Tom Awesome’s Review Score: 8.5
I am an unabashed Spider-Fan. I own no fewer than six Spidey shirts, and at last count I have 23 collections of Peter Parker’s finest tales – not including any of the exclusive Venom sets. I had reservations going into Spider-Man Homecoming, and I am pleased to report that it was pretty good.
I enjoyed both previous cinematic versions of the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler, and one of my concerns going in was that Tom Holland would ape Tobey Maguire. Holland did a nice job of distinguishing himself from his predecessors, while taking the web-slinger in a family-friendly new direction.
The story takes place shortly after the awful Captain America: Civil War, and finds a largely inexperienced Spider-Man trying to impress Tony Stark. With the aid of a fancy suit designed by Stark, Parker stumbles across an arms dealer trying to sell exceptionally dangerous weapons in his neighborhood. Spidey intervenes to try to prove his value to Iron Man. His pursuit of the bad guys catches the attention of their boss, setting up the long-anticipated Spider-Man Vulture showdown.
Along the way, Peter is trying to make his way through everyday teenage life with best friend Ned. He has a crush on a senior girl, and has several run-ins with the least jockish take on Flash Thompson to date. I am willing to bet there are no plans for an Agent Venom spinoff in this cinematic universe.
Homecoming tries its best to be a funny family movie. At times, it felt like it was going for a Deadpool vibe without the profanity or gore. Overall, I really enjoyed the film, with some minor issues.
The Good: All of the actors do a terrific job. Holland seems a natural fit for an awkward teenage boy, Michael Keaton was outstanding as the antagonist, and the movie captured the speed, agility and grace of the wall-crawler. Overall, I thought the tone caught the angst and inner turmoil of the finest comic stories.
The Bad: Peter’s suit was surprisingly sophisticated, from his perspective it was akin to wearing one of Iron Man’s suits. Also, there was no Spider-Sense in the film, leaving Spidey to get caught flat-footed or rely too heavily on technology. Also, Parker was surprisingly clumsy for a dude who swung effortlessly into Civil War, stole Cap’s shieid and held his own in the super-fight. Finally, I thought it was weird that they cast a hot Aunt May.
The Verdict: Overall, it was an enjoyable film, and definitely one you can share with your kids (I’m looking at YOU, Logan). My score reflects the fact that I did not enjoy it as much as Guradians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 or Wonder Woman, but I don’t think any Spider-fan will walk away disappointed.
Have you seen it yet? Share your thoughts via twitter or email!