicitive of the "cookie cutter" system in place at the time it was made. The show was aimed at kids when it was made in the 1970's yet the season run of the show was brutally short.

Actually a great detective superhero film about the Spider.

This film is glued together from episodes 7 and 8 of season 2 of the well-known Spider-Man TV show, these two episodes are connected for international and European cinemas.

I like the Chinese vibe of Hong Kong and all the aesthetics of Kung Fu and stuff like that.

The film has great dialogue and great stunts with action scenes, which I think did a great job of ending the Hammond era on a great note.

I want to note the fact that in 1984/85 a crossover with the Incredible Hulk and Spider-Man with the then popular black suit was supposed to come out, but alas, it did not work out. Lol but then they made a crossover with Thor ... in general, we were broken off then.

The Dragon's Challenge cuts back on the wallcrawling, webswinging action of our hero and concentrates on Japanese WWII-inspired political intrigue. How anti-exciting. Don't hire this for your kids because they'll be bored immedietly. Drama and spectacle is few and far between.

It's a boring story poorly told, which shifts to Japan half way through to allow for 20 minutes of sight-seeing (!) obviously funded by the Japanese tourist board.

Ultimately, Spidey simply captures the bad guys and rescues the hostage, who are at the top of a skyscraper, naturally. The political intrigue angle is nicely handled but for a superhero movie, we want supervillains! Evil schemes! Ultimately, the Japanese stuff in the plot is an excuse for kung fu antics that were so much in fashion at the time. A bunch of easily defeated martial artists are no substitute for a good supervillain though, especially ones who can't get within spitting distance of Spidey before he webs them up.

The special affects are fine, and the stunt work is excellent. The wallcrawling sequence with Spidey climbing a huge Japanese skyscraper is the best in the entire series; not only is it an enormous building, but when Spidey gets near the top he turns 90 degrees to check his Spider Tracer device, allowing for some vertigo-inducing P.O.V shots from a stuntman hanging upside down hundreds of feet in the air. Truly impressive stuff.

Unfortunately, considering so much kung fu is promised, Dragon's Challenge lacks action - there is only one proper fight scene - and just a lot of running around. The saving grace, really, is the awesome music, some of the funkiest jazz known to man. Spider-Man Strikes Back (1978) and Spider-Man (1977) are far better, so catch them instead.

The Dragon's Challenge cuts back on the wallcrawling, webswinging action of our hero and concentrates on Japanese WWII-inspired political intrigue. How anti-exciting. Don't hire this for your kids because they'll be bored immedietly. Drama and spectacle is few and far between.

It's a boring story poorly told, which shifts to Japan half way through to allow for 20 minutes of sight-seeing (!) obviously funded by the Japanese tourist board.

Ultimately, Spidey simply captures the bad guys and rescues the hostage, who are at the top of a skyscraper, naturally. The political intrigue angle is nicely handled but for a superhero movie, we want supervillains! Evil schemes! Ultimately, the Japanese stuff in the plot is an excuse for kung fu antics that were so much in fashion at the time. A bunch of easily defeated martial artists are no substitute for a good supervillain though, especially ones who can't get within spitting distance of Spidey before he webs them up.

The special affects are fine, and the stunt work is excellent. The wallcrawling sequence with Spidey climbing a huge Japanese skyscraper is the best in the entire series; not only is it an enormous building, but when Spidey gets near the top he turns 90 degrees to check his Spider Tracer device, allowing for some vertigo-inducing P.O.V shots from a stuntman hanging upside down hundreds of feet in the air. Truly impressive stuff.

Unfortunetly, considering so much kung fu is promised, Dragon's Challenge lacks action - there is only one proper fight scene - and just a lot of running around. The saving grace, really, is the awesome music, some of the funkiest jazz known to man. Spider-Man Strikes Back (1978) and Spider-Man (1977) are far better, so catch them instead.