"Spider-man: Homecoming" is Everything You Would Hope It To Be and More

   
    It's taken six movies but they did it. They finally nailed the character of Peter Parker and Spider-man. Marvel's joint venture with Sony in Spider-man: Homecoming features the best iteration of the character (in my book) while delivering all around the best Spider-man movie since Sam Raimi's Spider-man 2. Since Tom Holland's initial introduction as the web-slinger in Captain America: Civil War, his bout as the friendly neighborhood superhero in his own solo film has become one of the most anticipated cinematic events in some time. This weekend audiences will finally get to see what a Spider-man movie looks like in the hands (mostly) of Marvel Studios, and as to be expected given their track record, it's fantastic. It's everything I as a fan would have wanted from a Marvel Spider-man movie. So get excited.

   There are so many wonderful things about this movie that I could easily see this post going on and on. This will be a spoiler-free review so don't worry. What I think I loved most about this movie is that unlike the two previous franchise iterations, this movie doesn't get bogged down with origin fodder. Marvel knows their audiences, they know we've been given Spidey's origin story twice already, and to not do that this time around is a huge step in the right direction. In Homecoming, Peter is Spider-man already, and instead of watching him learn how to harness his powers, we get to watch him learn how to be a superhero. This movie is brilliantly woven into the fabric of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) and it takes place not too long after the events of Civil War. Peter is pumped after his bout with the Avengers and seeks to retain validity in the eyes of his new found mentor Tony Stark. Wanting to be more than he is, Peter is cautioned to just lay low, to be a street-level crime-fighter, and let the big issues fall to the hands of the major leaguers, of which he so desperately wants to be. It's this background that brings me to my next point of admirable appreciation.

   We finally get to see Peter Parker be Peter Parker. In Sam Raimi's trilogy of the early 2000s we meet Peter on the cusp of graduating high school. I've got nothing against Tobey Maguire but he looked like a 20 year old senior in that movie. The same with Andrew Garfield, he just didn't look like a high school kid, nor was there enough story time dedicated to the one key aspect that makes the character of Peter Parker and Spider-man so relatable: that being the fact that he's just a normal kid with issues like everyone else...but with powers. Both with the Raimi trilogy and the Amazing films, so much time was spent on Peter's personal life and his relationships with Aunt May, Mary Jane, and Gwen Stacey. Homecoming takes its time to show us that Peter is just a normal 15 year old kid. He gets bullied at school. He's awkward. He has crushes on girls and hangs out with goofey friends. He likes building Lego Death Stars and is extremely intelligent. It's so refreshing to see Spidey as the kid he's always been in the comics. Previous iterations portrayed him as more adult than anything, and that's okay to an extent. But Tom Holland captures that naivety and (for a lack of a better term) childlike quality that comes from a lack of life experience.

   Don't get me wrong, I've loved every Spider-man film that has come out for individual reasons (yes, even the bloated and misguided Spider-man 3). To this day I still believe that Sam Raimi's Spider-man 2 is one of the best comic book films to date. It had real, emotional stakes, gritty drama, a compelling villain, and powerful character moments that resonate still to this day. For me, Homecoming is the next best Spidey movie. This film is funny (and not forcibly). It's heart-warming, action-packed, emotionally relevant, with a great cast that brings their all. I was curious when the trailers debuted about how much Tony Stark we were going to get in this movie. In answer, just enough. This is very much a Spider-man movie, and Tony is a supporting character that works well within the narrative without feeling forced in. And of course, Robert Downey, Jr. doesn't disappoint. Marisa Tomei's aunt May is fun and Tomei does a great job despite her lack of screen time. That was one of my very few, almost non-existent gripes with the film. By not spending time discussing Uncle Ben and the whole back story behind Peter gaining his powers and sense of responsibility, there was room to explore more of who Aunt May is in this new universe. What little we get of her is great, I just wished there was more. Tomei is a compelling actor and giving her more screen time and great narrative to chew on would have only benefited the film as a whole.

   The "leading ladies" of the movie Zandaya (who plays Michelle) and Laura Harrier (who plays Peter's crush Liz) are good. Their characters sometimes just fill that position of "plot-progressor" but they were funny and sweet when they needed to be. Peter's best pal Ned (played by Jacob Batalon) is extremely funny at times and is believable in the role. There are a host of other supporting characters that are entertaining and it's truly a blast to watch the comedy ensue almost organically. The use of Captain America in particular and the creative way they weaved him in was brilliant and one of the funniest aspects of the entire film. The villain is one of the better villains in the MCU, which feels so good to say. So many times these Marvel  movies that focus on the heroes tend to lack in the villain department. Not since Loki has there really been a compelling villain to connect with. Michael Keaton plays Adrian Toomes, or the Vulture, a scavenger by trade. We meet him as he attempts to clean up after the battle of New York from the first Avengers film. The government swoops in and takes his living out from under him and as the film progresses we begin to understand his reasoning behind the path he's chosen to tread and he becomes more relatable as the film progresses, which in turn makes for a more compelling experience once Spidey and the Vulture go head to head. Michael Keaton is a phenomenal actor, and he does a great job here. Again, like with Tomei, I wished there was more. The narrative does some really cool things with this character, going in directions that had me completely surprised, which is great. All in all, the acting across the board was really well done.

   As for the movie itself, it's a little slower than most other superhero films, and I appreciated the heck out of that. Like I said before, we get to see what life is like for Peter as a kid in the wake of some truly amazing things. Watching him juggle school, friends, Spidey stuff, while also trying to prove his worth to Stark by investigating Toomes' operations - despite Tony's instructions not to - is absolutely golden. There are plenty of things in this film that connect it within the MCU and they are all fun to see. With that said, the movie doesn't go out of its way to world-build. This is very much its own movie lodged within the greater universe. It's hard not to go into spoiler territory when talking about this movie, because there's so much to unpack, so I'll just wrap up before I can't help myself. When all is said and done, I had a blast with this movie. I was laughing all throughout and could feel the grin on my face from start to finish. This is the version of Spider-man that most fans have been waiting for. Each actor who has donned the iconic spandex has given something to the character that has been memorable and unique in there own way. Tom Holland has swooped in and has given us a Spidey worthy of the comics. A lot is riding on this character for the MCU and it's future after Avengers 4. I'm excited to see where it all goes, but in the meantime, I'll sit back and enjoy the truly awesome and entertaining Spider-man: Homecoming...because you better believe I'll be seeing this again real soon.