Review of Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) by Finian H — 21 Aug 2017

Hmm. The fate of Spider-Man as a movie franchise has been tenuous to say the least, but his recent foray in Captain America: Civil War was a memorable show-stopper. So, a proper MCU installment for the friendly neighborhood Spider was inevitable. And it goes about how you'd expect from Marvel/Disney. Spider-Man: Homecoming succeeds as a fun and light diversion with low stakes and likeable characters, but ultimately ends up as the most forgettable and milquetoast Spider-Man movie thus far. Homecoming opts for a teen movie set in high school. This makes Peter Parker notably younger than in previous cinematic iterations and likewise the stakes are lowered. Even the location is more grounded. Spider-Man swings not from the skyscrapers of Manhattan as before, but fights in his hometown of Queens. The plot is simple - Peter Parker has to survive high school. And his enemies are former blue-collar construction workers who were screwed over by the government and are simply trying to make a living selling weapons. Oh and Iron Man acts as a mentor giving him Stark tech and stern advice, (it's implied that Uncle Ben has already been murdered in this continuity).

Tom Holland impresses again in the title role, and his deadpan earnestness and enthusiasm are appropriate for the ever dorky Peter Parker. Marissa Tomei plays a forward-thinking Aunt May for the twenty first century, and yes as EVERY male character in the movie points out - she's OMG so hawt. My personal favorite element was Michael Keaton as Vulture (insert overused Birdman joke here). He too has an earnest nature about him and a distinct moral code, though he essentially operates as a gun runner and has a propensity for casual murder. Keaton is well known for his stage presence and intensity, and he doesn't disappoint - he owns every scene he's in. What doesn't work for me is the complete picture. While Homecoming is often light and entertaining, it comes off as a bit safe and trivial. Aside from its choice of villains, it takes no real risks and started to bore me by the third act. Parker's "love interest" proves to be a waste of time, and I wish we had gotten that time back for I don't fucking know, character development? There was a memorable action sequence on the Staten Island ferry and a pseudo-interesting one at the Washington Memorial, but the rest, including the third act failed to register with me at all. The jokes run stale by the end and a certain surprise reveal reeked of shock Hollywood revisionism. The Amazing Spider-Man movies were reamed for being safe and committee controlled (the ones YOU hated but I loved), but it was hard not to reassign some of those same criticisms here, just in different proportions. In short, do I hate it? Not at all. It's a fun rental movie/streaming option and it does promise better and more substantial movies for a Spider-Man who is definitely game for what lies ahead.