Spider-Man: Homecoming
/"So, to become an Avenger, are there like trials or an interview?"
Filmology Rating: 3 out of 4
Spiderman is back! Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is itching to get back to superhero missions after his experience with the Avengers. However, when nothing comes up, he really doesn’t know what to do with himself. After a long wait, Peter must soon put his powers to the test when the evil Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges to threaten everything that he holds dear.
“Spider-Man: Homecoming” is finally here! The long awaited introduction of Spider-Man into the Marvel universe is long overdue. While I am a big fan of the original trilogy (the 3rd had some major issues though) and the Amazing Spiderman films with Andrew Garfield, I have really been curious what Marvel could do. Let me tell you that they did not disappoint!
I am so thankful this wasn’t an origin story again because that would be overkill. We all know the origin story by now so let it go. I love the timeline of this film because it starts out right before Captain America: Civil War and what Peter is doing after. I thought that was so clever. Tom Holland as Peter Parker was quite possibly…. the best one yet. I love that he actually looks and acts like a kid! Not only did he look and act like a kid, but everyone around him did as well! So happy we didn’t get another movie where 30 year olds are playing 16 year olds :p
Now back to Tom Holland, he was incredible. Not only did he nail the nerdy and awkward Peter Parker role, but he was a fantastic Spiderman that really captured the taunting and playful feel that they had in the original comics. That was something that I felt the previous two attempts at Spiderman missed. Andrew Garfield was almost there but not quite. Holland really did feel like a friendly neighborhood Spiderman that just wanted to help out and make a difference. I cannot wait to see Tom Holland lead the way for the new era of heros/Avengers (that is Marvels plan to have him as the leader of the new wave of people).
Counter to Spiderman, we have the Vulture played by Michael Keaton. (Keaton finally was able to become Birdman!!! I hope some people get this reference. If you do, I love you) He was electric. Every time he was on screen, he had an amazing presence to him. Something that I loved even more was that he had really good motivation for what he was doing and why he became the Vulture. He wasn’t just a bad guy for no reason but he had a purpose that I could get behind actually. Along with him are some people that down the line could set up the Sinister 6 which would be incredible. Don't worry, it doesn’t drown in the idea of setting up future films. It only alludes to it and leaves it more as Easter eggs.
Tony Stark/Ironman/RDJ is in this film but not too often. He has just the right amount of presence. People were joking that this was really an Ironman 4 movie but that was not at all the case. He had the right amount of screen-time and served his purpose as a stern mentor to guide Peter to find who Spiderman really is. I said this wasn’t an origin story, it was more a film about Peter discovering who Spiderman really is; a journey of self-discovery. I really loved this aspect.
With some top notch action sequences, vibrant color schemes, a fun feeling, and so much more, “Spider-man: Homecoming” is the movie we needed to really ground a future for Spidey.
Rating: See It
-Nick
After a cameo in Captain America: Civil War in 2016 Spider-Man finally webbed his way back home to Marvel with his first solo adventure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Spider-Man: Homecoming. Expectations were incredibly high in the comic community with Marvel’s flagship character finally returning home and the film community was all abuzz about Tom Holland coming to play Peter Parker. Needless to say Spider-Man: Homecoming had a lot of potential and hope to give everyone right at the moment where general audiences counted the webhead out.
A few months after the showdown between Team Captain America and Team Iron Man, Peter Parker, played by Tom Holland, is trying to prove that he can be an Avenger. He is tired of stopping bicycle thieves and helping old ladies cross the street, he is longing for the next world saving adventure with Iron Man. However Peter may have gotten more than he bargained for when a bank robbery goes wrong and he is caught in a crossfire involving the Vulture, played by Michael Keaton. Peter must quickly decide if he is going to continue being the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man or if he will leave his entire life behind to become the avenging Spider-Man.
Seeing Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War gave me tears of joy, I was ecstatic to see the character basically walk off the comic book page and leap onto the silver screen. Tom Holland captured the essence of Peter Parker perfectly in the few minutes that he was on screen. Basically when it comes to Spider-Man, I’m a fanboy. I will defend all of his previous adventures even this misstep that was Spider-Man 3, so take every word you read with that in mind, I might be blind to some of the faults of the film.
John Hughes mixed with superheroes, that is basically what you get with Spider-Man: Homecoming and it feels so different than any other superhero film. You get to step back into high school where jocks rule the world and the nerds are the social outcasts. Everyone who attended a public school will have something to relate to, whether it be the conversations that the characters are having or the situations that they find themselves living in. I think most people can relate to the fear that comes with asking your crush out to the school dance. That has always been the strongest appeal of Peter Parker to me, he is a kid who is trying to make sense of this crazy world that we live in, he is struggling trying to balance his superhero life with his personal life just like many of us struggle with balancing work lives with personal lives.
For everyone who has seen Captain America: Civil War you know the earnestness that Tom Holland brings to Peter Parker, the amount of smugness and awe that be brings to being Spider-Man; Holland is Peter Parker. I cannot describe how perfect Holland is in the role and I hope that he can continue to play the webslinger for many films to come. Peter wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything in this film without his “guy in the chair” Ned, played by Jacob Batalon. Batalon brings the same amount of wonder that Holland brings, to the point where you start to wonder if anyone in this film is miscast.
One of the biggest complaints that the Marvel films have gotten is that the villains are weak and never actually seem to match the level of care that the filmmakers put into the heroes. I personally have never felt this way, I thought that Loki in The Avengers was great and Zemo was one of the smartest villains the MCU has seen in Captain America: Civil War. However, for those people who have claimed that Marvel doesn’t know how to handle villains you should be please with Adrian Toomes, played by Michael Keaton, as a working class villain. Toomes is never trying to conquer the world or trying to kill everyone in his way, he is just trying to make a living while those at the top make money after they create disasters. Basically the film has a street level villain for a street level hero.
So far this review seems like a love letter to Spider-Man: Homecoming, however I don’t believe this to be the strongest superhero movie of the year. The film clearly has a pacing problem and is overlong with a 2 hour and 13 minute run time. I couldn’t tell you what to cut, every scene is enjoyable for those watching the film. The film really has only two action set pieces and the third act one does feel like the one that needed to be reworked, once again enjoyable while watching, but once the film is over you begin to wonder why they let certain aspects happen and if they were necessary.
My other issue, and to me this is a big issue is that Peter has yet to learn “with great power comes great responsibility.” Some might think this really isn’t an issue but when it’s been a core of the character for the past nearly 60 years, yes I want him to live by the code. Peter in this film is so busy trying to prove that he can be an Avenger that he has forgotten about that he is supposed to look out for everyone. While a chase in the suburbs is rather funny and a good callback to a classic Hughes, it all happens against the core of the character. If Peter would have realized what he did was wrong and that he put other people in danger, then I would have respected what the film did, but since the film lacks any real consequences to its characters -then I have an issue. Once again this is only an issue for those who want the character to remain true to the core that he has had for the past 60 years.
In many regards this film is a love letter to anyone who has ever read an issue of Amazing Spider-Man, you will simply fall in love with this movie, and to those who are getting bored of the world’s always at stake superhero films this will always be a refreshing adventure for you as well. I cannot wait for the next high flying adventure with the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Rating: See It
-Jonny G