Review of Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) by Shane R — 02 Aug 2017

Sam Raimi's original Spiderman film holds a special place in my heart. It set the stage for what has now become a cinematic force- the Marvel/D.C./Superhero universe. It captured my imagination of what was possible to do on screen, and I can still remember the feeling I had walking out of the theatre. It tapped into my inner child and convinced me that I too could set off swinging through the skies.

If ever there was a contender though, it would be Homecoming. It didn't have the same personal affect, to be sure, but the more I think about it the more I am convinced that on a purely technical level Watts has delivered the best Spiderman film yet. The casting, the story, the tone, the way it fits into the larger Marvel Universe is all inspired. It is a coming of age comedy drama that also happens to be about a guy in a Spiderman suit. The the brave choice to shoot nearly half the film in a home made Spidey suit really commits this film to what it wants to be. And what it wants to be is a whole lot of fun with just the right amount of emotional fervour. A story about a young kid finding his way through high school with just enough high stakes to help us remember this is no ordinary kid either.

And that is really where Watts has worked his best magic, is in this balance between superhero and average kid. The tech suit approach anchors Spiderman's superhuman strength in his adolescent struggles, a theme that comes up again in Stark's fatherly push to be more than the suit, to be who he is. It's a nod to the great power, great responsibility mantra without actually needing to say it. And Watt hits this home even more when it comes to creating the films central villain (Keaton tackling another bird role). The most brilliant and telling moment in this film happens in a car in a rather intimate moment between Keaton's character and Peter. It is a moment so subtle, so seemingly inconsequential in a universe full of over the top villains and characters, but it evokes more fear and dread than I think I have ever found in a villain elsewhere. Beautifully rendered and wonderfully grounded, Homecoming offers us a villain that arrives in perfect balance.

And this is what Homecoming really is, a grounded Spiderman. Whereas Raimi set his Spiderman to the skies, this one is kept low and to the ground. That may change once he grows into his role for the next film, but for now it offers a wholly different and fresh perspective on a familiar icon. I'll be honest, I will probably always prefer my hero to be swinging through the skies. There is just something about that that taps into my inner child like nothing else. But Watts has mad the argument to me that a more grounded hero, at least cinematically speaking, might offer even more potential as a human drama. And given the success of Homecoming, I don't think I can argue.