knownothingnerd
Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The last thing most people see.
Posts: 58 
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Post by knownothingnerd on Apr 29, 2014 1:54:33 GMT -5
Hello all! My review of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is now up on the site. The film has already released here in Japan. We are holding a contest for the release of the movie, so be sure to leave your thoughts on the film in here. Feel free to talk about the finer points and spoilers here. There will be Five (5) contest winners which will be chosen randomly from the posts on this page. The prize will be Japanese promotional flyers for the film. They work great as mini-posters. I'm also throwing in some X-men, Thor and other comic movie flyers with the Spidey ones (to be chosen randomly). Sorry, but TC staff and contributors are not eligible to win, but please feel free to post! The contest closed on May 16th. The Winners chosen randomly are:
Chapin
Mighty Milton
mguy1977
scouts1998
Simon
I've sent you all messages, so please check your inboxes and send me a reply with an address to send your prizes. Thanks! |
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Post by Simon on Apr 29, 2014 2:48:26 GMT -5
Sweet, I wasn't sure when we'd be able to talk about it. I'm in NZ so it came out early (17th).
I really enjoyed this film, the really upped the humour which was something I greatly appreciated, I love seeing Spidey as a wisecracker and this film brought that. Acting was great, really enjoyed Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Dane Dehaan, even if I did think he was under used. I loved seeing the camera tracking Spidey in the air. Plus it was nice to see a film that was so vibrant.
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Post by scouts1998 on Apr 29, 2014 3:42:19 GMT -5
I didn't like the first one at all so i wasn't expecting much when i saw this one but i have to say there was a huge improvement but still not that good.
***Basic Review***
Needed heaps more Spider-man and a little less Parker
Needed more Rhino
Electro and Green Goblin were boring villains
Garfield is a slightly better Spider-Man but Maguire is WAY better Peter Parker
What happens to Gwen with her education felt forced
They never mentioned when Harry and Peter were friends
Peter's Dad's stroy was a let down (unless it continues in ASM 3)
Black Cat! (sort of)
Setting up Sinister Six!
The post credit scene (for X-men DoFP) was great
Overall 5.5/10
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Post by scouts1998 on Apr 29, 2014 3:44:07 GMT -5
Sweet, I wasn't sure when we'd be able to talk about it. I'm in NZ so it came out early (17th). I really enjoyed this film, the really upped the humour which was something I greatly appreciated, I love seeing Spidey as a wisecracker and this film brought that. Acting was great, really enjoyed Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Dane Dehaan, even if I did think he was under used. I loved seeing the camera tracking Spidey in the air. Plus it was nice to see a film that was so vibrant. New Zealand! I'm from Australia. It's good to hear that there is a presence of the industry in NZ. |
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Post by Simon on Apr 29, 2014 5:23:08 GMT -5
Sweet, I wasn't sure when we'd be able to talk about it. I'm in NZ so it came out early (17th). I really enjoyed this film, the really upped the humour which was something I greatly appreciated, I love seeing Spidey as a wisecracker and this film brought that. Acting was great, really enjoyed Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Dane Dehaan, even if I did think he was under used. I loved seeing the camera tracking Spidey in the air. Plus it was nice to see a film that was so vibrant. New Zealand! I'm from Australia. It's good to hear that there is a presence of the industry in NZ. We are now bitter rivals. Not sure if I'd be as harsh on the film as you were but I do agree with a lot of what you had to say. The Green Goblin inclusion was completely unnecessary. I think Peter and Harry being friends was mentioned briefly, they were friends when they were ten or something. Never realised that the Felicia character was supposed to be Felicia Hardy, a last name would have gone far. The Peter's Dad subplot(?) was easily my least favorite part of the film, in my opinion it took away so much of what I like about the Peter Parker character. Instead of this character who fell ass backward into powers, he becomes a character predestined to inherit these powers which I didn't like, I feel like it removes some of the relatability of the character. |
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Post by scouts1998 on Apr 29, 2014 6:09:21 GMT -5
New Zealand! I'm from Australia. It's good to hear that there is a presence of the industry in NZ. We are now bitter rivals. Not sure if I'd be as harsh on the film as you were but I do agree with a lot of what you had to say. The Green Goblin inclusion was completely unnecessary. I think Peter and Harry being friends was mentioned briefly, they were friends when they were ten or something. Never realised that the Felicia character was supposed to be Felicia Hardy, a last name would have gone far. The Peter's Dad subplot(?) was easily my least favorite part of the film, in my opinion it took away so much of what I like about the Peter Parker character. Instead of this character who fell ass backward into powers, he becomes a character predestined to inherit these powers which I didn't like, I feel like it removes some of the relatability of the character. Most of the reason i gave the movie 5.5 was because when spider-man was on screen he was brilliant. From the effects to the character. |
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knownothingnerd
Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The last thing most people see.
