As the third cinematic version and sixth movie featuring the web-slinger since 2002, Spider-Man: Homecoming faces a challenge – does it offer enough to establish another fresh introduction and prevent franchise fatigue? The answer is a solid yes. A lot of the credit goes to the breezy sense of humor, Tom Holland’s likeable, wide-eyed lead performance, and Michael Keaton’s nuanced villain. Unlike the cases of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, Holland’s Peter Parker is not given an origin story. We first saw this Spider-Man, his escapades already known all over YouTube, in a minor role in Captain America: Civil War. It was a clever move to build up hype for his planned first solo outing, though the motivation came across as completely transparent. Spider-Man’s recruitment by Tony Stark in particular felt like it belonged in a different movie. The time has come for that movie, and it doesn’t disappoint.
The decision to ditch a complete start over is a good one. The time that would’ve been spent on scenes featuring Peter getting bitten by the radioactive spider, discovering his powers, and mourning his uncle’s death is instead dedicated to showing a much more detailed portrayal of his school life. In contrast to the previous films, Spider-Man: Homecoming could almost be considered a high school comedy drama that happens to contain superhero trappings.
In one of many improbable coincidences, Peter’s prominently featured classmates all happen to be on the debate team. They include his crush, Liz (Laura Harrier), his similarly nerdy best friend, Ned (Jacob Battalon), and a loner, Michelle (Zendaya), who awkwardly hovers near characters to provide running insults and sarcastic commentary. Flash (Tony Revolori) once again picks on Peter, but this time he’s a bully of the academic type rather than athletic. Holland and Battalon play off each other well; they eventually become a sort of hero-sidekick duo and their close bond makes the transition seamless. Marisa Tomei is a younger Aunt May than seen before, though the change is less jarring when one considers that she’s actually around a more typical age that the aunt of a 16-year old would be.
As Vulture, Michael Keaton shines as a bad guy who lacks an over-the-top thirst for power. Money is certainly a big reason for why he steals and sells alien technology (still left over from the climactic battle in The Avengers) on the black market, but his motivations are more rooted in providing for his family and sticking it to the elite. In believing he’s fighting for the downtrodden, forgotten common man, Vulture draws a parallel to Civil War‘s Baron Zemo, whose villainous plans were similarly more personal and low key than most of his MCU peers. The source of Vulture’s ire is a joint venture by Stark Industries and the government, which abruptly take over a cleanup contract for which his salvaging company has already sunk considerable expenses. It may be difficult to condone his decision to put on mechanical wings and switch to crime, but it’s not so hard to sympathize with Vulture regarding his livelihood getting screwed over by Tony Stark.
Iron Man’s presence in Spider-Man: Homecoming provides a nice marketing boost and expands on his role as a pseudo father figure to Peter. Robert Downey Jr has a decent amount of screen time, occasionally appearing to help guide and scold him during his superhero development, but not to the extent of stealing Spider-Man’s spotlight. His interactions with Peter feel more organic than they did in Civil War. Those hoping for some follow up to that film’s tumultuous events will have to settle for a few cameo appearances by Captain America (Chris Evans), in which he appears in corny educational videos that will likely remind many viewers of the ones they cringed through in high school.
There’s no shortage of action in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Most notably, an early sequence briefly recaps Peter’s part in Civil War‘s airport battle, filmed by himself. Thanks to Stark, Spider-Man’s suit is easily the most technologically advanced that we’ve seen on the big screen. The movie makes sure to showcase its abilities, though Peter is still very much in the learning phase. Other major set pieces involve the Washington monument, Staten Island ferry, and a jumbo jet mid-flight. They’re entertaining, if unspectacular. Spider-Man: Homecoming is actually more compelling when it focuses on its hero with his mask off. However, that’s more of a testament to Tom Holland’s endearing likeability than a weakness.
I felt that The Amazing Spider-Man 2, with its muddled storylines and completely unimpressive villains, was far from amazing. Apparently, so was its financial success, as Sony later reached an agreement to hand over creative control to Marvel while retaining the rights to profits. This turned out to be a good decision for both studios, given that Spider-Man: Homecoming has grossed more at the box office on a lower budget. Despite its own flaws, such as a lack of novelty in its superhero elements and a plot that’s filled with happenstance, it’s a significant improvement in quality. And now that Spider-Man is firmly in the MCU, we can look forward to future team ups. This iconic character looks to be back in good hands.
Dogomon 