Spider-Man: Homecoming Review

One of the few non-crappy posters for this film.

Ever since May 2008, I have been a die-hard fan of Marvel's Cinematic Universe. It helps that it all started with my all time favorite superhero movie, but I keep coming back for the characters, the world building, and the humor. Nine years running, the MCU has rarely disappointed me, and even the disappointments are still at worst merely watchable (cough Iron Fist cough).

One of the most intriguing things about the MCU was that it focused on many of Marvel's B or even C-list superheroes, and that was entirely because Marvel Studios did not have the film rights to huge characters like the X-Men, Spider-Man, or the Fantastic Four. The fact that Marvel Studios could make a bonafide blockbuster franchise out of a once irrelevant hero like Iron Man spoke volumes of the quality in these movies. Naturally, Marvel Studios and their legions of fans still would have loved to see movies about these A-list superheroes taking place in this unparalleled cinematic experiment, and in 2016, fans finally got their wish when Spider-Man debuted in the MCU in Captain America Civil War thanks to a long-awaited deal with Sony Pictures.

Fans like myself immediately took to Tom Holland's earnest portrayal of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, proving that he still had big screen potential even after five movies and two actors. Finally, we had an actor who could play both roles, and was more age approppriate to boot! So of course, the long wait began to see if Holland could carry an entire film by himself.

Short answer: Holy crap, this guy is going to be a huge movie star.

Long answer: After 13 long years, it is so nice to say that we finally have a new Spider-Man movie that's actually good. Though I never saw The Amazing Spider-Man 2 namely because I thought The Amazing Spider-Man was a soulless, by-the-numbers cash-grab and I didn't want to see a sequel that apparently managed to be worse in almost every way, and Spider-Man 3 was okay at best; I was definitely ready to see a new take on the character that didn't make me want to punch a prickish Peter Parker. I don't know if I'll go so far as to say that Spider-Man: Homecoming (hyuck-hyuck, how meta) is as good as Sam Raimi's FREAKING BRILLIANT Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2; however, Homecoming is a strong addition to the continuously expanding MCU, and shows us a clear sign that Holland is ready to lead the way when Phase 4 comes.

One of the first things Homecoming gets right is keeping Spider-Man grounded. This film puts a huge emphasis on the neighborhood part of "friendly neighborhood Spider-Man" shtick. The world is not at stake, Spider-Man comments that he doesn't climb tall skyscrapers (yet), and a good chunk of the movie reminds us of his shortcomings. This time around, Spider-Man has to get creative when he has nothing to swing from or if his web canisters run out, even if it means hijacking a classmate's car even though he doesn't know how to drive. We see Spider-Man fall flat face-first multiple times throughout the film, and he experiments constantly with the new suit he's been given. This is a Spider-Man who's not quite the webslinger we know and love just yet, but the movie is about his journey getting there. This Spider-Man is not ready yet to fight superpowered villains, though he'd like to be. Instead, he has to start on the ground, catching bicycle theives and helping old ladies with directions. And Tom Holland does a fantastic job giving us a Spider-Man we can root for as he goes through these growing pains. In one key scene later in the film, we see Spider-Man at his lowest point, and it is a pure show of force in his acting range as he convincingly switches from desparation to determination in minutes. His spot-on timing, charisma, and general likability make this a Peter Parker I can't get enough of, and I highly await his return in Avengers: Infinity War.

"Now please be careful around Hell's Kitchen, ma'am. The zombie ninjas are being especially rowdy this year."

