by TJ Blankenship, Senior Editor
Spider-Man: Homecoming is the latest Marvel movie and stars Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Jacob Batalon, Zendaya, and Robert Downey Jr.
As the third reboot and 6th installment in the Spider-Man franchise, Homecoming had a lot to live up to. And not only did it ease any worries I had for the film, but surpassed all previous installments, including Sam Raimi’s stellar Spider-Man 2.
First of all, let me strike down everybody’s two worries and concerns. It is not Iron Man 4, and Robert Downey Jr is not the main character, he is in the movie for a total of 15 minutes. This is a Peter Parker/Spider-Man film and his struggles to fit in, impress his peers, bullying, and deal with the problems of everyday life. This movie is also not an origin story. While Uncle Ben is dead, he is not mentioned, it doesn’t go though his death again, but his lack presence and impact on Parker’s life is still felt throughout the film.
Speaking of Peter Parker, Tom Holland gives the best portrayal of Spider-Man on the big screen. He has the quirky, awkward, and genius Peter Parker, and the sarcastic, funny, and brave/caring Spider-Man down to a tee. It also doesn’t hurt that Tom Holland is a younger, more teenage Spider-Man rather than 30 year old men playing him like Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.
Michael Keaton also gives the best Marvel villain performance as Adrian Toomes, The Vulture. He is menacing, given great character development, and is conflicted character that audiences can understand his intentions and why he is doing his villainous activities. He is intimidating, and a great foe for our titular hero to fight against. It is also a throwback to Sam Raimi’s planned Spider-Man 4, who planned to have the Vulture in that film as well. Marisa Tomei’s Aunt May may be young, but she is a fantastic Aunt May, a caring, responsible parental figure that cares for Peter because of the death of Uncle Ben. Her character is also a juxtaposition for Tony Stark’s role as a father figure for Peter. Instead of being a billionaire, playboy, philanthropist (and a superhero), May is more grounded in reality and is a realistic adult that would care for Peter.
The pacing is also fantastic in the film. While the movie is about 2 hours long, it feels a lot shorter. There is never a dull moment in the movie. When there isn’t any Spider-Man in the scene, there is still enough humor, character building, and story driven plot to drive the movie forward without making it slow down.
The story is also handled very well. It is a Spider-Man that is yet to become the big superhero everyone knows him as. Since he is still relatively new to the job, it makes sense that he would not be taking down huge world ending beings like Ultron. He is taking down street level thugs; arms dealers, ATM robberies, and helping old ladies across the street.
Even the technical aspects of Homecoming are amazing. There are no shaky cam fight scenes, with the fight scenes being well choreographed and realistic for someone like Spider-Man. There are also great camera shots, like one scene where Peter looks in a puddle and sees his face, half as Peter Parker, and half as Spider-Man. It’s just beautiful, especially with Peter soaring over the city while he’s webswinging.
I’ll admit, I am one of the biggest Spider-Man fans, but it really is hard to come up negatives for the movie. However, one of the biggest flaws is that it is not entirely comic book accurate (although it is the most comic book accurate portrayal of the character thus far). But, all of the changes are understandable because not only is it an adaptation, but all of the changes not only make sense, but are changes that I like. I do not want to spoil anything, so I will not say what the changes are, but they are changes that makes sense for the movie universe, which is separate than those from the comics.
In conclusion, Spider-Man is the best entry yet in the franchise. It’s lighthearted, comedic, and just overall fun. I had a smile on my face from the intro to the movie, until the closing of the final end credit scene (which is one of my favorites, by the way). Yes, this is the umpteenth Spider-Man movie, and people may be sick of the character, but audiences should give this movie every bit of their attention because it is amazing and spectacular. Spider-Man: Homecoming is truly the superior film in the franchise, and is now my favorite Marvel movie to come out
FINAL SCORE: 10/10
Have you seen Spider-Man: Homecoming? If so, comment below and let us know! If not, who is your favorite Spider-Man and why?
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