Spider-Man films have been through all sorts of ups and downs. What was once the biggest comic book property on film has since been the victim of studio craziness, failed attempts, and just an overall bad reception by the time The Amazing Spider-Man 2 rolled around. It got so out of hand (Sony almost produced an Aunt May origin film), Sony eventually agreed to work with Marvel in an unprecedented licensing deal which’ll hopefully help both companies in the long run.
As the third iteration of the Spider-Man franchise in just 15 years, Spider-Man: Homecoming has a lot riding on its shoulders. It may have a gotten a good lead-in from Captain America: Civil War, but there were just so many ways it could have failed. Luckily, it didn’t.
Spider-Man: Homecoming feels like the most natural Spider-Man story put to film, and somehow wasn’t swallowed by the Marvel Cinematic Universe juggernaut. I know it’s a cliche, but the third time really is the charm.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Director: Jon Watts
Release Date: July 7th, 2017
Rated: PG-13
Spider-Man: Homecoming isn’t concerned with re-telling Peter Parker’s origin story. Instead, we’re introduced to a Peter (Tom Holland) that’s already been established around his borough of Queens, NY. But after getting a taste of Avenger-like action during Civil War, Peter’s been anxious to fight some big time crime. Stumbling on Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton)’s band of thieves powered by alien technology (left behind after The Avengers), Peter’s out to prove to his mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) that he can handle it. But the 15 year old Peter finds he struggles with balancing his Spider-Man duties, school life with his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon), love life, and home life with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei).
The Homecoming subtitle is both a play on Peter’s newfound high school age, and a “homecoming” to the MCU. With how prevalent Downey Jr.’s Iron Man was featured in advertising, I was worried poor little Peter would take a backseat to all of The Avengers craziness. We’ve seen the result of universe building bogging down some of the Marvel properties, but thankfully Homecoming doesn’t concern itself with that too much either. The events of the MCU proper have informed some of the character motivations for sure, as Adrian gets his villainous start after the Battle of NY, but there’s been a great effort to ground Spider-Man in his own little pocket of the world. Thus, Homecoming is free to not only tell its story at its own pace, but isn’t afraid to explore Peter as a character.
Director Jon Watts takes great pains to make Homecoming feel more intimate. From the opening scene featuring Peter’s video diary, to the pacing of conversations between characters, there are plenty of scenes given time to breathe and fully flesh out the film’s extended cast. Tom Holland is a dream, and his awkward yet full-hearted take on the hero is much different than we’ve seen in the past. Holland portraying a teenage Peter is not only believable, but incredibly refreshing. When Holland’s Peter jokes around, or accidentally saves the day, it always comes across as natural. Because of this, the threats to him become even more engrossing as a literal child is now fighting to save his loved ones. It’s a tonal balance we’ve yet to see from Spider-Man, and I’m very curious as to where it can go from here.
But it’s not like Holland steals the show, either. Homecoming has an incredible cast, and the script is laid out so every character has time to shine. Michael Keaton playing a birdman after, well, Birdman, may be ripe for jokes, but Keaton’s soft spoken menace gives him a presence we’ve yet to see from other MCU villains. Spider-Man’s villains are probably the most famous in Marvel Comics, so it feels so right to see Keaton stake his claim. Adrian is complex, has a reasonable motivation, and seems better written overall than a good chunk of Marvel’s other baddies. Peter’s classmates are all fabulous as well. Zendaya shines as a brilliant loner, Tony Revolori’s Flash is the right kind of bully, it’s great to see Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan again, and Jacob Batalon’s Ned is so damn adorable I can’t wait to see him again. The cast is just so well put together, and Queens has such a lived in feel, Homecoming absolutely nails the “neighborhood” in “Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.” We haven’t experienced Spider-Man like this before.
And, uh, Marisa Tomei is a goddess and I’m so glad Homecoming addresses the shift in Aunt May’s age.
Now Spider-Man: Homecoming isn’t a perfect film, as the plot tends to get lost during the deliberate pacing of the second act, and it’s still an origin story thematically, but it’s still entirely successful. I mean, we finally get an action scene that isn’t about fighting a bad guy, but saving people. I can’t believe that hasn’t happened yet. Even if I’m reviewing Homecoming in the comic book movie bubble, I feel like this world is so well established that the film’s weakness are a reflection of its central character.
This new Peter is flawed, but attacks his flaws head on. Homecoming has so much fun just living and swinging with Spider-Man, it’s hard not to accept those flaws and just go with the swing of things.
Spider-Man has come home, and I can’t wait to see what Sony and Marvel do with him next.
