[8.0/10] Very nice way to end this arc -- or at least the attack of the D-listers portion of it – which is, I guess, to bring on the A-listers? Electro has already been a Spider-Man movie villain, and Chameleon has been in multiple prior T.V. series, so that has to count for something right?
I enjoyed both segments. I like this version of Electro, whose electro suit is hand-made and always on the fritz. The idea that she’s going after Spidey, and the bounty, in order to get parts to improve it is a solid motivation beyond “evil for evil’s sake.” The banter is especially good in the fight, with Peter’s nerdy side wanting to give her tips on how to improve the suit, only for him to realize, “Wait, why am I helping the bad guy!’
The design and animation work was cool too. While fully-electrified electro looked a little too much like an anime-inspired ghost for my tastes, the webs vs. shocks battle was well done, and I enjoyed the blocking of her stalking him through the Horizon High open house. It’s also a nice way to pay off the “gotta get my science project done” part of the story. The fact that despite everything, Peter does put together a pretty cool device, only to have it not only coopeted and fried by the baddie, but to have her end up destroying the whole expo has the ring of irony to it when Peter’s been trying so hard to make it all work. Him cobbling together an anti-electrical suit out of the various other projects is a little silly, but whatever, it’s a superhero show.
The Chameleon part of the episode was even better. The very nature of Chameleon’s powers lends itself to crazy twists which I always get a little delight out of. The idea that Chameleon had studied Spider-Man, enough to not only imitate his moves, but to know that pretending to be him while robbing a bank would smoke him out, is a nice way to show that the villain is smart and not just another mook. The interlude where Spidey tries to convince chief Watanbe that it’s not him, only to see that Chameleon is Watanbe (or at least a fake version of her), is a pretty neat reveal.
From there, I enjoyed the cat and mouse game between them. Chameleon’s ability to shape shift into anyone made for an exciting chase. Peter getting bested because he can’t bear to punch an old lady, or mistakes a trio of rowdy teens for Chameleon’s disguise when it’s really a random businessman made for a cool sequence. And the finale, where Peter decides to punch J.J., regardless of which one’s real, was a delightful solution to the problem. The J.J. in this one is especially amusing, and his ability to twist any event to being Spider-Man’s fault makes his being shocked and appalled at the whole situation a lot of fun.
Overall, this puts a nice button on this whole chapter of Peter’s life, with a tease that we’re not quite finished with it yet.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2019-06-16T18:54:49Z
[8.0/10] Very nice way to end this arc -- or at least the attack of the D-listers portion of it – which is, I guess, to bring on the A-listers? Electro has already been a Spider-Man movie villain, and Chameleon has been in multiple prior T.V. series, so that has to count for something right?
I enjoyed both segments. I like this version of Electro, whose electro suit is hand-made and always on the fritz. The idea that she’s going after Spidey, and the bounty, in order to get parts to improve it is a solid motivation beyond “evil for evil’s sake.” The banter is especially good in the fight, with Peter’s nerdy side wanting to give her tips on how to improve the suit, only for him to realize, “Wait, why am I helping the bad guy!’
The design and animation work was cool too. While fully-electrified electro looked a little too much like an anime-inspired ghost for my tastes, the webs vs. shocks battle was well done, and I enjoyed the blocking of her stalking him through the Horizon High open house.
It’s also a nice way to pay off the “gotta get my science project done” part of the story. The fact that despite everything, Peter does put together a pretty cool device, only to have it not only coopeted and fried by the baddie, but to have her end up destroying the whole expo has the ring of irony to it when Peter’s been trying so hard to make it all work. Him cobbling together an anti-electrical suit out of the various other projects is a little silly, but whatever, it’s a superhero show.
The Chameleon part of the episode was even better. The very nature of Chameleon’s powers lends itself to crazy twists which I always get a little delight out of. The idea that Chameleon had studied Spider-Man, enough to not only imitate his moves, but to know that pretending to be him while robbing a bank would smoke him out, is a nice way to show that the villain is smart and not just another mook. The interlude where Spidey tries to convince chief Watanbe that it’s not him, only to see that Chameleon is Watanbe (or at least a fake version of her), is a pretty neat reveal.
From there, I enjoyed the cat and mouse game between them. Chameleon’s ability to shape shift into anyone made for an exciting chase. Peter getting bested because he can’t bear to punch an old lady, or mistakes a trio of rowdy teens for Chameleon’s disguise when it’s really a random businessman made for a cool sequence. And the finale, where Peter decides to punch J.J., regardless of which one’s real, was a delightful solution to the problem. The J.J. in this one is especially amusing, and his ability to twist any event to being Spider-Man’s fault makes his being shocked and appalled at the whole situation a lot of fun.
Overall, this puts a nice button on this whole chapter of Peter’s life, with a tease that we’re not quite finished with it yet.