Spider-Man: Homecoming (Movie Review)

Rating:

The 1-4-0:  #SpiderManHomecoming is hands down the best Spider-Man reboot to date.

The Gist:

With Tom Holland now at the helm of our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, Peter Parker returns home to his daily high school routine and crime-fighting after his first mission with the Avengers. But this time he brings with him a new suit and a newfound vigor to prove that he has what it takes to be the youngest addition to the Avengers, however, Tony Stark is not going to let a 15-year-old on the team just like that; Peter must prove that he has what it takes, both physically and mentally to be on the team. His powers and morals will be put to the test when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) threatens those close to him.

“This is my chance to prove myself…I want to be like you.” “I want you to be better.” — Tom Holland, as Peter Parker, and Robert Downey Jr. as Ironman.

What Works:

This reboot has a multi-ethnic cast, a diverse Spider-Man movie for today’s diverse America. Tom Holland shares the spotlight with African-American actress Zendaya (Michelle), Filipino-American underdog, Jacob Batalon (Ned Leeds), and Guatemalan actor Tony Revolori (Flash Thompson). Representation is finally happening in an MCU film and not just as a scene stealer, or as comic relief, but as a whole and cohesive narrative. Overall, fans will be treated to things they haven’t seen before in any previous Spider-Man films.

Holland’s rendition of Spider-man is as if Sony and Marvel pulled the character straight out of the comic books — Holland has the perfect combination of Peter Parker’s motor mouth madness, wit, and charm. We see just how excited he is to prove himself, but the road to greatness is not an easy one. We see him fumble and fall countless times, but his resiliency reminds us of just how extraordinaire his character truly is. Peter wants to prove to Tony that he has what it takes to be an Avenger. Not once does Holland come off as cocky. His quick wit is natural and most importantly, his version of Spider-man is the most relatable by far. We finally have a Peter Parker that truly looks like a high school student who is dealing with regular high school drama and growing pains.

Michael Keaton sheds the shadow of his Batman gear and suits up as the Vulture. Keaton is cool, devious, and unpredictable — he will definitely have you on the edge of your seats.

What Doesn’t Work:

Two hours is not enough. We left the theater wanting to see more of Holland’s Peter Parkerness. From the zingy one-liners and heartfelt moments between Peter, Ned, Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), and Tony, you will experience a rollercoaster of emotions that you won’t want to get off of. Although the plot was a bit predictable at times, it had a fresh feel to it, so it wasn’t as daunting as previous reboots. There was enough freshness to keep us hooked and on the edge of our seats as the plot thickened. Last but not least, Peter’s new suit is something that we will have to get used to, at times it felt a bit too cartoonish but hopefully by the next film the suit will look more real instead of being heavily loaded with special effects.

Pay or Nay:

PAY. We cannot stress this enough, Spider-Man: Homecoming, is the Spider-Man reboot we desperately needed. We finally have a relatable, filled with teenage candor, Peter Parker. This movie will have you laughing out loud, gasping, and on the edge of your seat during the action-packed scenes. This is the best reboot of Spider-Man to date and you won’t be able to get enough of it. Spider-Man: Homecoming will be released in theaters on July 7, so don’t miss out!