Written by Louie Fecou
I have to admit I am pre-disposed to Spider-Man. I have been a fan since I could read and I’ve grown up with Peter Parker through thick and thin. I loved the first two Sam Raimi movie’s and I enjoyed Andrew Garfield’s performance, if little else, in the subsequent reboots.
However, it’s fair to say that Marvel is where Spidey really belongs, and Homecoming validates this.
It’s a master class in how to pitch a super hero movie. Fans like me want to see a loser Peter Parker, and his friends and enemies, interact like an exciting Breakfast Club, with the added sub plot of superheros and baddies fighting each other. There’s so much here that looks like a John Hughes movie that it’s easy to forget your are watching a Marvel film, and for Spider-Man, that’s a plus.
Look back at the classic runs of the character and you will see that the joy of Spider-Man is Peter Parker. When Ditko and Lee created him, he was a high school kid that couldn’t catch a break. He was bullied and tormented and only really had his Aunt May for a friend. He made mistakes, tried to get a girl and often made a mess of things before finally triumphing against the odds, and that’s exactly what this film delivers.
Spidey’s rogue gallery is also a delightful buffet of villainy that some previous outings never experimented with successfully but here Michael Keaton’s Vulture gives us probably Marvel’s first real 3D bad guy. He is fleshed out and motivated and is brought to life with pathos and under stated menace by Keaton, adding to the films success. The cameos from iron Man and Captain America are just enough not to detract from Spidey, and there is a great twist I won’t give away that elevated the story in the final act.
The action sequences are well directed and exciting, Spidey looks great and has some really funny lines and set pieces, as well as a rather obvious Ferris Bueller parody, we have a treat for lovers of the original comic book run, where the now legendary issue 33 from Ditko and Lee is re-created. Older fans must have felt their hearts swell in a real punch the air moment.
The film is another Marvel triumph, mostly due to a basic understanding of the character and his world and a sterling performance from Tom Holland. It doesn’t get any better than this!