Post by Axalon on May 12, 2014 17:44:59 GMT -5
Alright. Since no one else seems to be biting I'll make the first leap.
[USER=3222]@baron Fang[/USER]
I freaking loved this movie. I even liked it more than Winter Soldier. Where to start.
I'll not get TOO spoilerific with it. This is as mild as I can get with spoilers.
The Good:
1. The feels.
Of all the superhero movie franchises out there, Batman, Iron Man, X-Men, etc, Spider-Man is still, to date, the only superhero that helps "the little people" and its never been more apparent than here. I mean, yeah he deals with bigger threats as they come but it was refreshing to see a guy who didn't just respond to critical threats of DOOM.
EDIT: I forgot about the little bits Superman did in Man of Steel. Still though!
For instance, there's a small scene where he helps a kid who's getting bullied on. He doesn't do something silly like punch the bullies or anything, the bullies see him and just scatter away. The scene could have ended there with Spidey giving him a quick little wave before jumping away but instead he actually sits down with the kid, has a little chat with him about the kid's science project (which he had been mocked for by said bullies) has a quick little geek-fest with the kid because science, fixes the thing with some webbing and then walks him home.
[ATTACH=full]9329[/ATTACH]
I loved, LOVED this scene. Anyone familiar with Peter Parker's background knows that at one point that kid was him. The simple act of talking with the kid, understanding the science behind his project, everything about the scene in general was, for me, incredibly heartwarming. That scene alone earned this version of Spider-Man the title of "Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man", at least for me. In fact, were it not for the film's already hefty length of 2 hrs and 20 minutes I could have used a bit more of these kinds of scenes on top of it all. It isn't the only time he helps the neighborhood but it was definitely the most memorable.
Bonus points for a child actor not being annoying.
Then there's the costume. Definitely the best version of it to date from all the films, Raimi's included.
2. The humor.
Spider-Man's wit is also here. One of my bigger complaints (first world problems I know) about the original trilogy was that Spidey wasn't as witty as I thought he should be. This issue was kind of fixed in the first film, though I felt the puns could've used some work--but fridge brilliance because he was totally just starting the superhero thing--but I think they improved upon it here in this film.
[ATTACH=full]9328[/ATTACH]
^This makes sense in context.
If anyone's read my opinions about the MCU, one thing they'll take away is that I think Marvel has overdosed their Phase II films on humor (except the recent Winter Soldier, where its more balanced). For Spider-Man though...it works. Spidey having humor is like the Hulk having anger issues. Its meant to happen. The cheesier the better. Its been a part of his character from the beginning.
Feel it. Let it consume you. Also, his phone. You will understand, in time.
3. #dealwithit
As with any good Spider-Man tale, its not all sunshine and rainbows. He goes through a lot. In addition to the classic Spidey dilemma of struggling to make ends meet he has to deal with supervillains, more revelations about his long-lost parents, the ever-present relationship issues and all the things we expect to make Spider-Man a very, VERY angsty person.
And he angsts for a bit. Justifiably so. Then he gets over it. Yeah. He freaking moves on. It takes a pep talk from Aunt May but he does it. And its awesomesauce.
4. Gwen Stacy
Much better than Mary Jane in the Raimi trilogy. More than merely a damsel, she actively helps Spider-Man out here as she did in the previous film. Plus the chemistry between the two is much more believable than the last Spider-Man trilogy. Or Anakin and Jane Foster. Or Thor and Padme. ...Wait.
Anyway, definitely wins hands down in the romance contest between the two.
5. The Rhino (surprisingly)
He doesn't really have a presence in the film. Which means more time spent on Gobby and Electro. So technically there's three villains, but in terms of importance not really. I absolutely loved the last scene involving him though. His interactions with the characters I thought were pretty good in that scene. Poor guy isn't too bright though, as he should be. Mecha-Rhino wasn't all that bad either.
YMMV:
1. Electro:
Some people didn't like how Electro was portrayed. I was fine with it, others weren't. He's...mentally disturbed. Not like in a Joker kind of way, just...he was the guy who was always invisible to the world. Constantly getting pushed, ignored, but now everyone sees him. He is, at heart, a simple character.
Why is he blue? Based off of the Ultimates version, not the 616 version with the spiky yellow lightning mask and green spandex.
2. Green Goblin:
I think a fair amount of people would agree that he looks better than the Power Rangers expy version given to us back in 2001.
[ATTACH=full]9330[/ATTACH]
Seriously, what company would design a flight helmet for the military to look like that? It doesn't help that Willem Dafoe is far creepier without the mask. All that menace masked (har har) away. The new Goblin gives us a more organic and fiendish look without foregoing the technological aspects of the character.
[ATTACH=full]9332[/ATTACH]
I put this under YMMV because I felt like he could have been used better. His story seems to be a bit accelerated because of time constraints, which I will get into shortly. He does have an opportunity for more chaos in the future though, as Sony wants to build up the Sinister Six.
3. Captain Stacy:
Some people found his brief "appearances" silly. You'll understand what I mean when you see it. Yes, he is still dead from the first movie. I think once would have been enough, near the climax of the film. Still, he thankfully doesn't show up too often.
