Spiderman Homecoming Review
Spiderman Homecoming is an aptly titled reboot of a franchise that needed the “Marvel magic” touch. Spiderman’s return to Marvel is a not only an excellent Spiderman movie but also an excellent coming-of-age movie independent of comic book lore. This time around, we skip all the introductions on how Spiderman got his powers and all of the routine plot falls that introduced previous Spiderman movies. Here, Marvel assumes you know Spiderman’s origin story and opts to insert subtly ways to inform the viewer of Spiderman’s past, such as references to Uncle Ben or the radioactive spider bite. I absolutely loved this approach! I do not need to see the origin of Spiderman for the third time within ten years.
We met Tom Holland’s Spiderman in Captain America Civil War. If you enjoyed the quips and the humor that Holland’s Spiderman spewed out in that movie, then you will love his jokes even more in this film. Even though this movie seemed to portray an Iron Man and Spiderman team-up, Iron Man is rarely seen within the movie, and Tony Stark plays more of a mentor role for Peter.
This movie is more about Peter Parker than Spiderman. In fact, about halfway through the movie, I forgot that I was watching a superhero movie and thought I was watching a teen dramedy. Keaton’s Vulture is one of Marvel’s best villains, since Loki. The creative team really gives the Vulture’s name meaning as this is a better origin for the Vulture than it is for Spiderman. All of the supporting roles here are great with a standout in Jacob Batalon’s Ned, who plays Peter’s best fried and the “guy in the chair.”
There are great action scenes that showcase Peter’s relationship with the suit and all of the gadgets that Tony has installed. These scenes tease how Spiderman can improve his skills in the future. I wish there was more scenes highlighting Spiderman’s greater use of his powers. I wanted at least one obligatory “Spidey Sense” scene (even though the creative team has hinted that the MCY Spiderman may not possess this ability). Also, I wish the movie showed more of Peter’s thinking capabilities.
Though this is the third iteration of Spiderman, it is not treated as such. This time around, the origin story is put in the back burner and there is more focus on the human elements of Peter’s life: the homecoming dance, the debate team, what happens after high school, and all the growing pains of being a teenager. Furthermore, Marissa Tomei’s Aunt May finally is aged appropriately, in my opinion. I do not know why an aunt is always portrayed as if she’s a fragile old woman. Here, Tomei adds a nice touch. This is an all around great movie and the best Spiderman movie since Spiderman 2. I can highly recommend this movie to everyone, not just superhero fans.
Score: 8.7/10
