‘Spider-Man Homecoming’ is sensational and amazing
Spider-Man is back!
Tom Holland returns as Peter Parker/Spidey after his introduction as the new Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War, with his first standalone film, Spider-Man: Homecoming, which is connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Following the events of Civil War, Peter finds himself trapped in the rut of his life as a high school teenager and is eager to rejoin the team for more action. After some instructions from Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), Peter is assigned to the oversight of Stark’s personal assistant, Happy (Jon Favreau). It doesn’t take long for Peter to test the boundries, make major blunders and ultimately endanger as many lives as he is helping.
Homecoming also centers on Adrian Toomes, played brilliantly by Michael Keaton, a regular, hard working New Yorker in charge of clean up of alien technology around the Big Apple after the attack in The Avengers. The government clamps down on his project, ruining Toomes financially and driving the man into the black market when he exploits the tech and ultimately creates a flying supersuit – the Vulture is born.
From start to finish, this is the Spider-Man film fans have always hoped for, reminiscent of Marvel Comics’ Ultimate Spider-Man reboot, keeping the focus on the struggle of Peter’s immaturity, his great powers and the burden which comes from a secret identity and villains wanting to murder you and everyone you care about.
Holland’s Spider-Man is not some dark, brooding melancholy character with an axe to grind, he’s just a kid who wants to do good. This is the appeal of the comic book for decades, some than even Marvel has lost sight of their marketing schemes (e.g. the new gay, half-black Obama inspired Spidey and deaths of multiple characters).
Spider-Man Homecoming flows perfectly. Iron Man shows up at the right time, but never highjacks the film and somehow, and it’s pretty amazing, the trailers do NOT ruin the film or the twists. There are plenty of Easter Eggs, characters set up to become villains in future films and the foundation for a broad, ever-growing Spidey franchise of films (Shocker, Scorpion and some other more hidden references).
Marisa Tomei as Aunt May really DOES WORK in a feature film and makes us want more after the end of this film. The nerdy jokes, the clever twists and turns of Spidey — it’s all here.
If there are issues, it’s the supporting cast of students, particularly the nerdy twist on Flash Thompson instead of a physical threat, he’s just a jerk. Can some jocks be smart enough to be in the school with Peter?
It’s pretty clear Marvel wanted to add in some more political correctness with the love interest(s) for Peter, casting minorities instead of a Caucasian Gwen or Mary Jane (Zendaya and Laura Harrier).
The film has flaws, particularly with a few points during the action sequences, but it is incredibly entertaining and works on every level.
Spider-Man Homecoming receives 4 stars our of 5 stars and joins Wonder Woman as the best films of the summer thus far.
