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

[NinjaTurtleFan]

Its explained that his clothes were apart of the transformation since Sandman was actually wearing them during the accident. And he supposedly can mentally change them as he shape shifts into different shapes since those molecules of the clothes were affected.

Electro doesn't have this excuse. He got that costume from the either the prison or Oscorp and it had nothing to do with his transformation. Therefore he shouldn't be able to change the molecules of the clothes. So I agree, he should be like Dr Manhattan but would you really want too see that? I don't

Very true on both points.

I wouldn't want to see that either, but I didn't mind him in the rubber suit he got at the end, or another way they could've gone around it would be just have his lower body just be a bright beam of light and the upper half of him look normal.

Oh well... it is what it is.

 

[JackWhite]

The stuff with Max, pre-Electro, was God awful. Huge Jamie Foxx fan here too. Even with the weak motivation he was still very entertaining to watch as Electro though.

 

[Par Avion]

I questioned his electric pants, but then I reminded myself, "This is Spider-Man."

So the sky's the limit as far as zaniness and wackiness is concerned because it's all just silly fantasy stuff, right?

Internal logic helps to anchor suspension of disbelief. While the rubber body suit materializing through electrical sockets isn't the most egregious thing ever, it does push the boundaries into cartoon territory.

 

[Lencho01]

Exactly what i thought....when i saw the official release of Max.

They went with the geek stereotype which is often associated with White guys and just gave him that look. I'm like "I highly doubt dude would perm his hair like that."

He could've looked more like Steve Urkel and probably would've achieved the same effect they were going for in terms of Max's character.

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

So the sky's the limit as far as zaniness and wackiness is concerned because it's all just silly fantasy stuff, right?

Internal logic helps to anchor suspension of disbelief. While the rubber body suit materializing through electrical sockets isn't the most egregious thing ever, it does push the boundaries into cartoon territory.

Pretty much. I don't care where Electro got his suit or how it works. To quote one of my favorite lines in a comic book ever, "Superheroes wear costumes." (Whedon)

 

[ShadowBoxer]

I am a fan of Jamie Fox too but they could have made him a social outcast without that riddiclous comb over and buck teeth. Then that crappy music that played whenever he was on screen pre Electro was something out of a comedy movie or parody. But he looked awesome as Electro, just wish his moviations were a bit stronger, maybe the blu ray will have deleted scenes or an extended cut.

 

[Nicko-Ray]

Pretty much. I don't care where Electro got his suit or how it works. To quote one of my favorite lines in a comic book ever, "Superheroes wear costumes." (Whedon)

Totally. He got his suit from Ravencroft when he killed all of those employees. It's a containment suit. Remember when Harry broke in and they noticed through footage? Dr. Kafka said, "get a containment unit in there"

And there are a couple of quick shots of them wearing the suits.

 

[Par Avion]

Pretty much. I don't care where Electro got his suit or how it works. To quote one of my favorite lines in a comic book ever, "Superheroes wear costumes." (Whedon)

I think you're taking that line a bit literally. Of course they should wear super suits (that's not the issue I take exception with-in fact, I vouched for a more comic accurate, "realistic" yellow/green suit) but that doesn't exempt them from needing an in-world explanation so that we can then-from that point- suspend out disbelief. For me, the rubber suit dematerializing through the electrical outlet crossed the line into childish cartoonishness. You've got to establish some consistent ground rules, otherwise the material devolves in
to a saturday morning cartoon.

Totally. He got his suit from Ravencroft when he killed all of those employees. It's a containment suit. Remember when Harry broke in and they noticed through footage? Dr. Kafka said, "get a containment unit in there"

And there are a couple of quick shots of them wearing the suits.

I'd have to see the film again, but it must have been a blink and you miss it moment. Hardly sufficient explanation.

 

[Visualiza]

And that's how Electro will be remembered. As a big fart.

I do wish people would stop comparing Electro to The Riddler in BATMAN FOREVER. Because yes, BATMAN FOREVER's take on The Riddler was over the top, but it actually DID something with the "nerd stereotype", explored the character and concept, presented a character who had motivations and actually evolved somewhat as the film went on.

Electro was just...just awful. Near as I can tell, Foxx mailed it in, which doesn't help matters.

I don't mind the "nerd stereotype" so much as I matter the absolutely ridiculous "I want to be seen" theme that they chose to go with.

Seriously? That's the BEST they could come up with? Don't juxtapose Spider-Man's motivations to save lives with the desire to destroy and consume...don't explore concepts about the acquisition and use of power...or ideas about becoming more than human, you know, things that this franchise is ABOUT, no, the guy just wants to be wanted and needed and doesn't like Spider-Man because he's easily confused. And oh, he's a little nuts. Just an absolute hodgepodgy mess of a characterization.

And STILL they didn't explore that. They just TOLD us. We don't even get to SEE the guy have genius that is marginalized...we're just told that he is.

I don't even think he was that interesting visually. The cinematography was in places, and Spider-Man's solutions to issues were clever, but all that slow-mo also revealed some shoddy effectswork here and there. And the lack of imagination with regard to his powers annoyed me. "I can feel and sense electricity, and travel via it, and oh yeah, shoot bolts of electricity...so that last thing is ALL I'll do with my electrical powers!"

About halfway through the movie I started wondering why they bothered to go with the blue electricity/design. Regular electricity would have looked much cooler visually, especially in Times Square.

The black rubber suit looked stupid with the glowing blue man underneath. Are molded lightning bolts supposed to matter at that point?

Ugh.

Whew...I think that just about says it all.

 

[Picard Sisko]

It's pretty clear that Max Dillon was mentally ill... did no one catch onto that?

 

[Visualiza]

It's pretty clear that Max Dillon was mentally ill... did no one catch onto that?

