The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Jamie Foxx IS Electro - Part 4

[Par Avion]

I'm still not convinced. Perhaps if he wasn't such a mockery of a...caricature, then it would be easier to digest, but in his current form, I honestly don't believe that him being mentally ill was an angle the film sought to explore. If it was, it certainly wasn't resolved in any sort of meaningful way.

Exactly. If you're going to go the "mentally disturbed" angle. Don't go for the most obvious, overblown, cartoonish portrayal possible. It ends up feeling extremely patronizing- like something meant for children, as opposed to a more intelligent nuanced portrayal that can appeal to adults as well (Even Pixar did it better with Syndrome in the Incredibles).

That said, I did feel that Foxx's portrayal/efforts brought a lot to the role and made me at least feel something for the character (I'm talking just barely here)

 

[The Guard]

I figured Electro's costume was something he "materialized", much like he materialized and dematerialized his body. Too bad they didn't go into the pseudo science of any of that...would have been cool.

They were going for something akin to Dr. Manhattan...as when Dillon remade himself, he remade himself in a more idealized image with none of his previous physical weaknesses. Hence the disappearance of the gap teeth, etc.

I think it's pretty obvious Dillon was meant to be mentally ill. So was Harry. Hence them both ending up in Ravencroft.

They just did nothing remotely interesting with the idea.

 

[Spiderine]

It looks like very villain Spidey encounters will end up in Ravencraft at some point. Just because......

Isn't that where Connors is?

 

[Par Avion]

I figured Electro's costume was something he "materialized", much like he materialized and dematerialized his body. Too bad they didn't go into the pseudo science of any of that...would have been cool.

I think it's pretty obvious Dillon was meant to be mentally ill. So was Harry. Hence them both ending up in Ravencroft.

They just did nothing remotely interesting with the idea.

It's just a bit creatively bankrupt, half-hearted (and more than a little lazy) to slap a "mentally ill" label on a character as a justification for their behaviour and misdeeds.

 

[Visualiza]

I figured Electro's costume was something he "materialized", much like he materialized and dematerialized his body. Too bad they didn't go into the pseudo science of any of that...would have been cool.

I think it's pretty obvious Dillon was meant to be mentally ill. So was Harry. Hence them both ending up in Ravencroft.

They just did nothing remotely interesting with the idea.

I don't think they had any time; they certainly did their best to make sure that nothing would get in Peter and Gwen's way, that's for sure. Seriously, look at how he was treated! Mere minutes after his big, bombastic introduction and he's tossed into a nuthouse so that he can't do any terrible things...like furthering the plot. Had to make room for Peter's meaningful private investigation, I suppose. Stalking Gwen couldn't take any interruptions either.

 

[Par Avion]

It looks like very villain Spidey encounters will end up in Ravencraft at some point. Just because......

Isn't that where Connors is?

Because Sinister Six. Kinda robs the films of any sort of resonance or closure if we know they're just going to end up in super-prison so that they can form the evil super friends.

 

[The Guard]

I don't so much have an issue with the "mental illness" explanation for their actions...

Except that there are generally varied reasons for the presence of mental illness. Interesting reasons.

More than the lack of development given to individual characters, the lack of development of a key and important THEME bothered me in this movie.

I wish the actual theme of "villains being born" had been explored better than it was. The Sinister Six, indeed, most of Spider-Man's more colorful villains, have an overlapping concept and "arc" all their own. What makes a troubled, pathetic, disturbed person into a dangerous supervillain? This movie skipped a couple of steps on the way to answering that question, because the answer seems to be "plot convenience".

 

[bullets]

Seeing the movie a second time I realized how funny Max Dillon scenes were. t:

 

[Par Avion]

I don't so much have an issue with the "mental illness" explanation for their actions...

Except that there are generally varied reasons for the presence of mental illness. Interesting reasons.

More than the lack of development given to individual characters, the lack of development of a key and important THEME bothered me in this movie.

