Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Spider-Man: Homecoming is the 2017 Spider-Man film, taking place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Michael Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, and Robert Downey Jr. Jon Watts directs this Spider-Man movie this time. After Spider-Man made his MCU debut in Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming shows Peter Parker trying to balance high school and being Spider-Man, as well as stop dangerous weapons being stolen and sold by Vulture and trying to impress Liz, a girl he likes. After The Amazing Spider-Man 2 made a mess of things, Sony and Marvel finally came together to reboot Spider-Man into the MCU.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is a very good movie that knows what it wants to do. It is telling a new, fresh take on Spider-Man with elements of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tom Holland is great as Peter Parker and Spider-Man. His Peter Parker is younger than the last two versions. After helping Iron Man against Team Captain America in Captain America: Civil War, he feels he is ready to be an Avenger and wants to prove himself. I know this gets criticized a lot, but I like how he learns to be a true Spider-Man in these films. We have seen the origin numerous times, so it’s refreshing to have a new take on the character.
Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes, also known as the Vulture, was terrific. Keaton is one of my favorite actors, so I was excited to see him in a Spider-Man movie. Toomes had a salvage company before selling weapons to provide for his family and give his former employees work after being pushed out by the Department of Damage Control. Keaton’s performance is one of the best performances for both a Spider-Man villain and an MCU villain. One of the MCU’s biggest weaknesses is some not-so-great villains, but Keaton helps break the mold.
The film has Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, but does not rely heavily on him. It’s a relief because the trailers back in late 2016 and 2017 before the film came out seem to rely heavily on him. Zendaya and Jacob Batalon as Michelle Jones and Ned Leeds are very good. Michelle provides some blunt humor and Ned helps Peter out as his guy in the chair. Marisa Tomei plays a younger Aunt May that cares and worries about Peter and wants him to enjoy parties and gatherings. She may not stand out like Rosemary Harris and Sally Field did, but Tomei still does a good job portraying the care and helpfulness of Aunt May. She comforts Peter after his confrontation with Tony Stark and helps him get ready for a Homecoming dance.
The film has the tone and feel of John Hughes movies like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Breakfast Club. Uncle Ben may not be mentioned in the film, but there are hints of his death. When Ned finds out Peter is Spider-Man, Peter hints that it impacted Aunt May badly and that’s why he does not want her to find out he’s Spider-Man. The film does not need to rely on having elements such as Oscorp Industries in the film.
The film’s score may not stand out as the previous Spider-Man films, but it is still good. Michael Giacchino does the score this time. The humor in Spider-Man: Homecoming is some of the best in the MCU and holds up several viewings later. The twist of Liz’s dad being Vulture caught me off guard the first time and the tension Peter feels is well captured in Tom’s performance. After that, the scene in the car had the tensest sequence when Toomes is slowly realizing that Peter is Spider-Man.
My only issues with this film are the action feels tame and the final battle was not that impressive. It just felt like the action did not take risks compared to the previous movies. The final battle is not bad, but compared to the last five Spider-Man movies, it is the weakest in my opinion. I get that this is a younger Spider-Man with a lighter tone, which I am fine with and enjoyed, but it feels underwhelming. The stakes did not feel that high. I understand it is the first in the MCU Spider-Man movies, but not only is this the sixth Spider-Man film, but it is also a Phase Three MCU film, so it held the film back a little.
All in all, Spider-Man: Homecoming gives a fresh take on the character and lore of Spider-Man. Vulture is a great villain with great motivations. The humor still holds up compared to other MCU movies. The action and final fight could use improvement. Tom Holland is terrific in this role. It was great to finally see Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
I highly recommend you check out Spider-Man: Homecoming if you haven’t already. What did you think about Spider-Man: Homecoming? Let us know in the comments down below.
Final Grade: B+
Follow The Movie Nerds on Social Media:
Instagram- @themovienerds_
Twitter- @themovienerds_
Comments