Well done Marvel, you proved that you could make Spider-Man awesome again and that Sony should just give over all the rights to Spider-Man and just let Venom be part of the MCU now…but you can scrap the Black Cat/Silver Sable film as we don’t need it!
First off, it is easy to say that Tom Holland is the best Spider-Man we have had yet! Taking on Peter Parker is someone who actually looks like he is 15, why was that so difficult to do in the first place? He has a great presence throughout and his version of Spider-Man is the one we always really needed. I will mention more on Holland a bit later once I tell you a bit more about the movie.
So, the first thing we get is the introduction of Damage Control (the guys in charge of clearing up the messes from The Avengers), this is what basically brings us our major villain, The Vulture. Adrian Toombs, AKA The Vulture (played rather well by Michael Keaton) is seen as just a man who wants to get what he believes is owed to him. The Vulture is not alone, he does have back-up (Two Shockers and a Tinkerer to be exact) who actually do prove themselves as a challenge for Spidey (well, not so much Tinkerer as he…well, just watch it and you will see).
We also get to see how being Spider-Man influences the everyday life of Peter Parker. He is eager to become an Avenger and finds himself with his own challenges. Feeling neglected by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr. only appears in about 4 scenes, making it clear this is a SPIDER-MAN movie! Though his scenes are all great and necessary, with some funny interactions with his usual wit and delivery), Peter only wants to prove himself a hero and goes through some tough and funny obstacles to get there. It’s when Peter comes into contact with The Vulture does he realise there is some serious danger coming his way.
While Spider-Man may not be dealing with someone who has multiple arms or joined with an alien parasite, Adrian Toombs is indeed a terrific villain and someone who really grabs you from his first moments. Overall, Toombs becomes The Vulture to get what he thinks he deserves. You do feel bad for him at one point in the movie, but that doesn’t last long.
I will just say it; Keaton’s Vulture is one of the best villain’s in the MCU so far. I would need to do an official ranking of all villains to show you where he stands, so watch out for that one!
For the rest of the cast, they do prove their worth throughout. Marisa Tomei is superb as Aunt May (and the jokes involving the men fancying her are greatly humorous) and I only hope she remains a staple of this universe. There is also great turns from Jacob Batalon as Peter’s best friend Ned who actually proves his worth as comic relief and a hero. Zendaya and Laura Harrier also give some strong performances with Zendaya’s Michelle getting some good laughs and being a strong character overall and Harrier’s Liz showing great determination and emotion. For the supporting cast, the one I really enjoyed seeing was Jon Favreau coming back as Happy Hogan. Happy is a great character and he was probably given the most to do in Homecoming than any other MCU film he has appeared in.
This is a Spider-Man that is at home in this world. The characters all feel like natural pieces of this universe and the majority of them make their mark rather well. The teachers in particular bring some good laughs, most of the students are fun too. Having characters like Michelle, Ned and Aunt May shows they are certainly going to become the backbone to Homecoming 2!
For the overall feel of this film, I feel I am about to borrow from what everyone else has said, but I have to agree with them. Spider-Man: Homecoming does feel like a John Hughes movie. The comedy is heartfelt and relatable throughout. The quirky side we get of Peter Parker as a teenager in school is a great contrast to his fearless actions as the web-slinger. Jon Watts is more than welcome to come back for the sequel.
There is a lot being pushed in this movie towards the future of Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it never feels forced or convoluted (*Cough* *Cough* The Amazing Spider-Man 2). The links towards the future of both Spider-Man and the MCU will indeed be met with enthusiasm and make you want Avengers: Infinity War now! Also, look out for all the little Easter Eggs and cameos throughout.
I could talk about this film all day, but I want to end with telling you that this film beats all expectations and will make you laugh a lot! The action scenes look fantastic and the big fights between Spider-Man and The Vulture do go between comedic and dramatic with little effort. The soundtrack, look and characters of a 1980’s high school film with a superhero and a guy who steals alien weapons!
The best Spider-Man film so far!
Final rating: 9.5/10
Written by Jonjo Cosgrove
P.S. Make sure you see the mid and post credit scenes, the final shot is hilarious and thought-provoking!
The Singing Whovian 