In one of Marvel’s more riskier moves, in the wake of Captain America Civil War, Doctor Strange and Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 2, we get a film about a teenage boy being, mentored shall we say, by an eccentric older gentleman who happens to be a billionaire and insists on making said teenage boy wear skin-tight spandex and perform acrobatics. However, in all seriousness, it’s the movie that every Marvel fan has been waiting for for nearly a decade now: a Spider-Man film set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe; but the big question is, is this film “amazing”?
No, no, no, no…. It’s not “amazing”, it’s “spectacular”!!
So it’s two months after the events of Civil War and eight years after the Battle Of New York and a minor headache trying to figure out the timeline considering The Avengers came out in 2012; we have a young Peter Parker balancing high school and aspirations to be an Avenger. He’s dodging his friends and other responsibilities all in hope of Iron Man giving him a call for a new adventure. Meanwhile, Adrian Toomes, played by the original Batman Michael Keaton has been secretly scavenging weaponry from all of The Avengers previous battles, however when Spidey and The Vulture cross paths, things escalate for everyone involved.
Now Marvel fans do not need to be convinced to see this film - they’re all already up to their third screening of this whilst I’m furiously working away on this review - however, what about general audiences who are on the fence with yet another Spider-Man reboot or just aren’t as invested in following the ever expansive cinematic universe and dump-trucks filled with money that is also known as Marvel Studios?
The main things to address are the concerns these people may have: first off, the film does not rehash the origin story yet again, we are not inflicted with another tortured angst-ridden Peter Parker, it’s a kid who actually enjoys being Spider-Man; Even though Robert Downey Jnr. features heavily in the trailers, this is not Iron Man 4 (or Iron Man 5 if you consider Civil War to be Iron Man 4) - Tony Stark and Iron Man show up in very small chunks and at no point overshadows the story of Spider-Man. The one-and-done bland villain problem of other Marvel movies is absent in this film because Michael Keaton creates genuine motivation for his character and can flick between charming and menacing with seasoned ease. There’s no light-beam in the sky or death from above tropes to this film, Spider-Man Homecoming keeps it grounded whilst still providing some really spectacular aerial acrobatics. Overall, for a character who has been in seven films in total over the last fifteen years and seen three actors portray a well known and well-treaded character, Spider-Man Homecoming manages to keep things fresh.
This no doubt comes down to the talent on-screen. Tom Holland is the Peter Parker and Spider-Man you never realized that you needed so badly. His childlike glee and fascination with everything is accompanied by insecurities and a unsureness that are relatable and endearing. Whether he is hyper-actively asking a thousand and one questions to Happy Hogan or his suit, or hanging his head sheepishly when being spoken down to by Tony Stark or The Vulture; Tom Holland is easily the most fascinating of the Spider-Men we have had over the last fifteen years. Thankfully Tom Holland is also supported by a diverse cast which once again keep this interpretation feeling fresh. It is more representative of a high school environment and adds new layers to characters that we may or may not have seen before. For example, Tony Revolori’s Flash Thompson is still a bully, but a different type of bully to previous versions of the character - and of course, Jacob Batalon’s Ned Lees and Peter Parker are just the most adorable best friends I’ve seen on screen in a long time and easily has become a new #FriendshipGoal.
If there was one complaint or fault, and it is only minimal, is that with such a large and diverse cast, some characters don’t really get an opportunity to properly shine or reach their full potential. Now some may say that the casting choices of the smaller roles were nothing more than stunt casting, however I would say that casting people like Donald Glover, Hannibal Burness and Martin Starr in these smaller roles helps to make those smaller moments stand out. Each adds their own charm to characters that could easily have been ignored otherwise.
Of course it wouldn’t be a Marvel film without Easter eggs and this film has more Easter eggs flying left, right and centre than a meth-fueled Easter bunny trying to stash the evidence before the Easter bunny police arrive. Keen eyes will see lots of references to the previous films, there is some real world-building of just the Spider-Man universe with things that are said, characters that show up along with other great things that include very subtle visual explanations for why actors such as Kenneth Choi shows up in this film despite already having played a character in Captain America The First Avenger.
Ultimately, Spider-Man Homecoming is a welcome return to form after several poorly conceived Sony Spider-Man films. This movie builds on the promise shown in Captain America Civil War and offers a wide range of fresh possibilities for Marvel’s favorite future Avenger. With Avengers Infinity War only ten months away, Spider-Man Homecoming will have you thwipping for more.
Spider-Man Homecoming gets Four and a Quarter out of Five meth-fueled Easter bunnies showering us with lovely Marvel Easter eggs.
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