On the weekend of July 7-9, Team HOTW ended up returning to Montreal for The Montreal Comic Con. After our second day at the con, we decided to unwind and check out Spider-Man: Homecoming. We were all eagerly awaiting this movie, after hearing the amount of good press it’s been receiving. I’ll admit, going into the movie, I was worried. Spider-Man has had a shaky track record on the silver screen. Sam Raimi’s films understood Peter Parker’s (Tobey Maguire) struggle but gave us a bland, “Peggy Sue” Spider-Man. Marc Webb’s Spider-Man got the web-head right, but his Peter Parker (played by Andrew Garfield) was a “too cool for school” skateboarder. Each adaptation was lacking the things that made Spider-Man universally appealing.
Enter Spider-Man: Homecoming, a movie what was put together by the collaborative efforts of Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios (who already utilized the wall-crawler in Captain America: Civil War prior). After watching this movie I can easily say this: THEY NAILED! We’ve FINALLY got THE TRUE SPIDER-MAN/PETER PARKER! We finally got the awkward teenager. We FINALLY got the wise-cracking yet flawed local hero. We’ve finally got a story that exposes us to a hero’s struggle and angst. All while creating a fresh/modern take on the character.
This movie is thoroughly a Spider-Man film, with a dash of John Hughes. That’s all thanks to Jon Watts and his team of screenwriters. There are elements of the film that are very much Spider-Man-esque and elements that are reminiscent of classics like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and other John Hughes favorites. This movie is also funny as hell. We get the right comedic moments at the right times.
This movie also brought the best cast of characters in an MCU film. Tom Holland was BORN to play Spider-Man! His performance as Peter/Spidey was one that we’ve been waiting for, and we got it! Every scene of his was gold! Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man/Tony Stark continues his mentoring of Holland’s Peter Parker in this film. Their scenes together are the best ever. It was awesome watching RDJ’s snarky billionaire playboy mentor matched with Holland’s eager beaver mentee. Michael Keaton’s Vulture finally gave us the second, most menacing MCU villain to date. He’s the working class Loki: A villain made by circumstance. We see why he’s bad and partially feel for him, something that other MCU villains were lacking in past films. Marisa Tomei’s May Parker is a much welcome addition to this film. I dug how hip and modern she was and I’m hoping they’ll explore more of her in future Spider-Movies. Another character, I’m hoping they explore is Zendaya’s, Michelle. Her performance is very reminiscent of Ally Sheedy’s from The Breakfast Club. The lovable loner who ends up everywhere in the film. Other characters like Tony Revolori’s Flash Thompson, Bokeem Woodbine’s Shocker, Donald Glover’s character, and more, were all awesome additions to this film.
The effects, the costumes, and action sequences were top notch. Much better than the previous Spider-Man movies. Seeing Spider-Man swing and maneuver around the city felt more real-world and less fake/rubbery than its predecessors. We got some of the best effects sequences with Keaton’s Vulture too, giving us flying sequences that rival the MCU’s Falcon. The new take on the Spider-Man suit was also another good part of the film. It’s very similar to the suit that Parker has in the comics currently.
Though it’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a Spider-Man movie, I feel there were some missed opportunities. One of them was Peter Parker’s best friend Ned Leeds (played by Jacob Batallon). I loved the actor, but I felt his character wasn’t needed for a character like Peter Parker. If this were a Miles Morales and Ganke situation, then cool. But Peter Parker has always been a loner. Then again, he is part of the Avengers. I also loved Laura Harrier as Liz Allan, but I wish there were more Peter/Liz moments.
Overall, this movie will have you smiling from ear-to-ear! Spider-Man: Homecoming is the Spider-Man film we’ve all been waiting for. After two attempts at bringing Spider-Man to the big screen, Homecoming definitely lives up to the term “the third time’s a charm”! Sony made the best move in teaming up with Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios. We finally got MARVEL’s Spider-Man on screen! In typical MCU fashion, make sure you stay for the post-credit scenes!
P.S. – THE EASTER EGGS game in this film is STRONG! There is a good amount of them that appeal to MCU fans and comic fans, so pay attention!