4. Gwen Stacy:
I know I totally put this under good as well, but hear me out. Despite the things I mentioned earlier about being better than Mary Jane and stuff if you didn't like her character in the first place, then all the screen time she gets will no doubt irk you, especially if you want some more supervillain goodness (evilness?).
Still totally better than Mary Jane.
5. Ultimates inspiration:
This movie pulls from the Ultimates series more than mainstream 616 Spider-Man comics. Peter Parker appears to have more connections to his villains in the ASM movies. May irk some purists, others will love it.
The Bad:
1. Stuff and Time.
The biggest issue really. It really feels like the film had a great deal more to tell, but was limited by time constraints. As such some parts feel rushed or haphazard.
For instance, I swear by the God-Emprah of Mankind himself that there HAS to be a scene cut from the film showing how Electro gets his suit, as the scene prior to this has him in a pair of swim trunks, or something. Pants of some kind. That's me being nitpicky though. A bigger critique would be that they have multiple storylines going on at once.
No! Don't panic! This is no Spider-Man 3! ASM2 feeds you doses of the story at a time before letting one story settle for a bit and then move on to the next one. Even with this more measured approach and the running time of the film things feel a tad crunched together at the end with the resolution to the Electro plot immediately followed by the resolution of the Goblin plot followed by more Spidey resolution with his parents and all that other stuff followed by Sinister Six buildup.
Again, not like SM3, but it can still feel a bit crunched in.
2. J.K. Simmons still has not returned to reprise the role of Jameson.
[ATTACH=full]9331[/ATTACH]
C'mon now. Talk about perfect casting. This guy was born to be J. Jonah Jameson. Never has a character been so perfectly and faithfully adapted from the page of the comic book to the big screen than J. Jonah Jameson. People wouldn't mind it at all if this guy showed up again, connections to the Raimi films notwithstanding. As Stan Lee would say "Nuff Said!"
3. The Sinister Six buildup:
People leery of the prospect of three villains, no doubt with ill-harbored memories of Spider-Man 3 dancing in their heads, will no doubt be aghast once they realize that Sony aims to go big or go home by eventually doubling that amount to six villains--and then making a movie about them.
I believe this team will consist of Rhino, Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus, and Vulture for sure. The other two could range anywhere from Venom to Lizard, Electro or Morbius. Or someone else. Who knows?
4. The End Credit Scene:
If you don't mind seeing a short clip from X-Men: Days of Future Past I'm sure you'll love it. Just don't expect any Marvel-style credit teases about what's next in the future for Spider-Man. ASM2 lays its cards on the table before the credits roll.
[USER=3222]@baron Fang[/USER]
I freaking loved this movie. I even liked it more than Winter Soldier. Where to start.
I'll not get TOO spoilerific with it. This is as mild as I can get with spoilers.
The Good:
1. The feels.
Of all the superhero movie franchises out there, Batman, Iron Man, X-Men, etc, Spider-Man is still, to date, the only superhero that helps "the little people" and its never been more apparent than here. I mean, yeah he deals with bigger threats as they come but it was refreshing to see a guy who didn't just respond to critical threats of DOOM.
EDIT: I forgot about the little bits Superman did in Man of Steel. Still though!
For instance, there's a small scene where he helps a kid who's getting bullied on. He doesn't do something silly like punch the bullies or anything, the bullies see him and just scatter away. The scene could have ended there with Spidey giving him a quick little wave before jumping away but instead he actually sits down with the kid, has a little chat with him about the kid's science project (which he had been mocked for by said bullies) has a quick little geek-fest with the kid because science, fixes the thing with some webbing and then walks him home.
[ATTACH=full]9329[/ATTACH]
I loved, LOVED this scene. Anyone familiar with Peter Parker's background knows that at one point that kid was him. The simple act of talking with the kid, understanding the science behind his project, everything about the scene in general was, for me, incredibly heartwarming. That scene alone earned this version of Spider-Man the title of "Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man", at least for me. In fact, were it not for the film's already hefty length of 2 hrs and 20 minutes I could have used a bit more of these kinds of scenes on top of it all. It isn't the only time he helps the neighborhood but it was definitely the most memorable.
Bonus points for a child actor not being annoying.
Then there's the costume. Definitely the best version of it to date from all the films, Raimi's included.
2. The humor.
Spider-Man's wit is also here. One of my bigger complaints (first world problems I know) about the original trilogy was that Spidey wasn't as witty as I thought he should be. This issue was kind of fixed in the first film, though I felt the puns could've used some work--but fridge brilliance because he was totally just starting the superhero thing--but I think they improved upon it here in this film.
[ATTACH=full]9328[/ATTACH]
^This makes sense in context.
If anyone's read my opinions about the MCU, one thing they'll take away is that I think Marvel has overdosed their Phase II films on humor (except the recent Winter Soldier, where its more balanced). For Spider-Man though...it works. Spidey having humor is like the Hulk having anger issues. Its meant to happen. The cheesier the better. Its been a part of his character from the beginning.
Feel it. Let it consume you. Also, his phone. You will understand, in time.
