The Amazing Spider-Man Crane Dad Appreciation Thread

[Green Goblin]

Let's talk about him! I love the crane sequence.

 

[Eddie Dean]

I hope C. Thomas Howell returns for the sequel.

 

[Green Goblin]

I hope C. Thomas Howell returns for the sequel.

He should be the new Bruce Campbell!

 

[Senator Pleasury]

He should be the new Bruce Campbell!

You mean different roles in a comedy scene totally detached from the rest of the movie?

 

[UltimateWebhead]

I think I'm one of the rare fans that actually enjoyed the crane scene.

 

[Senator Pleasury]

I think I'm one of the rare fans that actually enjoyed the crane scene.

Well, I enjoyed that too. But not because it was someone helping Spidey, but because we had the story of how Spider-man saved that guy's son's life. Both scenes had great emotional value since it was so well done and the scene with Peter saving that kid was beautiful. Thusly, when the father went to help Spider-man, you could get why exactly he did it and what feelings and intensity were involved.

 

[UltimateWebhead]

Well, I enjoyed that too. But not because it was someone helping Spidey, but because we had the story of how Spider-man saved that guy's son's life. Both scenes had great emotional value since it was so well done and the scene with Peter saving that kid was beautiful. Thusly, when the father went to help Spider-man, you could get why exactly he did it and what feelings and intensity were involved.

My thoughts exactly. t:

 

[Morbius]

My thoughts exactly. t:

Same here - if Spidey ever does become disliked by the media in TASM2 and is still hunted by the law, the importance of this connection is all the more apparent.

Honestly love the title of the thread, it made me lol t:

 

[S. Grundy]

The crane sequence is probably one of the worst scenes in the movie.

 

[Senator Pleasury]

The crane sequence is probably one of the worst scenes in the movie.

I have to ask you how was this scene bad.

 

[Morbius]

The crane sequence is probably one of the worst scenes in the movie.

YOU'RE bad!

 

[The Slang]

Although it had some nice visuals, the crane scene sucked. It was one of the few scenes in the movie that was obviously just rehashing a scene from Raimi's first film, yet it was done worse. In this case I'm referring to the scene where the public start throwing junk at Green Goblin.
Also it was just too contrived and convenient. Why couldn't Spider-man get there on his own? Because his leg was hurt? Why would that effect his ability to swing there? His leg was fine enough to fight the Lizard once he got to Oscorp.
Crane dad just happens to be watching the news as people are evacuating, and the news reporter without any subtlety says something along the lines of 'Spider-man is heading to Oscorp, but uh oh he's hurt. It looks like he might not be able to make it...'
Then we see Crane Dad spring into action. And in case the audience doesn't have the memory span to recognize who he is, Crane Dad reminds us all by saying "that's the guy who saved my boy on the bridge" and just in case this isn't enough, we are then shown a photo of Crane Dad's boy taped to his television.
So without any explanation, Crane Dad demands his co-worker to contact a handful of other crane operators who all immediately and simultaneously drop what ever they're doing to get in a bunch of cranes that are conveniently arranged in a straight line between Spider-man and his destination.
If memory serves, Spider-man and Crane Dad make eye contact just long enough for Crane Dad to give a supportive thumbs up. Yeah... that scene wasn't lame at all .

Making Crane Dad a reoccuring character would be a hilariously terrible idea. I can just imagine a scene where Rhino is about to flatten Spidey under his foot, when suddenly a wrecking ball swings into frame and sends Rhino flying. Spidey turns his head to see Crane Dad giving his trademark thumbs up from the driver's cabin of a giant crane that had somehow gone completely unnoticed until this point.

 

[Green Goblin]

They make a scene where a man helps Peter out, as a favour for saving his son. "That's forced and cheesy and stupid!"

In another part of the film there is no attempt at a heart warming scene. "This movie has no charm!"

I just guess you can't please fans lol

 

[GuestStar2004]

Crane Dad he is a Menace i tell you!

 

[Senator Pleasury]

YOU'RE bad!

The scene probably needed more dancing.



