Websling away
Aug. 1st, 2004 04:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lady_t_220Spiderman! Spiderman! Does whatever a spider can...
The Short Review
It was ok. I think I prefered the first movie. Kinda' dumb. Had some funny moments. No one I was with recognised the guy in the lift while Spidey's talking about his itchy crotch. I wouldn't have noticed either save for all those hours spent watching American import TV.
The Long Review
Pacing, pacing, pacing.
I had the distinct feeling that there was an imbalance between the emotion and the action. Emotion was shoehorned in due to a fairly thin plot, and action was ladled on top to up the pace, so what you got was plod plod plod angst plod angst, ACTION! plod angst angst...
Or as Charlie said "Like fanfic, really... but with less porn."
Don't get me wrong, there were some sweet moments. the part with the train carriage where he's passed over the top of the crowd and they realise he's just a kid was actually very, very sweet... but they went and killed it with the whole "You'll have to go through me" bit with Doc Ock right afterwards. The emotion was good but it went too far in places and there were definite moments when I wanted to slap them all senseless and tell them to pull themselves together for goodness' sake.
That said, the action was well executed and the CGI much, MUCH improved form the last movie.
Irksome moments though... there was never any explanation for his powers fading in and out. Beyond "It's all in your head" anyway, and I don't think that qualifies. It felt weird.
Also... many, many high falls and nasty landings, all of which were shaken off with nothing more than a twinge. These are bone-crunching, serious hospital-time falls, y'know. Last time I checked, spidey was not invulnerable.
JJ still amuses me. Stan Lee cameo was blink-and-you-miss-it. Chinese woman busking the theme tune was very, very funny.
Overall... first one had a better balance. Alfred Molina used to have a respecable career. How did sinking the giant energy-ball to the bottom of the river actually acheive anything? I mean other than just having it churn away at the bottom of the river instead of on land? Surely this is still a problem?
Tobey Maguire looks bizarre when he has that strained expression on his face...
So overall... ah, reasonable enough afternoon. K&BW liked it a lot. Charlie and I prefered the first one. *shrug* I'd have said if you want to see it for the SFX then go see it in the cinema. If you want to see it for anything other than the SFX then wait till it's a rental.
The Short Review
It was ok. I think I prefered the first movie. Kinda' dumb. Had some funny moments. No one I was with recognised the guy in the lift while Spidey's talking about his itchy crotch. I wouldn't have noticed either save for all those hours spent watching American import TV.
The Long Review
Pacing, pacing, pacing.
I had the distinct feeling that there was an imbalance between the emotion and the action. Emotion was shoehorned in due to a fairly thin plot, and action was ladled on top to up the pace, so what you got was plod plod plod angst plod angst, ACTION! plod angst angst...
Or as Charlie said "Like fanfic, really... but with less porn."
Don't get me wrong, there were some sweet moments. the part with the train carriage where he's passed over the top of the crowd and they realise he's just a kid was actually very, very sweet... but they went and killed it with the whole "You'll have to go through me" bit with Doc Ock right afterwards. The emotion was good but it went too far in places and there were definite moments when I wanted to slap them all senseless and tell them to pull themselves together for goodness' sake.
That said, the action was well executed and the CGI much, MUCH improved form the last movie.
Irksome moments though... there was never any explanation for his powers fading in and out. Beyond "It's all in your head" anyway, and I don't think that qualifies. It felt weird.
Also... many, many high falls and nasty landings, all of which were shaken off with nothing more than a twinge. These are bone-crunching, serious hospital-time falls, y'know. Last time I checked, spidey was not invulnerable.
JJ still amuses me. Stan Lee cameo was blink-and-you-miss-it. Chinese woman busking the theme tune was very, very funny.
Overall... first one had a better balance. Alfred Molina used to have a respecable career. How did sinking the giant energy-ball to the bottom of the river actually acheive anything? I mean other than just having it churn away at the bottom of the river instead of on land? Surely this is still a problem?
