Scene #2: Times Square Destruction
As prefaced by Webb, this scene comes into play after Peter and Gwen have called it quits. Even though both profess that they’re committed to being broken up and now it’s time to just be friends, there’s no shortage of romantic playfulness – that is until Gwen reveals that there’s a chance she might be going to school in London on a scholarship. Peter’s very clearly heartbroken, but before he can respond, something catches his eye in the distance. Something isn’t quite right in Times Square.
Sure enough, a hooded Electro is lurking about and giving his new abilities a test run. Even though he very clearly has no intentions on hurting anyone at the start, his alarming appearance causes a panic and he can’t help but to lash out. Eventually, Spider-Man arrives to try to talk him down, but there’s no controlling the rage building inside of him and Electro unleashes everything he’s got on the city.
The production values here are just through the roof. There are loads of extras, tons of very tangible and dangerous electrical currents, cars flying and billboards crumbling. Of the lot, it is worth noting the abundance of slow motion. Webb put the technique to use in the previous sequence as well, but here, there’s about 30 seconds to a minute’s worth of highly detailed action executed in this fashion, literally letting you see every web that Spider-Man slings in order to save a group of people from Electro’s destruction.
Also quite notable is that even though Spider-Man is our hero, this scene bears a nice balance between his perception and Electro’s, too. There are a handful of shots from Electro’s POV, which essentially has what the average person sees, but it’s all in the shadows of electricity. The sequence also offered a taste of what’s going on inside Electro’s head. It’s abundantly clear that Electro doesn’t want to hurt anyone, but he also can’t control his rage so when the voices inside his head kick in, good intentions or not, he’s unmistakably far too unhinged and dangerous to trust.
Scene #3 – Harry Osborn & Electro
Even though the combat and destruction in the prior scenes were top-notch, it was great to have a somewhat quieter moment in the mix to see what Foxx and Dane DeHaan are really capable of – particularly DeHaan.
The scene plays out inside the facility where Electro is being kept on lockdown, trapped in a vice of sorts. Harry arrives and attempts to negotiation with him by insisting that he can help him get Spider-Man if Electro gets him into Oscorp first. The details of the deal are somewhat familiar, but DeHaan’s vicious fervor is truly unnerving. Electro proves to be quite the threat himself when security finally catches the two conspiring and Electro essentially evaporates, reappears and then fries everyone in the room. But even then, it’s DeHaan’s maniac desperation that makes Harry the more striking component.
Following the clips, Webb took part in a brief Q&A with the audience. Check out some highlights from the conversation on the next page…