********************************

Although it had some nice visuals, the crane scene sucked. It was one of the few scenes in the movie that was obviously just rehashing a scene from Raimi's first film, yet it was done worse. In this case I'm referring to the scene where the public start throwing junk at Green Goblin.

Yes, it's the scene kind of scene, but this time with a story behind, no bad acting and no corny lines ("I got something for your ass! You mess with Spidey, you mess with New York" "You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us.") and no villain staying there still and quiet while all that happens.

Which for you, somehow, is worse.

Also it was just too contrived and convenient. Why couldn't Spider-man get there on his own? Because his leg was hurt? Why would that effect his ability to swing there? His leg was fine enough to fight the Lizard once he got to Oscorp.

After an hour or so the leg was better thanks to the mysterious powers of the spider. That always happens. One minute Spider-man is lying on the floor with Goblin's foot on his head and, literally, the next minute he's able to kick Goblin's ass. Or worse, he can lose his powers and can't for his life recover them, but then he does just because Octopus kidnapped MJ. Octopus can kick Spidey's ass so much he's totally dazed and unable to prevent that his best friend unmasks him. But as soon as he loses his mask, BAM, he can free himself of all that barbwire and go into action again.

At least here he took some time and wasn't just from one second to the next, as had conveniently happened in the previous movies.

Crane dad just happens to be watching the news as people are evacuating, and the news reporter without any subtlety says something along the lines of 'Spider-man is heading to Oscorp, but uh oh he's hurt. It looks like he might not be able to make it...'
Then we see Crane Dad spring into action. And in case the audience doesn't have the memory span to recognize who he is, Crane Dad reminds us all by saying "that's the guy who saved my boy on the bridge" and just in case this isn't enough, we are then shown a photo of Crane Dad's boy taped to his television.

Is people watching the news something contrived? I'd swear people do watch news, specially when there's a emergency going on. And I didn't know describing facts had to be done subtly on TV? Now, all of that about verbally explaining everything, that's true, but it's also true that no one had reasons to believe that man was going to appear again in the movie. One single line reminding us of him is far from those spoonfeeding speeches I've seen all throughout superhero movies.

So without any explanation, Crane Dad demands his co-worker to contact a handful of other crane operators who all immediately and simultaneously drop what ever they're doing to get in a bunch of cranes that are conveniently arranged in a straight line between Spider-man and his destination.

Again, people calling each other for help and concurring to the same place... that happens in real life. And the cranes weren't "conveniently" aligned, it was deliberately. Big difference there.

If memory serves, Spider-man and Crane Dad make eye contact just long enough for Crane Dad to give a supportive thumbs up. Yeah... that scene wasn't lame at all .

Well, it wasn't, there was a whole background for him and his actions, no cheese lines as in the NY bridge people who stood by Spider-man because.... well, who knows. And Goblin who froze there and let them humiliate him because... again, who knows.

And your memory doesn't serve you well. there's no eye contact between them. Just a shot of the guy making sure Spider-man is doing well and Spider-man calculating his next move.

Making Crane Dad a reoccuring character would be a hilariously terrible idea. I can just imagine a scene where Rhino is about to flatten Spidey under his foot, when suddenly a wrecking ball swings into frame and sends Rhino flying. Spidey turns his head to see Crane Dad giving his trademark thumbs up from the driver's cabin of a giant crane that had somehow gone completely unnoticed until this point.

Yes, making him a recurring character would be horrible.

 

[The Slang]

I just guess you can't please fans lol

Yes because If I'm not pleased by Crane Dad, then obviously nothing could possibly please me ever. The scene was the height of perfection.

Yes, it's the scene kind of scene, but this time with a story behind, no bad acting and no corny lines ("I got something for your ass! You mess with Spidey, you mess with New York" "You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us.") and no villain staying there still and quiet while all that happens.

Which for you, somehow, is worse.

