What was your Aspie friend so pissed about? I work with special needs kids and I'd like to know.
Tbh, I'm not really sure myself. I didn't see what he was saying was so wrong with it, but apparently there was something. I just know he was pretty angry, hence why I put stupid at best (me) to offensive at worst (him).
The very fact that he was offended by it made me feel obligated to mention it though
I thought that Jamie Foxx's performance was the best part of the film, actually (although Harry's performance isn't far behind and together they're an absolute joy to behold.) As one of the few people who has watched The Soloist, I found that his performance was building cohesively on his character in that film.
Now, The Soloist was praised as one of the most realistic renditions of schizophrenia, not of Asperger's, and I think that is what Max Dillon was meant to be (the part where he becomes Electro and you can hear voices in his head was a particular give-away.) Sadly, he kinda gets sidelined in the last half of the film, and doesn't really say anything interesting when he's not with Harry, which is a shame.
I agree that Parker was way too bland as a character. I'm fine with angst, but he just didn't pull it off convincingly. The way they had those Gwen's father visions was especially bad, because it effectively implies that Peter grieves for him more than his own daughter, which is just wrong and made me less connected to them. I also thought that the stuff with his father was just eating up screentime, and the subway scene was so unbelievable it would have been right at home in any Transformers film.
My problem with Captain Stacy and the Stacys in general is how they've basically eclipsed Uncle Ben in this whole franchise. Peter didn't learn from Uncle Ben's death. Instead, he learned from Stacy at the dinner table. And now he's haunted by Stacy's death instead of Uncle Ben's. On top of that, Gwen's death is the one that pushes him to learn to sacrifice for the greater good and keep going when it's tough rather than Ben's. Was one comic book event really worth glossing over the core of the franchise?
Sounds kind of strange that every review I've seen of this movie has expressed a certain amount of disappointment, while also saying 'It's better than (insert another Spider-Man movie).' And since I like all the Spider-Man movies I've seen so far (although I've never really gone beyond just liking) I'll be giving this a watch. Thanks for the heads-up on what I should expect.
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Sigh
First things first, Amazing Spider-Man 2 is better than the first one. It's not saying much but it does need to be said. I REALLY want to love this film. Spidey is finally perfect, jokes and all (though Peter is quite disappointing), Dane De Hann KILLS IT as Harry (I love this guy!), the action is great and the finale is AMAZING .....but there's too many plot holes and the middle rreeeaallly drags. Spidey's only in it about 3 times and everything with Peter ranges from meh to ewww with few exceptions. The writers still don't get his character. He's actually the most plain and boring character in the film. The parents plotline gives its "dramatic" secret, but anyone with a functioning brain cell figured out what they reveal while watching the first film, so it's basically a waste of screen time, just like in the first film. Electro is a major disappointment. The movie tries to get you to feel bad for him, but his human side is so ridiculously overdone it's stupid at best and actually kind of offensive to people with mental problems at worst. One person I know with Asperger's was pissed. Besides the Times Square scene, he's just......there. When the movie feels like it could have done without the main villain, that's bad. Rhino isn't even worth mentioning (you'll see what I mean). Norman is wasted and Harry only gets good when he starts losing it and even then he can't save the movie. The whole film banks on the fact that you love Peter and Gwen, but I didn't because their relationship was so forced and underdeveloped in the last film. Harry and Peter never get their friendship explored so there's never that sense of betrayal. Aunt May and the effects of Uncle Ben's absence in her and Peter's lives are afterthoughts. Plot holes/stupid character choices are abundant and you feel like you've missed a scene at some points. The whole film seems kind of rushed. None of the relationships have time to breathe so you don't get to care and honestly none of it besides the finale really sticks with you (even that's fading). I adore(d) the finale and every bit with Spidey is awesome but that's only about 40 minutes of a 2 and a half hour film. Sadly the movie overall is just "meh." With that said, this is my last Amazing movie. I don't hate it anymore but it's not good enough to keep paying for. Hopefully the next reboot will be better