Spider-Man: Homecoming is a 2017 action/adventure film directed by Jon Watts, and is the third incarnation of Spider-Man as well as the sixteenth film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film stars Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Jon Favreau, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Donald Glover, Marisa Tomei, and Robert Downey Jr. The film takes place after the events of Captain America: Civil War (2016) as Peter Parker, with the help of his mentor Tony Stark, tries to balance his life as an ordinary high school student in New York City while fighting crime as Spider-Man when a new threat emerges from the ashes of the events from The Avengers (2012).
So yes. This is the greatest Spider-Man movie we have to date. Hands down, Tom Holland kills his performance in this film, and is the best Spider-Man the big screen has ever seen. I’ll be honest with you all. I was really hesitant at first after seeing the first trailer for this movie. Some lines sounded really cheesy, and the humor didn’t really hit home like it did in Civil War. But my god how much this film has changed while in production, and my god I am so madly in love with this film.
So what’s a movie about Spider-Man, if Spider-Man isn’t a good Spider-Man. Easy, it’s Spider-Man (2002). Har har, jokes aside, Tom Holland is probably (in my opinion) the best person to ever put on the red and blue suit. He not only nails Peter Parker to a ‘T’, but also nails the character of Spider-Man better than any actor that has come before him. The thing I loved about this version of the famous arachnid is that his humor isn’t as much sarcastic as it’s more of him just figuring things out as he goes. What I’m saying is that he doesn’t really taunt his villains like we saw in The Amazing Spider-Man series, he’s just blunt as he continues to learn about his surroundings and powers. I know that might not make a lot of sense to you all, but just look at the trailers, he’s not an asshole he’s just being a kid. But yes, Tom Holland nails both Spider-Man and Peter perfectly, and in a way that none of the films have done before.
Another things that felt great about this film was its accurate representation of how high school is nowadays. Bullies aren’t huge jocks, and nerds aren’t always apart of the chess team. This film just nails that atmosphere so well. Not a real spoiler here, but there’s a scene where Peter is holding a hall pass that freaking huge, and from some one who graduated from grade school a little over three years ago, I can definitely relate to that. I absolutely loved Homecoming for that reason as the atmosphere that this film present was incredibly believable and did a great job providing a sense of presence to the audience while watching this film.
But this film would be nothing without its characters, and my god there were a lot of characters. I already mentioned that Tom Holland was fantastic but might I add that there’s a scene in this film that pulls at your heart so extremely well, and that is 100% due to Holland’s performance. You really get a sense of him just being a kid trying to do the right thing. But holy crap, lets talk about Michael Keaton as the Vulture. I don’t know what it is, but this dude loves to play flying creatures in films.. kinda like a weird fetish. Anyways, Keaton’s character was absolutely menacing, and had great intentions. You really end up feeling for him and have a good understanding of why he’s gone down that specific path. Even though he’s the bad guy, you still feel for him at times, and that’s due to this film’s great writing. Trust me, it’s hard writing an antagonist that the audience sympathizes for. Both Jacob Batalon and Zendaya were really good, and even Laura Harrier nailed her role as well. These kids did a really good job portraying real life friends in high school. Robert Downey Jr. really isn’t in this film all that much, and when he is you really get a sense of mentorship between him and Peter. He honestly plays more of a father figure in the film than Iron Man, so don’t go into this film expecting it to be Iron Man 4. It’s not.
With all that being said, there were a couple of things that I weren’t too fond of, but the biggest one being the score. Call me biased, but The Amazing Spider-Man 2 had the best spidy score to date. Yes, it’s Hans Zimmer, and yes I am a fanboy of sorts, but come on.. it was so heroic and catchy, you just didn’t get that in this film at all. The film’s visuals were good for the most part. I had a hard time distinguishing between practical and CGI Spider-Man suits, which is a good thing in my opinion. But you could definitely tell there was a lot of practical work done, so bravo.
Homecoming also featured some of the best writing in a MCU film to date (in my opinion), and was one of my favorite films in the Marvel universe so far.. right behind Iron Man (2008).. sorry Doctor Stange (2016), you had a good time running. The film had great character development with all of the characters, and featured one of the best twists in cinema history. Okay, not The Prestige (2006) level of twist, but one that literally had me choke on a bunch of nerds I had just thrown into my mouth. Not to mention the entire audience gasped, which I haven’t heard in years. Adding to that, the humor in this film was great, and did a fantastic job referencing other MCU films, and poked fun at some characters in the same universe as well. This film had a lot of heart in it, and I have a feeling its writing was the main reason why this film is doing so great. You really feel for the characters, and there are some absolutely unforgettable moments featured throughout this film that will having you tearing up from dramatic and comedic elements.
So to wrap up this review, Spider-Man: Homecoming was the Spider-Man movie audiences deserved, and the MCU needed. It is a refreshing take on the iconic character that audiences have grown so fond of, and is so elegantly executed in every aspect of the film. Tom Holland is Spider-Man, and the best on screen adaptation of the character to date, and his enthusiasm for the character can be see throughout his performance. Michael Keaton was a fantastic villain, and one of the best the MCU has seen, as he is humanized to the point where the audience both fears and understands him. The writing in this film is fantastic, the characters are phenomenal, and Spider-Man: Homecoming is one of (if not) the best MCU films to date. Spider-Man: Homecoming won itself a “Very Good” on theVade Review Bar, and will stand as the new standard for MCU films.. lets just hope Sony doesn’t screw this one up.