I'm sorry, that seems to be a common excuse lately, but that seems like little more than another example of fans filling in the blanks to me. Mental illness wasn't a theme in this movie, nor was it given any special attention. If so, then in what way does it reflect on the hero? How does it parallel his state of mind as his arc coincides with Electro's?

This is one of the things that, unless someone can present a thoroughly well reasoned argument, I'm not buying it unless I hear it from Webb's mouth.

 

[Picard Sisko]

How the hell is that a "common excuse?" Max showed symptoms that he had a mental illness (either a personality or clinical mental disorder). Not saying that excuses his lack of character development but I was making an observation.

 

[Harry Dresden]

It is fairly obvious that Dillon was mentally ill.

Still doesn't make up for his overall corniness and ridiculousness.

 

[Picard Sisko]

It is fairly obvious that Dillon was mentally ill.

Still doesn't make up for his overall corniness and ridiculousness.

He has conversations with himself in the mirror, has imaginary freak outs with his boss, is a man-child, and much more. I think they just could have toned down the silliness prior to the Electro transformation, that's all. But the thing that was lacking was character development.

 

[matt47]

Mental illness WASN'T a theme in the movie?? come on! Whenever he was on screen you heard whispers in his head even when he was Max and he literally thought he and Spider man were best friends and that he made him a cake! I mean, come on if that's sane than..I dunno..but..that ain't sane.

 

[Picard Sisko]

Mental illness WASN'T a theme in the movie?? come on! Whenever he was on screen you heard whispers in his head even when he was Max and he literally thought he and Spider man were best friends and that he made him a cake! I mean, come on if that's sane than..I dunno..but..that ain't sane.

There you go. More signs that he was mentally ill. "Paranoia, paranoia, self-destroyer..."

 

[matt47]

It even says, "Mental Torture" if that ain't a MENTAL problem than I dunno what is!

 

[Nicko-Ray]

Picard's right. It all comes from Max's psyche. How he gets obsessed with Spider-Man just by him saying, "I need you", "you're not a nobody, you're somebody!", and Spidey saves everyone haha. Not to mention he's a 40 yr old? Why would he think like that? Plus, imagining him physically getting aggressive with his boss due to his over protection of Spider-Man.

 

[Picard Sisko]

The evidence for Max being mentally ill was there, but I just seriously wish they spent more time on that. I remember there was going to be a scene where Max is riding the subway home from work holding onto his birthday invitation on a crowded subway. Would have been nice to see in the actual movie.

 

[Visualiza]

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.

 

[ironman29758]

The evidence for Max being mentally ill was there, but I just seriously wish they spent more time on that. I remember there was going to be a scene where Max is riding the subway home from work holding onto his birthday invitation on a crowded subway. Would have been nice to see in the actual movie.

this or some more mental illness and his delusions during the Time Square scene(like Max imagining/replacing random people in the crowd with people from his work like Alistair Smythe or Donald Menken or have someone like his mother or Max pre transformation poking fun and berating at him calling him weak, a freak and a loser and someone name him Electro in a Spectacular Spider-Man type way) because we saw a little of that in the Scene and before hand, maybe if Max Dillon wasn't shown to be as cartoony/goofy as he was people would have taken it more seriously.

But some people in my theater enjoyed his scene and had a few chuckles but were taken aback a little by the scene where he imagining him snapping at Alistair over Spider-Man in his imagination.

 

[StarLord]

I was hoping for something special in Foxx's performance but I don't know whether it was due to scenes that were cut or for whatever other reasons, it really was lacking.

 

[Nicko-Ray]

I'll admit Jamie's performance in Django is way more refined...but TASM2 isn't a bad thing on his resume. Has he ever played villainous before?

 

[BETArayBill]

And that's how Electro will be remembered. As a big fart.

I do wish people would stop comparing Electro to The Riddler in BATMAN FOREVER. Because yes, BATMAN FOREVER's take on The Riddler was over the top, but it actually DID something with the "nerd stereotype", explored the character and concept, presented a character who had motivations and actually evolved somewhat as the film went on.

Electro was just...just awful. Near as I can tell, Foxx mailed it in, which doesn't help matters.

I don't mind the "nerd stereotype" so much as I matter the absolutely ridiculous "I want to be seen" theme that they chose to go with.

Seriously? That's the BEST they could come up with? Don't juxtapose Spider-Man's motivations to save lives with the desire to destroy and consume...don't explore concepts about the acquisition and use of power...or ideas about becoming more than human, you know, things that this franchise is ABOUT, no, the guy just wants to be wanted and needed and doesn't like Spider-Man because he's easily confused. And oh, he's a little nuts. Just an absolute hodgepodgy mess of a characterization.

And STILL they didn't explore that. They just TOLD us. We don't even get to SEE the guy have genius that is marginalized...we're just told that he is.

I don't even think he was that interesting visually. The cinematography was in places, and Spider-Man's solutions to issues were clever, but all that slow-mo also revealed some shoddy effectswork here and there. And the lack of imagination with regard to his powers annoyed me. "I can feel and sense electricity, and travel via it, and oh yeah, shoot bolts of electricity...so that last thing is ALL I'll do with my electrical powers!"

About halfway through the movie I started wondering why they bothered to go with the blue electricity/design. Regular electricity would have looked much cooler visually, especially in Times Square.

The black rubber suit looked stupid with the glowing blue man underneath. Are molded lightning bolts supposed to matter at that point?

Ugh.

Could not have summed it up any better

 

[NewYorkSpider]

I was hoping for something special in Foxx's performance but I don't know whether it was due to scenes that were cut or for whatever other reasons, it really was lacking.

I think it was just lack of development from the character. They had the right idea, they just didn't give it more time.