Posts: 58
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Post by knownothingnerd on Apr 29, 2014 7:47:08 GMT -5
I really enjoyed this movie. Yes, the villains were a little underused, but this wasn't their story. I think Samuel L. Jackson said it best at a con recently. You watch Marvel for the heroes. If you want interesting villains watch DC. There were already 3 in the film and forcing more time with them could have made the film felt cramped.
It would've been nice to see more of DeHaan, but I think this movie was more about the Peter and Gwen narrative. We got a whole lot more Spidey this time around.
I gotta disagree as I feel Garfield is a way better Peter Parker. Maguire just seemed like a doe-eyed dreamer.
Did anyone pickup on the foreshadowing? I knew something was up with the first sighting of Captain Stacy, and then Gwen's graduation speech. I immediately thought oh shit, they are going to kill her this film. Her education stuff felt a little rushed, but the events of this film took place over the course of a few months.
Peter and Harry were friends as kids until Harry was sent to boarding school. I thought that was pretty obvious through in their first meeting in the film.
Simon, I completely agree with you on the Peter's Dad subplot it is unneeded. I think it worked in the first movie since it gave Peter a reason to want to visit Connors.
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Post by Simon on Apr 29, 2014 9:55:21 GMT -5
Did anyone pickup on the foreshadowing? I knew something was up with the first sighting of Captain Stacy, and then Gwen's graduation speech. I immediately thought oh shit, they are going to kill her this film. Her education stuff felt a little rushed, but the events of this film took place over the course of a few months. I didn't pick the foreshadowing through that but rather guessed through costume, what she wears toward the end of the film was almost exactly what Gil Kane (I think) drew in the comics. The sightings of Captain Stacy were something I wished were touched on more, they didn't really come to anything. |
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Post by Huw on Apr 29, 2014 11:22:02 GMT -5
I really enjoyed this movie. Yes, the villains were a little underused, but this wasn't their story. I think Samuel L. Jackson said it best at a con recently. You watch Marvel for the heroes. If you want interesting villains watch DC. There were already 3 in the film and forcing more time with them could have made the film felt cramped. It would've been nice to see more of DeHaan, but I think this movie was more about the Peter and Gwen narrative. We got a whole lot more Spidey this time around. I gotta disagree as I feel Garfield is a way better Peter Parker. Maguire just seemed like a doe-eyed dreamer. Did anyone pickup on the foreshadowing? I knew something was up with the first sighting of Captain Stacy, and then Gwen's graduation speech. I immediately thought oh shit, they are going to kill her this film. Her education stuff felt a little rushed, but the events of this film took place over the course of a few months. Peter and Harry were friends as kids until Harry was sent to boarding school. I thought that was pretty obvious through in their first meeting in the film. Simon, I completely agree with you on the Peter's Dad subplot it is unneeded. I think it worked in the first movie since it gave Peter a reason to want to visit Connors. I totally agree with you about Andrew Garfield, dude. I feel he's a much better Peter Parker, much more switched on, clever, witty and conveys the emotion of being Spidey and the dilemmas it brings in a much stronger way. I definitely picked up on the foreshadowing. It made me incredibly tense throughout the movie, I was dreading when it got to that scene. As soon as Gwen got stuck on the bridge, my heart sank! Overall, I honestly think this is the best Spidey since the second Raimi movie. It's not perfect and the villains are a little lightweight, but I got what I wanted and that was a movie about Spidey/Peter above all else. |
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knownothingnerd
Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The last thing most people see.
Posts: 58
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Post by knownothingnerd on Apr 30, 2014 7:11:41 GMT -5
I thought the Captain Stacy sightings were Peter remembering his promise to him that Gwen would be in danger with Peter. Added to the foreshadowing from the start of the movie. They came around to meaning that he was right.
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Post by CaptainSuperior on May 2, 2014 6:38:56 GMT -5
I thought this movie has been the closest representation of a live action comic book. The multiple story lines moving at a brisk pace, the spider humor, and overall tone just really kept me into the movie and felt as if I was just flipping through the pages of ASM. However, while this is a unique experience it doesn't necessarily make for the best movie experience. Overall Webb's series for me has been far more interesting that Rami's trilogy.
- to answer a question, someone said something about they didn't explain the Harry and Peter connection. It was explained in their first scene together, Harry befriended Peter in school during the time that he found out his parents had passed away. They were friends until Harry was 11 and Norman shipped him off to boarding school, and now Peter is returning the favor to Harry after he hears about the death of Norman.
