Spiderman: Homecoming (Spoiler Free Review)

Spiderman: Homecoming is, arguably, one of the most ambitious Marvel films to date- ranking alongside "Iron Man" and "The Avengers" in terms of pushing limits and trying something new.

They don't beat around the bush with another tired, emotionally stilted, rehash of Peter Parker's origin story. There is no Osbourne, only an offhanded reference to a spider bite, and only the vaguest of allusion to Uncle Ben dying (without so much as a name drop though!) No, this Spidey incarnation assumes the intelligence of the audience, respects the well known depths of its arachnidan lore. 

From the gate we dive into a high school Peter Parker's world, seeing everything from his lens. His uncharted enthusiasm and reckless dedication to doing the right thing- earning his gift almost- fill up every screen. But just when you think that such a feat would take us down the by now familiar terrain of moody-broody (a phrase coined by my sister) heroes... you find that you're chuckling. And then realize you've chuckled a few times. And then it becomes mildly uncomfortable, because you realize this superhero movie is kind of funny so- is it really a superhero movie? Did they swing too far in the opposite direction? 

But Deadpool worked out just fine!

A pause.

Crap. This isn't Deadpool.

And from that moment on we, the audience, are left to do what we should have been doing all along.

Watch the movie.

It's amazing what you can see once you stop looking.

How interesting- Flash Thompson isn't a white guy here. He's Gautemalan. Okay. The main love interest getting ol' Pete's heart pumping is a black girl. Hrm. Pete's best friend and "chair guy" is of Hawaiian descent. The decathlon team is exceptionally mixed. There's a black teacher- as a matter of fact, you know what? There are a whole lot of black folk in this film, ranging from redbone (shoutout to Donald Glover) to dark chocolate. Surprising. And they're in a variety of roles. Lots of women in strong roles. Wait a minute- there's a ton of young people in the movie too... acting like actual teenagers and dealing with what actual teenagers deal with. There's a whole lot of non-pandering diversity going on in this here feature.

Oh my and look at this- they had the opportunity to use Tony Stark/Iron Man as a crutch... but they didn't. He is a very strong card and they played him sparingly, putting him to the best use. Afterall- you don't want people going to see a Spiderman movie and walk away thinking it was really an Iron Man movie. 

The acrobatics and athletics are there. The brainiac element is there (Spidey is historically a genius). There are very real villainous threats, very real villainous motivations, and a very real need for a hero who looks out for the little guy. Of course we need heroes to stop alien invasions, intergalactic homicidal megalomaniacs, and battle frenzied creatures of magic... but we also need someone to stop the burglar at the cornerstore. The casual car thief. To catch us right before an unfortunate slip into oncoming traffic. To give us directions to the nearest library. 

In the comic-book world, this is known as a street level hero. Not someone preoccupied with all the fancy stuff (though perfectly capable of holding their own when push comes to shove), but someone whose primary attentions are on the wellbeing of the little guy.

That's who Spiderman is.

That's all he knows how to be.

And he's a better hero because of it.

Pros List

Tom Holland is AMAZING

Michael Keaton is terrifying (translated as, "amazing")

Very textured- the environmental detail was preeminent

Wasn't campy at all

Loved the unabashed friendship theme

Spidey suit was a little more techy than I would have liked, but they got the feel of Spiderman so well, that it still worked somehow

Multiple, successfully achieved character arcs
Easter eggs all over the place

The Captain America bits were quite entertaining
I felt it. Movies are nothing without feeling. And I was happy that I felt it.

Cons List

They could've shaved at least 30 minutes off of the movie

His wall crawl ability wasn't as sticky as it should be

The "Michelle" thing was pointless

Felt like Donald was channeling Lando
The story felt a bit "borrowed" in some places from a previous Spiderman film

There was one moment where the weight was on him running out of web fluid... but then the next moment he had web fluid somehow (see how carefully I navigated that without spoiling anything? :-D)

Overall, this was an extremely fun flick and the crowd in my particular theatre (about 60% teens) were highly engrossed in it from start to finish. Gather a friend or two and make this one part of your weekend plans. If this is the telegraph move on how Marvel plans to soft reboot their universe after the Infinity Wars, then I'm all for it. I love this Spiderman, I love his world, and I can't wait to see where he swings to next.

Also, that orchestral rendition of the classic Spidey theme during the intro was MIGHTY sweet.

And, of course, make sure you stay until the very end! Your patience will be rewarded.

###
Joshua Evans is a prolific writer and sci-fi/fantasy enthusiast who believes story is central to everything and that mythology can change the world. He currently hosts two youtube shows- The Truth About Superheroes and Comic of the Week, as well as runs a short story blogsite on medium as The Story Junkie. If you would like to further be a part of his cosmic psyche, you can join him on Twitter and Instagram or simply subscribe to this blog… and remember- sharing is caring! Cheers!