3. #dealwithit
As with any good Spider-Man tale, its not all sunshine and rainbows. He goes through a lot. In addition to the classic Spidey dilemma of struggling to make ends meet he has to deal with supervillains, more revelations about his long-lost parents, the ever-present relationship issues and all the things we expect to make Spider-Man a very, VERY angsty person.
And he angsts for a bit. Justifiably so. Then he gets over it. Yeah. He freaking moves on. It takes a pep talk from Aunt May but he does it. And its awesomesauce.
4. Gwen Stacy
Much better than Mary Jane in the Raimi trilogy. More than merely a damsel, she actively helps Spider-Man out here as she did in the previous film. Plus the chemistry between the two is much more believable than the last Spider-Man trilogy. Or Anakin and Jane Foster. Or Thor and Padme. ...Wait.
Anyway, definitely wins hands down in the romance contest between the two.
5. The Rhino (surprisingly)
He doesn't really have a presence in the film. Which means more time spent on Gobby and Electro. So technically there's three villains, but in terms of importance not really. I absolutely loved the last scene involving him though. His interactions with the characters I thought were pretty good in that scene. Poor guy isn't too bright though, as he should be. Mecha-Rhino wasn't all that bad either.
YMMV:
1. Electro:
Some people didn't like how Electro was portrayed. I was fine with it, others weren't. He's...mentally disturbed. Not like in a Joker kind of way, just...he was the guy who was always invisible to the world. Constantly getting pushed, ignored, but now everyone sees him. He is, at heart, a simple character.
Why is he blue? Based off of the Ultimates version, not the 616 version with the spiky yellow lightning mask and green spandex.
2. Green Goblin:
I think a fair amount of people would agree that he looks better than the Power Rangers expy version given to us back in 2001.
[ATTACH=full]9330[/ATTACH]
Seriously, what company would design a flight helmet for the military to look like that? It doesn't help that Willem Dafoe is far creepier without the mask. All that menace masked (har har) away. The new Goblin gives us a more organic and fiendish look without foregoing the technological aspects of the character.
[ATTACH=full]9332[/ATTACH]
I put this under YMMV because I felt like he could have been used better. His story seems to be a bit accelerated because of time constraints, which I will get into shortly. He does have an opportunity for more chaos in the future though, as Sony wants to build up the Sinister Six.
3. Captain Stacy:
Some people found his brief "appearances" silly. You'll understand what I mean when you see it. Yes, he is still dead from the first movie. I think once would have been enough, near the climax of the film. Still, he thankfully doesn't show up too often.
4. Gwen Stacy:
I know I totally put this under good as well, but hear me out. Despite the things I mentioned earlier about being better than Mary Jane and stuff if you didn't like her character in the first place, then all the screen time she gets will no doubt irk you, especially if you want some more supervillain goodness (evilness?).
Still totally better than Mary Jane.
5. Ultimates inspiration:
This movie pulls from the Ultimates series more than mainstream 616 Spider-Man comics. Peter Parker appears to have more connections to his villains in the ASM movies. May irk some purists, others will love it.
The Bad:
1. Stuff and Time.
The biggest issue really. It really feels like the film had a great deal more to tell, but was limited by time constraints. As such some parts feel rushed or haphazard.
For instance, I swear by the God-Emprah of Mankind himself that there HAS to be a scene cut from the film showing how Electro gets his suit, as the scene prior to this has him in a pair of swim trunks, or something. Pants of some kind. That's me being nitpicky though. A bigger critique would be that they have multiple storylines going on at once.
No! Don't panic! This is no Spider-Man 3! ASM2 feeds you doses of the story at a time before letting one story settle for a bit and then move on to the next one. Even with this more measured approach and the running time of the film things feel a tad crunched together at the end with the resolution to the Electro plot immediately followed by the resolution of the Goblin plot followed by more Spidey resolution with his parents and all that other stuff followed by Sinister Six buildup.
Again, not like SM3, but it can still feel a bit crunched in.
2. J.K. Simmons still has not returned to reprise the role of Jameson.
[ATTACH=full]9331[/ATTACH]
C'mon now. Talk about perfect casting. This guy was born to be J. Jonah Jameson. Never has a character been so perfectly and faithfully adapted from the page of the comic book to the big screen than J. Jonah Jameson. People wouldn't mind it at all if this guy showed up again, connections to the Raimi films notwithstanding. As Stan Lee would say "Nuff Said!"
3. The Sinister Six buildup:
People leery of the prospect of three villains, no doubt with ill-harbored memories of Spider-Man 3 dancing in their heads, will no doubt be aghast once they realize that Sony aims to go big or go home by eventually doubling that amount to six villains--and then making a movie about them.
I believe this team will consist of Rhino, Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus, and Vulture for sure. The other two could range anywhere from Venom to Lizard, Electro or Morbius. Or someone else. Who knows?
4. The End Credit Scene:
If you don't mind seeing a short clip from X-Men: Days of Future Past I'm sure you'll love it. Just don't expect any Marvel-style credit teases about what's next in the future for Spider-Man. ASM2 lays its cards on the table before the credits roll.