This is also a New York that feels like New York. Citizens are irritable and stressed out. Small store owners take playful jabs at their customers. Not everyone uses Sony products. And everyone's just trying to get by. This is why the Vulture, or at least the MCU's interpretation of him, is the perfect first major villain for Spider-Man to take on. Adrian Toomes, played with cool conviction by a fantastically cast Michael Keaton, works because he's not after world domination. Sure, the Chitauri technology he's selling is extremely dangerous, but he doesn't care what his clients do with his merchandise. His only goal is to provide a stable lifestyle for his family, and stick it to a system that has wronged him in the past, even if it's through any means necessary. Toomes is by no means a good dude; he murders people, holds no regard for the lives he puts at risk, and becomes blinded by greed. But like Helmut Zemo in Civil War, his motivation is within reason, even if his actions aren't. Between these two, and I'd argue for the villain in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as well, Marvel Studios is really bucking the trend on not having engaging villains. Also, thank god the Vulture isn't a dark mirror of our hero. If I see one more of those after Kaecillius from Doctor Strange, I will lose my mind.

Of course, one cannot talk about this film without discussing Tony Stark's role in all of this. First off, don't let the trailers fool you. Robert Downey Jr. is in this movie for roughly fifteen to twenty minutes at most (I'd love to see the math on how much each minute of screen time cost), but he is a necessary part of Peter's growth, while also growing as a character himself. Here, we see Downey add a new element to Tony's character: reluctant father figure. Tony may have selected Peter as a protege because he reminds Tony of a younger version of himself except with superpowers, yet here we see Tony grow closer to Peter. This new dynamic manages to add more dimension to one of the most popular movie characters on Earth, and truly highlights what makes the MCU work so well. It also helps that Holland is able to stand toe to toe against the dominating screen presence of Downey, making every scene the two actors share together entertaining and investing.

This trailer shot put so many butts in seats, and yet it's not even in the final film. Marketing!

On that note, another success of Homecoming is really laying in on the world-building aspect of the MCU without just feeling like an advertisement of upcoming movies. There are numerous callbacks to The Avengers, Civil War, and the Iron Man trilogy while remaining organic to the story. There are also many subtle touches that I don't want to ruin thrown in here and there that MCU diehards will truly appreciate, touches that would be seen as unnecessary by most yet help make this universe feel so alive. If you want to discuss these, the comments are fair game as always, so please keep this in mind if you don't want to read spoilers. Although Sony probably threw many of these in to remind everyone that this film is connected unlike their last two series of Spider-Man films, it works in the long run to satisfy longtime fans, and rewards their patience in the end.

Still, the film's greatest strength has got to be in its humor. Homecoming has got to be one of the wittiest films in the MCU yet without beating it over your skull like Age of Ultron or Doctor Strange. A few jokes in the film are a bit predictable, but they are salvaged by great delivery and camera work (the awkward high school news program is absolute gold thanks to the latter). There are several great supporting roles in the film filled with actors who are clearly having fun, and this fun bounces off of the screen (Zendaya, Hannibal Buress, and Jacob Batalon are all the big highlights of the supporting cast in my opinion). Also, many of Spider-Man's growing pains are also played for laughs, usually in well edited montages or with surprise twists (the interrogation mode scene is the funniest scene I've seen all year). Basically, if you want a good laugh in theaters right now, you can't go wrong with this film.

There are some problems with the film, but they're relatively minimal. Michael Giacchino's score is surprisingly forgettable (a problem many MCU films share), not all of the jokes land, and Shocker never really felt like a serious threat. Still, these shortcomings are balanced out by fantastic writing that explores the lives of Peter Parker and Spider-Man the best we've seen since Spider-Man 2, star-making performances from the young cast and layered performances from the veterans, and a main villain who is not only menacing but is actually well developed too. Spider-Man: Homecoming continues the trend of a fantastic year for superhero movies, with not a weak entry in the bunch. 

Thanks to Sony finally putting its ego aside and letting some people who actually understand the characters handling the movie, we not only have the best Spider-Man film in years, but one of the strongest films in the MCU. Of course, while Sony looks to immediately dash away all that good will with an ill-advised Venom movie next year not connected to the MCU, at least we're guaranteed this Spider-Man's return in several films for years to come.

So thanks, North Korea! World War III is gonna suck, but at least we got this film out of that mess with The Interview.