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mguy1977
Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Man of Steel
Posts: 50
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Post by mguy1977 on May 2, 2014 17:24:53 GMT -5
I thought Amazing Spider-Man 2 was a better film than its predecessor & that is about where my niceties end. I enjoyed the chemistry of Peter & Gwen relationship. The first Electro fight w/ the police & Spidey was pretty badass. The following battles were less than enjoyable. Jamie Foxx's Electro was a much better villain over SPOILERS BELOW YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
the half-assed looking Green Goblin that was shoehorned in at the last minute. The Rhino tease was a major letdown. Gwen's graduation speech was another highlight of the film when it was played back for Peter. Five months without Spider-Man seemed a bit excessive. You would think Peter would have seen the speech sooner after Gwen's death to inspire him to get back in the tights but that is just me.
I just was not impressed by this film after seeing Captain America 2 since it set a gold standard for the year in terms of superhero films for 2014 w/ a solid rating of 9 out of 10 or solid A grade. I give this film a 6.5 rating out of 10 or C- grade. I watched Amazing Spider-Man before going to the theater; Amazing Spider-Man earned a 5.5 out of 10 or solid D grade. Bring on X-Men Days of Future Past, Guardians of the Galaxy, & Sin City 2 for more movie watching fun.
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Post by Mighty Milton on May 3, 2014 21:44:50 GMT -5
Great movie. Haters gonna hate.
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nikcel
Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Posts: 78
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Post by nikcel on May 4, 2014 5:38:02 GMT -5
Overall Rating: 6.5 (Biased)
The Amazing Spider-Man series have yet to be "Amazing" unfortunately. There were many things it did fine and poorly, except for this film's Spider-man which I thought was the best Spider-man I've seen and Emma Stone's charming Gwen Stacey. Spider-man's quips, actions, movement, and web-slinging were superb and Garfield and the effects team really stepped up their game. However, Garfield's Parker was mediocre, sadly. The film's mopey, hipster Peter went in and out of a Brooklyn accent and didn't make me smile the way I do when I read the comics. Luckily, Stone nailed Gwen Stacey and made me fall in love with her the same way Peter had and their chemistry really did show. I feel bad for whoever has to play Mary Jane because it's going to be difficult to convince me she's a better match than Emma.
Now to the villains, Electro's 'motive' to turn against Spider-man was pathetic. No argument there. However, I will easily look over the technicalities concerning his suit and it's ability to dissipate and re-appear with his electrical form, because it's something that doesn't take me out of the film. I enjoyed Electro's action sequences and Foxx's performance, it was the writers who didn't do their job. Now I wasn't a fan of the Green Goblin's costume the moment I saw the awful promo picture and knew I would dislike their interpretation of the character. The friendship between Parker and Osborn seemed good at points, but only because of my knowledge of the two. Without that knowledge it would make no sense. In a strange way I sort of like DeHaan's Harry, only because he did something different and since we have hipster Peter we can have neglected, spoiled, rash Harry Osborn. The whole Green Goblin trajectory was too rushed and premature which is a real dissapointment because of it's potential. The Rhino was fine with me although when you have such a talented actor like Paul Giamatti I don't understand why he comes out so immature and campy. Loved the costume however!
The overall feeling I got were that they had all these puzzle pieces and they shoved them together to make an okay film instead of taking their time and selecting the pieces to make an "Amazing" film. For me, the humor seemed a bit forced at times and just made me think of how much better Marvel Studios would make it. The plot and character development (if that's what you want to call it) are lacking in substance and depth, but makes up for it a bit with stunning special effects, Emma Stone, and what I think is the most Amazing Spider-man!
Now, I don't know if anyone else enjoyed the tidbits of easter eggs, but I sure as hell did! Alistair Smythe! Sinister Six! Doc Ock! Vulture! Black Cat!!!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2014 20:36:35 GMT -5
Glad to see so many people actually like it, I also saw it early (Australia) and once the US revies started coming in so negatively I didn't understand why. This felt like a Spider-Man movie. As much as I love the first 2 Raimi films, I never bought Tobey Maguire as Peter or Spidey, there was not much humour and Kirsten Dunst as MJ never made sense to me. She was always so miserable. These 2 new films really highlight the youth of Peter and Gwen and Garfield and Stone do such a great job at making you love them, which makes her death all the more devestating. I assumed they would wait for the 3rd movie to kill her so this came as a complete shock, also the fact it came out in Aus early meant not having to avoid the internet for spoilers like usually happens.
That final scene is incredible and I think whatever stupid nitpicks I may have had walking out were overshadowed by the moment with the kid, because that is what Spidey should be about. Great way to end the movie, also a great way to have 3 villains without overcrowding it, although I never understood this whole "Too Many characters" problem. It only really started with Spidey 3 and now its become the go to complaint when a movie has "too many characters". A movie could have 100 characters, if its done right its done right.
Also I've been reading Bendis' Ultimate run from start to finish recently and to me that is the best Spider-Man run I've ever read, and these movies are taking so much from it which I love. I also think that is not the last we see of Norman Osborne.
Interested to see what the Podcast team think.
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