Spider-Man: Homecoming

Wow. That is what I had to say after watching Spider-Man: Homecoming a few days ago. The latest movie in a franchise that has been rebooted for the third time within the last fifteen years. Let's think about how crazy that is. Sony really doesn't want to let this franchise go.

If this movie is any indication, they should just let Marvel be involved in any future movies. I feel like this is the most grounded Spider-Man movie we've had so far. The first movie where it takes place in a high school and it ACTUALLY feels like it.

It looks like I already delved into my review of this movie, so let's just keep it going. There were many reasons I liked this movie and why I now hail it as the best Spider-Man movie so far. First of all, Tom Holland is the perfect pick for Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Here you have a kid that has these powers and he wants to do right by them. As a teenager, he also wants to be seen as someone who is worthy to be sent up to the big leagues, showing off along the way. He starts to feel that the small crimes are beneath him until he is taught a valuable lesson. He pretty much acted how you think a teenager would act. Impulsive, constantly screwing up till he gets it right. I really loved the arc he went through in this movie and a lot of that can be attributed to Holland. He is just so likeable. After Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, it's great to have a Peter Parker you want to root for. He's an outcast in a way that doesn't feel phony. I also loved that they played around with the idea of him using different voices so he can sound older.

The supporting cast was also really good. For instance, Jacob Batalon as Ned was a great sidekick. Here is a character that embraced his role with gusto. I think he helps to ground Peter because even with all this super powers, he can still hang onto some semblance of a normal life with Ned around. He also never gets in the way of the movie. He's the "Man in the chair".

There was much made about Zendaya appearing in this movie and her role in it. She did a great job and did not do what you would expect of her. She had some of the best lines and it was good to see her doing something different here. Finally, I want to mention Laura Harrier as "Liz". Initially, you feel that she is out of Peter's league, but the way she plays the character you can almost believe it. I don't want to say too much without giving away any plot points, but I thought she was very good as well.

I just rattled off four high school characters that came off as authentic in this movie. They didn't spend the time quoting memes or being extreme to the max, bro. I just have to reiterate that it was a refreshing change from what we've seen with other Spider-Man movies that take place in "high school". I love that Peter is not a loner in this one, so we don't have to spend time with him being all morose.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention hot Aunt May. I love Marisa Tomei. That is all.

Finally, I want to call out Michael Keaton. Instead of going completely over the top with the Adrian Toombs character, he infuses the role with this understated intensity. His motivations are also believable. He is not your typical cartoony comic book villain where he wants to achieve world domination. He wants to operate under the radar so that he and his crew can continue to make some money on the side. The fact that he wants to play it smart and NOT draw attention seems to be almost opposite of what you see in a super hero villain. Also, just when I thought Keaton MIGHT turn into an over the top version of Beetlejuice, he never gets there. I think he is easily the best Spider-Man villain. I would almost go so far as to say he's one of the best Marvel villains we've seen so far.

Let me touch on the plot real quick because I've spent an inordinate amount of time talking about the actors themselves. I loved that this movie did not saddle us with yet another retelling of Spider-Man's origin. This movie doesn't hold your hand. They just jump right in, picking up after the events of Civil War. We get to follow Peter around in his daily life and his life as Spider-Man as he struggles to make a difference. What I really loved is that this movie stayed focused on the conflicts of the characters. What I mean is that there was not a world ending threat that had to be dealt with. As I've stated before, these are the kind of movies I enjoy now. It is essentially a story about an awkward teenager trying to grow into the man he is to become. That's why we can relate to Peter. We've all been there. As stated before, the antagonist of the movie is not hell bent on world destruction.

I was also glad that there was not as much Iron Man here as I was fearing. You get more of Happy, Tony Stark's assistant, than Stark himself. The cynic in me says that is because it was too expensive to have Robert Downey Jr. in too much of this film, but I digress.

The special effects were good and there were some great action set pieces. Specifically a car chase at night were Peter is in pursuit of the bad guys. I point this out because this scene shows how raw he is even with the best of intentions. I also want to point out that I loved how they addressed the fact that he's not ALWAYS going to find places to web swing from, so sometimes he is just out of luck.

There were also some deep cut Easter eggs for Spider-Man fans. For one, although he is never actually called the Vulture in the film (something I also truly appreciate), the character has the signature fur on the costume. No explaining it, he just does. The Shocker appears here as well. His costume is a modernized version and really subtle. I heard even the Scorpion appears, but I can't remember in what fashion.

Apparently, Donald Glover plays a version of "The Prowler" in this movie, which I completely missed on my first viewing.

Also, freakin' Damage Control shows up here. THAT is a deep cut.

So yeah, plenty of little things to find within.

If I have one nit-pick, I didn't like his reliance on his new suit. To say more would give away plot points, but they do address it later in the movie. Look, I said it was just a nit-pick! I'm hard pressed to find anything I didn't like about this movie.

So go check out this movie. Also, the Captain America PSAs are awesome. You'll know what I mean when you see them.