You think 'I got something for your ass' is out of the realm of possible dialogue for a black guy in New york?
I think this scene was better because it was shorter and more straight forward. Assisting someone in a fight by throwing things at their attacker seems a lot more common place than a bunch of construction workers getting in their cranes out of working hours (all at Crane dad's request) to line up a row of cranes for Spider-man to swing on, despite the fact he swings around the city all time and the majority of them had only just heard of Spider-man and would be unaware of the limitations of his mode of transport.

Again, people calling each other for help and concurring to the same place... that happens in real life. And the cranes weren't "conveniently" aligned, it was deliberately. Big difference there.

What do you mean? The Cranes were all positioned in a row between Spidey and Oscorp. The operators merely turned the cranes in their current positions, they didn't move the entire cranes to new positions.
And again, a bunch of construction workers instantly and simultaneously jumping into their cranes out of working hours (for no pay) at the request of one guy, so that a costumed vigilante can swing on them with spider webs is a lot harder to swallow than some bystanders throwing stuff at a guy who is trying to kill Spider-man along with a tram full of kids.

 

[Senator Pleasury]

You think 'I got something for your ass' is out of the realm of possible dialogue for a black guy in New york?

I know it's one of the worst and cheesiest lines you can wrote for a movie.

I think this scene was better because it was shorter and more straight forward.

It just shows you the amount of wrong you can have in a brief period of movie time.

For instance, the fact that Goblin just stood there, not saying or doing anything against them so they could conveniently say their cheesey lines and Spider-man could save everyone.

Assisting someone in a fight by throwing things at their attacker seems a lot more common place than a bunch of construction workers getting in their cranes out of working hours (all at Crane dad's request) to line up a row of cranes for Spider-man to swing on, despite the fact he swings around the city all time and the majority of them had only just heard of Spider-man and would be unaware of the limitations of his mode of transport.

Well, yes, it's a far more common place, meaning it's cliched to the max. And conveniently so. because nobody seemed to care about the explosions so they'd run and keep safe, they'd rather waited and see. And then, the villain who could have bombed them all AND Spider-man in a matter of seconds conveniently decided to do nothing instead.

Now, it;s much more reasonable having a man whose son was saved by someone defending that someone.

What do you mean? The Cranes were all positioned in a row between Spidey and Oscorp. The operators merely turned the cranes in their current positions, they didn't move the entire cranes to new positions.

But it wasn't, as you said, "conveniently" as in "by a mere and fantastic coincidence," but because there was a story behind and the crane people did it on purpose.

Convenient is people staying in a place because somehow they suddenly thought Spider-man was cool (when the movie emphasizes that the ci8ty distrusts him). Convenient is a villain that stays still instead of reacting.

And again, a bunch of construction workers instantly and simultaneously jumping into their cranes out of working hours (for no pay) at the request of one guy, so that a costumed vigilante can swing on them with spider webs is a lot harder to swallow than some bystanders throwing stuff at a guy who is trying to kill Spider-man along with a tram full of kids.

Yes, it's like a bunch of policemen going to a place at the same time because the captain said so. Nothing strange. That guy had friends and/or employees, as it happens in real life, and made them do it something deliberately. Few things can be more common than that.

Only this time, they had a reason.

 

[UltimateWebhead]

Here's some compiled thoughts I've put together from some of my earlier debates concerning the crane scene.

Spider-man got beat up by the Lizard in the sewer and almost drowned to death the night prior. The next day he almost gets knocked unconscious after another beating from the Lizard. Within several hours he is electrocuted then falls to the ground something like 30-40 feet...a fall that would more than likely kill a non-superpowered human btw. He is then shot in the leg.

Spider-man is very wounded at this point and in the moments leading up to the cranes it is shown how he is struggling to swing, jump, and even cling to surfaces. The lining of the cranes allowed Spidey to swing uninhibited all the way to Oscorp. You may have seen cheesy but I saw a beautiful, deeply emotion filled scene that at its core was a thankful father attempting to pay Spidey back in any way that he could, for saving his son's life. Spider-man risked his life to save someone and it was nice to see how good deeds are repaid. The father was doing what any other parent would have tried to do in that situation. Cheesy is that absolute last thing I would use to describe that scene.