Tobey Maguire looks bizarre when he has that strained expression on his face...
So overall... ah, reasonable enough afternoon. K&BW liked it a lot. Charlie and I prefered the first one. *shrug* I'd have said if you want to see it for the SFX then go see it in the cinema. If you want to see it for anything other than the SFX then wait till it's a rental.
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no subject
Date: 2004-08-01 08:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-01 09:40 am (UTC)And yeah, as far as Spidey 2 goes, it was definitely an uneven mix, but I have certainly seen worse movies, let alone sequels.
no subject
Date: 2004-08-01 10:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-01 09:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-01 10:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-01 10:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-01 10:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-01 10:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-01 10:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-01 10:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-01 11:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-01 11:10 am (UTC)There's fic in there somewhere, I'm sure :p
no subject
Date: 2004-08-01 11:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-01 10:02 am (UTC)same as you, i found it terribly uneven. the pacing was just flat strange and felt forced most of the time. and just as you pointed out, there were many huh? moments that needed explanation and we just didn't get them (the falling with nary an injury, the on again/off again Spidey powers, the sinking of the 'unstoppable self-sustaining energy' - how on earth does letting it churn away at the bottom of the river stop it from doing what it's doing? HUH??)
and that screwball 'running from her wedding' shtick. it just felt phony as could be. maybe it's just me, but kirsten whateverhernameis doesn't strike me as a very skilled actress. those puffy chipmunk cheeks convey less emotion than a storefront dummy. [/end crabbing]
O_o
no subject
Date: 2004-08-01 10:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-01 07:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-02 12:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-02 02:18 pm (UTC)I dunno. I didn't like the "it's all in your head" explanation, but I thought up one I liked. The guy wasn't sleeping enough or eating well. His body has to produce the webthingies from somewhere, and I can see how letting things go healthwise would knock down on that production.
Still, I so didn't like his eyesight changing so he needed glasses again, and the whole falling from great heights without a scratch was most irksome.
Last time I checked, spidey was not invulnerable.
He sure does play it in the movies. Dang if there's nothing I dislike more than a hero that can't be hurt. What's there to fret about if he can shrug off anything the bad guy can throw at him?
How did sinking the giant energy-ball to the bottom of the river actually acheive anything? I mean other than just having it churn away at the bottom of the river instead of on land? Surely this is still a problem?
Read in one of my friends' posts that adding water was the worst possible thing you could do in a fusion reaction. Wish I could find it for you. It was a great rant.
no subject
Date: 2004-08-02 02:33 pm (UTC)See, I agree I thought that at first... but then his eyesight went too and that said to me his whole powers, lock stock and barrel were packing up. Which seems extreme given as the spider bites changed him on a genetic level or something, didn't it? You genetics don't phase out even if you are failing to look after yourself.
*ponders* All very odd and inexplicable...
Dang if there's nothing I dislike more than a hero that can't be hurt. What's there to fret about if he can shrug off anything the bad guy can throw at him?
I know... that's what made the train bit work cause at least he had a reaction to taking such a pounding. But he was falling off buildings with just an "Ow"...
But then you know me, I like a hero who can suffer...
that adding water was the worst possible thing you could do in a fusion reaction
Well given as even in the fictional Spider-world dunking it in the river didn't seem to stop it, it just sank and glowed at the bottom instead f sitting and glowing at the top, I don't think it was solved either way. :S
no subject
Date: 2004-08-02 03:10 pm (UTC)Same here. Of course, the reaction didn't last all that long. He was fine and ready to fight the next time he woke up. :-P
But then you know me, I like a hero who can suffer...
Hee! Where' the fun if there's no sufferin'?
no subject
Date: 2004-08-02 03:15 pm (UTC)We're sick, sadistic individuals... ;p
no subject
Date: 2004-08-02 03:26 pm (UTC)But, just think of wonderfully cruel things everyone else is missing out on, not admitting that to themselves.
*pities the mentally stable*
no subject
Date: 2004-08-02 03:30 pm (UTC)Bless... :p