I wish the actual theme of "villains being born" had been explored better than it was. The Sinister Six, indeed, most of Spider-Man's more colorful villains, have an overlapping concept and "arc" all their own. What makes a troubled, pathetic, disturbed person into a dangerous supervillain? This movie skipped a couple of steps on the way to answering that question, because the answer seems to be "plot convenience".

Yes. There was no unifying, connecting thread running through the film-which all the best/most effective dramatic films (yes, comic book films included) do have.

Even TASM had one (thought it wasn't executed as well as it should have been).

The main theme of this film seems to be "Time" or eventuality or whatever-it's hard to tell, because this film wants to cover so much ground without the necessary time to do so (no pun)- which is fine because that comes to fruition in Peter and Gwen's case (again poorly executed), but doesn't have any bearing on Max or Harry (though it could be argued that Harry's deteriorating health meant that his clock was ticking). Take a look at any of the Raimi films, or the Nolan batfilms, even if the villains and other characters aren't somehow meant to parallel the hero's own path (Doc Ock, Venom, Lizard-to a degree) they are somehow diametrically opposed to the hero's own value set in a way that explores the ideas presented. In TASM2, we get none of that. We have conflict but no resolution.

 

[Spiderine]

I don't so much have an issue with the "mental illness" explanation for their actions...

Except that there are generally varied reasons for the presence of mental illness. Interesting reasons.

More than the lack of development given to individual characters, the lack of development of a key and important THEME bothered me in this movie.

I wish the actual theme of "villains being born" had been explored better than it was. The Sinister Six, indeed, most of Spider-Man's more colorful villains, have an overlapping concept and "arc" all their own. What makes a troubled, pathetic, disturbed person into a dangerous supervillain? This movie skipped a couple of steps on the way to answering that question, because the answer seems to be "plot convenience".

I thought thats why SSM did a brilliant job of establishing motives and backgrounds for each individual character and why they had their separate reasons for hating Spiderman. Its important to display that if you want to emphasize a film that will feature all these villains. And make the audience care about any of them.

Its bad when King Candy got more depth and was far more interesting and was handled respectfully to the central plot than any villain in ASM2 and SM3.

 

[AnneFan]

"I had a friend once. It didn't work out."

Dat 'Lectro. What an imagination.

 

[Human Torch]

It's kinda sad that Electro just fizzles out of existence and....nobody cares that he's gone any more than they cared about him when he was Max.

Nobody mentions him after he's gone.Not Spidey,not Harry,not Gwen....I mean after all he was this simple "normal" shmuck that got the shaft and ended up having to be taken out.

I don't know if that was intended to be some deep message on the character storywise or just the byproduct of how poorly drawn the character was that even the other characters in the film barely care.

 

[spiderman2]

while I hope he came back in the sinister six. He is just to powerfully and to visually good looking to not have in the group.

 

[Par Avion]

It's kinda sad that Electro just fizzles out of existence and....nobody cares that he's gone any more than they cared about him when he was Max.

Nobody mentions him after he's gone.Not Spidey,not Harry,not Gwen....I mean after all he was this simple "normal" shmuck that got the shaft and ended up having to be taken out.

I don't know if that was intended to be some deep message on the character storywise or just the byproduct of how poorly drawn the character was that even the other characters in the film barely care.

lol, no. There was no completion to his "character arc". Leaves one scratching their head that the filmmakers would make such a decision.

 

[Nicko-Ray]

Seeing the movie a second time I realized how funny Max Dillon scenes were. t:

Lol. I was laughing the first time! "Happy Birthday Maaaa-aaa-aax". I thought he was admirable the way he'd talk to himself and to the eels during that scene.

"But don't worry, I got your medicine."

 

[Nicko-Ray]

while I hope he came back in the sinister six. He is just to powerfully and to visually good looking to not have in the group.

This too.

 

[OriginalMiles]

Electro is cool.

I liked him in this, but pre-Electro Max was a little off.

 

[Verick808]

I think his transformation should have been a little more gradual. I think his face should have been still been atleast partially recognizable when he snapped and went over the edge. It would have helped sell the scene. It was pretty funny how he deepened his voice during Spidey's sides of his conversations with himself though.