Prior to getting electrocuted, falling and then getting shot, it appeared as though he was using the bldgs to gain momentum. After receiving the above wounds, he really couldn't do much of anything. The cranes gave Spidey the chance to swing freely otherwise he would have kept crashing into walls and increasing his injuries and more importantly he wouldn't have been able to get to Oscorp in time to prevent the Lizard from turning the city.

It was a touching moment to see the father risking his own neck for the stranger that saved his son's life.

The swinging on the cranes reinvigorated him, if only for a short while unfortunately. And who won that fight at Oscorp again? Oh yeah, the Lizard was all about to eat Peter or throw him off the roof with broken web shooters and watch him fall to his death until Capt Stacy showed up.
The movie showed Spider-man having trouble swinging, jumping and even clinging to surfaces as I've explained before, all due to his ever increasing toll of injuries sustained. Physically he just wasn't able to make it happen. He's even shown on TV struggling to make it to Oscorp. That's when the father sees this and decides to stick around and help Spider-man, putting himself at further risk since the city is being evacuated. As Spidey slowly climbs the wall he looks to see just how far Oscorp is from his location and it prob begins to sink in that he just isn't going to make it in time. He gets to the roof and what does he see? A bunch of cranes lining up in a row giving him the opportunity to swing without using his legs. He can build momentum without having to cling to surfaces or use his leg to push off from. He then learns that the man behind this act of generosity is the very same man who's child he saved. Now, this had to be a mental boost to Spidey. He's wanted by the police and has no idea if anyone really supports what he's trying to do. The uninhibited swing and his spirits raised provide him a relief from his physical strains/pains. As an example, we see athletes do this all the time, play through injury and pain using their mental toughness. It gave Spidey the rise he needed to overcome the struggles he was facing. It may have seemed that Spider-man was 'totally fine' however it doesn't mean he wasn't still in pain and very wounded.
Another thing to add, is when he finally gets home to Aunt May, Peter is limping thru the door and looks beat to hell. Now that the adrenaline has worn off he's back to feeling the full weight of the injuries and the pain is once again coming thru.

 

[Morbius]

You may have seen cheesy but I saw a beautiful, deeply emotion filled scene that at its core was a thankful father attempting to pay Spidey back in any way that he could, for saving his son's life.
[...]
It gave Spidey the rise he needed to overcome the struggles he was facing.

This is hands down my favourite post on this entire forum and I think I love you?

 

[UltimateWebhead]

This is hands down my favourite post on this entire forum and I think I love you?

Thanks. lol, nice to have a fan.

 

[The Slang]

But it wasn't, as you said, "conveniently" as in "by a mere and fantastic coincidence," but because there was a story behind and the crane people did it on purpose.
Convenient is people staying in a place because somehow they suddenly thought Spider-man was cool (when the movie emphasizes that the ci8ty distrusts him). Convenient is a villain that stays still instead of reacting.

Clearly I'm not going to sway your opinion or in anyway diminish your love of the Crane Dad, but I want to make my points clear and express that I think your arguments have a clear bias. And let me say first that I wasn't even that fond of the Goblin/public sequence, I was only comparing it to the Crane Dad sequence because one is obviously imitating the other. I agree with the majority of your criticisms on that scene.

Your first point: *The arrangements of the Crane was not convenient.
It absolutely was. The Cranes were already arranged in a row between Spidey and Oscorp BEFORE Crane Dad made the call. Crane Dad merely ordered the Cranes to be turned in their current positions, not for the entire machines to be relocated. THAT is what is convenient.

Next *somehow they suddenly thought Spider-man was cool (when the movie emphasizes that the city distrusts him)
This is completely unreasonable. The people suddenly thought Spider-man was 'cool' because they were personally watching him save a tram full of kids right in front of their eyes. I find it hard to believe that you could unintentionally overlook that. They were directly witnessing Spider-man in the act of being a hero, whereas none of the crane operators were.

