5/10 review from House of Geekery
http://houseofgeekery.com/2014/04/15...se-of-electro/
Pros
- Peter and Gwen remain heart of the film and are loveable characters
- Dane Dehaan's performance
- Sally Field is good even though they don't give her much story
- The effects for Spidey's movements and the action
Cons
- Electro is weak villain and is later just Harry's lackey and there are some odd scenes with Max Dillon early in the film.
- There is no story, this film isn't really about anything, just a series of plot points to set up future films and a prelude to a bigger movie
- Some subplots go nowhere like the mystery with Peter's parents still doesn't have closure, Aunt May training to be a nurse etc
- Parker doesn’t have any motive in this film beyond saving citizens because that’s what Spider-Man does. He doesn’t go to college and apart from one email exchange with Jameson he doesn’t have a job. The events of this film set up motivations for Parker to act in the next movie against those still standing at the end of this one.
- The music is really odd, especially for Electro. Max Dillon starts with this really goofy track, which makes sense, but it continues when he becomes Electro. We’re supposed to be intimidated by this character and they’re playing backing music from a slapstick routine. Then it, and his mutterings, turn into an awful dubstep track that doesn’t set the scene but distracts from it.
- What's the point of Rhino and is once again just set up and even Captain Stacey has more scenes than Rhino
- Parker keeps seeing Capt. Stacy around the place showing how haunted he is by Stacy’s death and his conflicted feelings about promising he wouldn’t date Gwen. Why is he so hung up on this guy and not Uncle Ben? We don’t even get a flashback of Ben imparting some good natured advice. You’d think the latter would have had a bigger lasting impact than his sort-of girlfriend’s father who he met twice.
- It would be better if more time was spent on Harry's character rather than Electro because he has a much bigger stake in Parker’s life. The two come from a shared past and experiences and their paths have recrossed for logical reasons, and he’s often more interesting that shouty Jamie Foxx. Because he shares the story with the bizzarre Electro backstory the emergence of the Green Goblin feels rushed.
- Tone is weird, one minute rom com, one minute dark, then one minute camp and weird with Max Dillon scenes and while Electro is imprisoned he’s experimented on by a really hammy German scientist character who does not fit in with the tone of the movie at all. It’s like someone who would have appeared in Batman & Robin.
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