*Convenient is a villain that stays still instead of reacting.
I agree with you. A few changes could have been made to make the sequence more believable. Still, this in no way negates the convenience of the crane scene.

Yes, it's like a bunch of policemen going to a place at the same time because the captain said so. Nothing strange. That guy had friends and/or employees, as it happens in real life, and made them do it something deliberately. Few things can be more common than that. Only this time, they had a reason.

That is a terrible analogy and I think you know it. It is in the duties of a Police officer to behave in the way you mentioned. That is their job. The construction workers were not acting within their duties, they were doing Crane Dad a favor (who by the way was never specified to be their boss). It would be impressive for Construction workers to all immediately and simultaneously carry out the request on command even if they on duty at the time, let alone running to their cranes during the night out of business hours for no pay.

I would've liked the scene a lot more if Crane Dad were say, a helicopter pilot. That way he could have assisted Spidey alone by flying the helicopter over his head and towing him to Oscorp. It would've had the exact same emotional effect, yet in my opinion would've come off far less contrived.

 

[Morbius]

Guys, not being sarcastic, but why don't we create an online petition to try and get Crane Dad back into TASM2 or 3?

 

[Picard Sisko]

Crane dad just happens to be watching the news as people are evacuating

You mean like everyone else whenever there is some major disaster going on?

 

[Senator Pleasury]

Clearly I'm not going to sway your opinion or in anyway diminish your love of the Crane Dad, but I want to make my points clear and express that I think your arguments have a clear bias. And let me say first that I wasn't even that fond of the Goblin/public sequence, I was only comparing it to the Crane Dad sequence because one is obviously imitating the other. I agree with the majority of your criticisms on that scene.

Yes, by any comparison the crane dad scene beats the random New yorkers one.

Your first point: *The arrangements of the Crane was not convenient.
It absolutely was. The Cranes were already arranged in a row between Spidey and Oscorp BEFORE Crane Dad made the call. Crane Dad merely ordered the Cranes to be turned in their current positions, not for the entire machines to be relocated. THAT is what is convenient.

Unlike random New yorkers gathering around instead of running away from the explosions, finding a whole lot o things to throw and having a great aim? Not to mention that Green Goblin, for all his arrogance and superiority, did absolutely nothing?

I mean, at the very least the crane operators had to go there and re-arrange the position of the cranes.

Next *somehow they suddenly thought Spider-man was cool (when the movie emphasizes that the city distrusts him)
This is completely unreasonable. The people suddenly thought Spider-man was 'cool' because they were personally watching him save a tram full of kids right in front of their eyes. I find it hard to believe that you could unintentionally overlook that. They were directly witnessing Spider-man in the act of being a hero, whereas none of the crane operators were.

How about if they were on a bridge under attack and the author of this attack is still around?

*Convenient is a villain that stays still instead of reacting.

I agree with you. A few changes could have been made to make the sequence more believable. Still, this in no way negates the convenience of the crane scene.

It only admits that the crane scene beats in every possible sense the random New yorkers one.

That is a terrible analogy and I think you know it. It is in the duties of a Police officer to behave in the way you mentioned. That is their job. The construction workers were not acting within their duties, they were doing Crane Dad a favor (who by the way was never specified to be their boss). It would be impressive for Construction workers to all immediately and simultaneously carry out the request on command even if they on duty at the time, let alone running to their cranes during the night out of business hours for no pay.

He orders one thing, everyone obeys. he's clearly the boss, no need to spoon-feed that when you are seeing it. And that man probably told everyone at work about how Spider-man saved his son.

I would've liked the scene a lot more if Crane Dad were say, a helicopter pilot. That way he could have assisted Spidey alone by flying the helicopter over his head and towing him to Oscorp. It would've had the exact same emotional effect, yet in my opinion would've come off far less contrived.

But the scene the way it was shows how Spider-man's actions affects many people, not just the one that was saved by him.

 

[Picard Sisko]

I never understood why the GG let the New Yorkers just throw things at him. You'd think a mass murdering maniac like Norman Osborn would have gotten a quick revenge, but I guess not.